Explore every episode of the podcast Just Checking

What happens when your intrusive thoughts end up on the page? This week we're joined by author Louis Urbanowski to talk about his experience of "Pure O" OCD, what actually helped him, and how he now uses his obsessive brain in his writing. His books feature characters with OCD.

We talk about why the "Pure O" label can be misleading, the hidden mental load of OCD, and the overlap between OCD, neurodivergence and shame.

Louis also explains how writing became a place to put intrusive thoughts, why "good enough" is okay, and how a partner can support someone with OCD. We also cover sensory differences, getting diagnosed, the jobs that suit an OCD brain, and Louis' honest reflections on wishing he'd been braver.

As always, we finish with a listener question, this week's win and the Exposure Lab.

⚠️ Content note: this episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts (46:45). If you're struggling, contact Samaritans on 116 123 (UK, free, 24/7).

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Featuring Louis Urbanowski, author

To Follow Louis:

https://linktr.ee/Urbwrites?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAU5vXVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAnNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABpxl_cisqLbDburKiLFcODOMPd1QqiUkPQpAUprJOTGqViB2vS09X4CrH6UnD_aem_ByThqUt8ymBZtrRI85wGEg

https://www.instagram.com/urbwrites?cplk=aDBidHUzYm0zZWs1

Time Stamps:

00:39 Introduction to the episode

01:42 Louis introduction to himself

04:54 Brain Spam

10:40 Writing as a place to put intrusive thoughts

13:07 Louis' OCD story

15:12 Good enough is okay

16:45 Writing and OCD

18:45 We all have different needs

22:10 The mental load of OCD

23:20 Misleading Pure O name

25:10 Spinning OCD to be useful

26:25 Neurodivergence cost

29:00 OCD, neurodivergence and shame

34:00 Using an obsessive brain

35:10 Louis changed how he wrote

37:30 Jobs for an OCD brain

39:10 Being yourself and sensory differences

40:00 Diagnoses

43:00 How a partner can support OCD

46:45 Suicidal thoughts

49:40 Louis wishes he was braver

52:07 Louis book descriptions and where to find

52:54 Listener Question

56:20 Weekly Win

58:15 Exposure Lab

1:01:20 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Contamination OCD is so much more than liking things clean. In this episode of Just Checking, OCD specialists Jess and Laura unpack what contamination OCD really is, how it differs from everyday cleanliness, and why it can leave people feeling like nowhere is ever truly safe.

We explore the different types of contamination fear, the lasting impact of the pandemic, the role of shame, and the hidden secondary consequences that affect daily life and relationships. We also tackle the big worry for many people: what does therapy actually look like? From where ERP (exposure and response prevention) starts to how family accommodation can keep OCD going, we walk through recovery step by step. Plus, Jess shares how she used ERP with her seven-year-old, Laura makes an admission, and we discuss neurodivergence and chronic illness in contamination OCD.

Brain Spam brings Laura's spicy intrusive thought and Jess' unfortunate mum fail. We finish with a listener question, our Weekly Win and this week's Exposure Lab challenge.

Whether you live with OCD, love someone who does, or support clients as a clinician, this episode will help you understand contamination OCD with warmth, honesty and a bit of humour.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Resource from the Show: Asbestos fear blog: Asbestos OCD: Understanding the Challenges and Rewards of Treatment – Southampton CBT Therapy Services Time Stamps:

00:37 Episode overview

02:30 Why contamination OCD now

06:40 Brain Spam

14:20 Contamination OCD vs wanting to be clean

20:20 The impact of the pandemic

27:00 Anxiety equation impact on fear

29:05 Types of contamination fear

32:35 Never feeling safe

34:05 Contributory factors to this theme

35:50 The practical impact of this OCD theme

37:40 Shame and contamination fears

38:20 Secondary consequences

41:20 Fears of what therapy can look like

45:50 Where does therapy start?

48:00 How do things look through therapy?

52:28 Family accommodation 

56:05 Why OCD therapists love this

58:00 Jess used ERP with her 7 year old

58:55 Laura's admission 

1:00:00 Over-correcting

1:02:00 Did you get ill?

1:03:40 Neurodivergence and chronic illness in contamination OCD

1:07:18 Listener Question

1:09:20 Weekly Win

1:10:40 Exposure Lab

1:11:10 Goodbyes 

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts.

Depression and OCD show up together far more often than people realise, and when they do, everything can feel heavier. In this episode of Just Checking, Jess and Laura look at why OCD and depression so often co-occur, how depression symptoms interact with obsessions and compulsions, and how neurodivergence can shape the picture.

We talk honestly about suicide risk and what good safety planning looks like. Then we answer the big clinical question: should you treat depression or OCD first? We cover setting realistic goals for therapy, taking recovery bit by bit, adapting sessions when motivation and energy are low, and why compassionate approaches matter so much when you're living with both.

You'll also get Brain Spam, a Weekly Win, a listener question, and a new Exposure Lab challenge.

This episode is for anyone living with OCD and depression, their loved ones, and therapists who want to feel more confident working with comorbid presentations.

If you're struggling, please reach out. In the UK you can call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time. If you're in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. You can also access emergency mental health support by selecting option 2 after calling NHS111 in the UK. 

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:40 Introduction and trigger warning

01:48 Brain Spam

10:38 Depression and OCD comorbidity

13:00 Why does it co-occur?

16:00 Depression symptoms and OCD

19:00 Neurodivergence impact

20:02 How OCD and depression presents together

25:10 Suicide and risk

28:10 Safety planning

34:30 What does treatment look like?

34:50 Goals for therapy

38:20 Treatment order for depression and OCD

40:10 Bit by bit

43:40 Adaptions to sessions

45:00 Compassionate approaches

49:50 Laura's message to your voice

52:00 Plans for future episodes

54:40 Weekly Win

55:10 Listener Question

57:30 Exposure Lab

1:02:15 Laura's message to her mum

1:03:00 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Resources:

Depression video: https://youtu.be/XiCrniLQGYc?si=Z0kS2IYsGJOKhjnT

Body doubling app: dubbii | dubbiiSuicide safety plan: Email jess@reimaginetherapy.co.uk

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Sensorimotor OCD; where you get stuck noticing your breathing, blinking, thinking, or other automatic bodily processes. It can feel relentless and impossible to switch off. 

In this episode of Just Checking, we're joined by Andy and Ferne from the Anxious Academy to explore what sensorimotor OCD is, why it can feel like the "worst" OCD theme, and how to treat it.

We cover common sensorimotor compulsions, when reassurance becomes a compulsion, and why loss of certainty and control drives the cycle. Andy and Ferne share their lived experience, and we look at why response prevention often matters more than exposure with this theme. We also discuss compassion work, dropping perfectionism, metacognitive therapy for OCD, exposures for metacognitive beliefs, and experiments for mental compulsions.

We also cover green and red flags in OCD programmes, neurodivergent considerations, what recovery really looks like, the biggest recovery roadblocks, and a common mistake therapists make with this presentation.

If you're living with OCD, supporting someone who is, or you're a therapist wanting to understand this theme better, this one's for you.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Featuring Andrew Mellish and Ferne Manniex from Anxious Academy 

Anxious Academy Website: https://theanxiousacademy.co.uk/ 

Time Stamps:

00:00 Anxious Academy introduction

02:45 Introduction to the episode

05:40 Brain Spam

11:10 What is sensorimotor OCD?

17:00 Losing a sense of certainty and control

18:05 Common sensorimotor compulsions 

21:00 When validation and assurance changes to reassurance 

23:45 Why Ferne struggled with sensorimotor themes

24:35 How sensorimotor OCD impacted Andy

25:25 Is this the 'worst' OCD theme?

28:05 Focusing more on response prevention than exposure 

29:00 Compassion work 

34:35 Dropping the perfectionism

36:20 Metacognitive therapy for OCD

39:30 Metacognitive awareness

40:25 Exposures for metacognitive beliefs 

43:40 Experiments for mental compulsions

44:35 Metacognitive Training 

45:55 Red flags in OCD programmes

47:40 OCD compulsions involving OCD research

48:35 Summary of what OCD therapy green flags are

49:50 Neurodivergent considerations

58:20 What does recovery look like?

1:01:25 Biggest recovery roadblocks 

1:05:30 Jess Donald Trump toddler analogy 

1:06:45 Common therapist mistake with this

1:12:26 Weekly Win

1:18:58 Exposure Lab

1:24:21 Goodbyes

Resources:

Andy's recommended Youtube attention videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx0h9GH33gV0ItzP_nOuJPVIXLzh3vDBo&si=YWLWilOUbGtx4VZX

Anxious Academy social media: @theanxiousacademy

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Ever wondered what OCD therapy actually looks like from the inside? In this mini vignette, we build a fake client, Jamie, presenting with magical thinking OCD, and walk through the whole clinical journey: assessment, formulation, and treatment, step by step. 

We cover thought-action fusion, excessive responsibility, "just right" challenges, memory manipulation, and how to bring family into the support system- all with the warmth and compassion Theory A/Theory B deserves. 

Whether you're a clinician wanting a practical walkthrough or someone with OCD wanting to understand what therapy might involve, this one's for you.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction chat

03:18 What is magical thinking?

05:30 Laura's button analogy

07:00 Jamie's story

14:15 Controversial start to therapy

15:00 What the assessment will look into

18:45 Thought Action Fusion

19:08 Laura's practical exercise

22:00 Challenging the concepts first, not the OCD

25:00 Challenging excessive responsibility

27:50 Just right challenges

31:30 Memory manipulation

32:20 How Jamie's family can get involved

35:00 Phrases for OCD support

40:25 Theory A, Theory B with compassion

41:35 Acceptance for the thoughts

43:25 Psychosis fears

45:30 Getting involved and extra episodes

48:17 Papyrus shout out

49:00 Goodbyes 

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Mental compulsions can be invisible, exhausting, and easy to miss- even for clinicians. In this episode, Jess and Laura sit down with Jess Marriner (creator of Breaking the Loop) to unpack what mental compulsions and rumination actually look like, how they differ from ordinary thinking, and why "just doing the exposure" doesn't always shift underlying beliefs.

They cover Pure O, whether OCD can exist without the "O," how to spot invisible compulsions in the therapy room, and what ERP and CBT look like when the compulsions are all happening inside someone's head. 

Plus: attention training, planned vs unplanned exposure, stress management and OCD, and a Jess M discount code you won't want to miss.

Perfect for anyone with OCD, clinicians working with OCD clients, or anyone who's ever wondered "is this rumination or just... thinking?”

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Featuring Jess Marriner, BABCP Accred OCD and anxiety specialist therapist

Follow Jess Marriner at @jessmarrinertherapy and access her Break the Loop at: Break The Loop

Use the discount code: justchecking20 at checkout for 20% discount

Time Stamps:

00:38 Episode overview

01:50 Introductions and catch up

06:50 Brain Spam

10:20 Overview of Jess M and Break the Loop

15:40 What do mental compulsions look like?

18:42 What rumination looks like

21:00 Thoughts vs thinking 

25:50 Why doing the thing doesn't change beliefs sometimes 

28:40 How can clinicians ask about mental compulsions 

31:10 What is pure O? 

32:40 Can we have OCD without the 'O'?

36:40 Jess H book sidebar

41:05 How does ERP or CBT look for invisible compulsions?

45:00 Attention training first

46:30 Unplanned and deliberate ERP

53:00 Stress management and OCD

57:35 The OCD game 

58:00 Jess M discount code

1:00:00 Weekly Win

1:01:04 Exposure Lab

1:05:20 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

It's not always fear driving OCD; sometimes it's disgust. In this episode, Jess and Laura unpack disgust-based OCD: what makes it different from anxiety-based presentations, why there's often no obvious "core fear" to find, and how disgust sensitivity and propensity shape the way it shows up. 

They cover mental contamination, self-regulation, shame beliefs (including LGBTQ+-specific shame), and why some safety seeking behaviours might need to stay for now. 

Expect personal anecdotes, an apocalypse tangent, and a full toolkit of practical experiments, from metacognitive imagery work to ACT and CFT-informed approaches, for building tolerance to the intolerable. 

Plus: Listener Question, a Weekly Win, and an Exposure Lab challenge.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

01:00 Overview

02:00 Why disgust-based OCD

03:05 Brain Spam

08:40 What is disgust?

11:55 Personal disgust examples

17:40 Disgust reacts differently to anxiety

19:00 Expectations for treatment

19:45 No core fear

26:00 Disgust sensitivity and disgust propensity

27:30 Self-regulation's role

31:55 How therapy can look

36:00 People can be disgusting

36:50 Shame beliefs and origins

39:05 Metacognitive therapy imagery descripting

41:50 Disgust associations

45:15 Allowing safety behaviours

46:20 A focus on values

49:55 Apocalypse tangent

53:44 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) approaches

55:20 Laura's summary of disgust approaches

58:00 Disgust aims and reminders

1:01:15 Listener Question

1:03:50 Weekly Win

1:05:27 Exposure Lab

1:10:00 Goodbyes

Disgust Behavioural Experiments:

**1. "Opposite action" for disgust**

Pick something mildly disgusting (not your worst trigger). Physically approach it, let yourself really look at it rather than looking away, and notice the urge to tense up or recoil- then deliberately soften your shoulders/hands. The exercise is about closing the gap between "disgusted" and "recoiling," not making the disgust disappear.

**2. The reappraisal game**

Take a disgust-trigger object and describe it out loud using only neutral, clinical, or absurdly technical language-no evaluative words allowed. E.g. a used tissue becomes "cellulose fibres holding condensed nasal secretions." This is changing the *meaning* attached to a stimulus rather than the stimulus itself.

**3. Rewrite the ending**

Take a recurring "gross" intrusive image and, eyes closed, deliberately continue the scene past where it normally stops- give it a different, even ridiculous ending. This is a small version of imagery rescripting, which works by changing the affective meaning of the image rather than trying to suppress or avoid it.

**4. Pairing test**

Since disgust is often *learned* through association rather than reasoned belief, try repeatedly pairing a low-stakes disgust trigger with something genuinely pleasant (a favourite song, a square of chocolate) over several short exposures, and notice whether the association shifts.

Resources:

Disgust Scale-revised: Disgust Scale, DS-R 

Feelings Wheel: Feelings Wheel | Worksheet | Therapist Aid 

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

A lovely guest, Jess, opens up about her postnatal OCD journey; from the sexual and harm intrusive thoughts she was terrified to admit, to the health visitor and GP visits that Jess courageously opened up in, to finally getting the right help from a perinatal team. 

We talk about what OCD looks like after recovery, the grief that can come with a postpartum OCD diagnosis, and the exposure work that actually helped. 

If you're a new parent having intrusive thoughts you're scared to say out loud, or a professional who wants to understand postnatal OCD better, this one's for you.

Content warning; please be aware that we discuss specific intrusive harm and taboo thoughts in this episode, listen with caution.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Featuring Jess @rosejess91

Useful Links:

Mind: Perinatal OCD | Types of mental health problems | Mind 

Maternal OCD: Welcome to Maternal OCD 

OCDUK: OCD during a prenatal or postnatal period | OCD-UK  

Time Stamps:

00:45 Extra content trigger disclaimer

01:25 Introduction to Jess

02:20 Brain Spam, postnatal OCD edition

07:20 What Jess' OCD journey was like

14:00 What Jess first thought of her thoughts

16:45 How the visit with the health visitor went

19:50 What Jess feared with her first confession

22:40 What would it have helped for the doctor to say?

25:20 The phone call with the perinatal team

30:05 Big OCD achievements

35:20 Grief around the OCD postpartum

38:20 Sneaky compulsions

39:10 What this OCD looks like after recovery

44:00 Routines that can help

45:55 What would Jess tell herself if she were to go back?

49:00 What do professionals need to know?

52:00 Recovery expectations and tips

55:00 What combination of things helped Jess

57:02 An example exposure task that helped

59:10 Exposure Lab

1:03:10 Weekly Win

1:05:30 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd and @Jess_the_therapy_mum

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

This week we're bringing a fictional case study. Meet "Dan"; a composite character who helps us walk through what pOCD (paedophilia-themed OCD) can actually look like in the room, and how CBT treatment unfolds session by session.

We cover the pOCD loop, what it's like to help someone start their first gentle exposure, and the honest answer to the question so many people ask: "what if exposures just give me more intrusions?" 

We also talk openly about suicide risk in this population, the self-compassion work that has to sit alongside exposure, and why the answer is never "it's 50:50 whether you're a paedophile or not."

It's not always a comfortable listen- but if you've ever had these thoughts, or you're a clinician working with someone who has, this one's for you.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:41 Introduction to the episode

01:50 Overview of 'Dan'

05:30 What to ask Dan

07:25 Helping Dan to understand pOCD

08:55 Explaining the pOCD loop

14:23 A gentle exposure jump

16:30 Suicide risk discussion

19:20 Self-compassion and care that helps

21:00 Early experiments and challenges

24:24 pOCD-specific exposures

28:00 What if you get more intrusions?

31:10 Fun pOCD behavioural experiments

34:10 Take back your life from OCD

36:00 It's a bit shit but how do you get through it?

39:00 It isn't 50:50 on whether you are a p£dophile or not

40:42 What the next vignette is going to be

41:30 Get involved and goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Autism and OCD overlap far more than most clinicians realise- but where does one end and the other begin? In this episode, Jess and Laura unpack the complex relationship between autism and OCD, exploring how to deliver truly neuroaffirming therapy without inadvertently encouraging masking.

We break down the difference between autistic rumination and OCD rumination, explore sensory sensitivities through an OCD lens, and ask the hard question: can CBT actually harm neurodivergent clients if it's not adapted properly? We also talk shame, medical gaslighting, and what realistic therapy goals look like when autism and OCD co-occur.

Whether you're autistic, OCD, both, or a clinician working with neurodivergent clients, this episode offers practical, validating guidance — plus your Weekly Wins, a listener question, and this week's Exposure Lab.

Topics covered: neuroaffirming therapy, autism and OCD overlap, masking, autistic rumination vs OCD rumination, sensory processing and OCD, CBT adaptations for neurodivergence, medical gaslighting, therapy goal-setting

Mentioned in this episode:

Challenging OCD in Young People with ASD: A CBT Manual for Therapists, by Amita Jassi: https://amzn.eu/d/05SAWcc4

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:50 Overview of the episode

02:27 Hello and catch up

10:40 Why this episode is focusing on autism

13:26 Brain Spam

17:50 Neurodivergence coocurrence with OCD

19:00 What is neuroaffirming therapy?

21:35 How common is the autism and OCD overlap?

25:15 What OCD and autism have in common

26:28 How OCD and autism differ

30:27 The Venn diagram of OCD and autism to plan therapy

33:24 Shame and low self-esteem around your brain

36:10 How hard it can be to get therapy for neurodivergence and mental health combined

39:30 Autistic experience with mental health is distinct

42:15 Can CBT harm neurodivergent people?

44:20 Autistic rumination and OCD

47:38 When is it helping you to feel safe, and when it makes OCD worse?

49:20 Validating autistic fears

52:00 Needing to be careful around masking

56:30 Sensory needs in OCD

58:00 Autistic health problems and medical gaslighting impact

59:30 There is hope

1:01:10 It has to be their goals

1:01:50 Logic to help

1:02:35 Practical guidelines for therapy

1:05:35 The 'dont's' for therapy

1:06:30 Look back at other episodes

1:07:00 Weekly Wins

1:08:50 Listener Question

1:13:40 Exposure Lab

1:18:40 We want to hear from you

1:19:10 Goodbyes 

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Laura sits down with filmmaker Tamara Orlova to talk about her upcoming film Purely Obsessional; a project shining a light on Pure O OCD, one of the most misunderstood and under-represented forms of the disorder. Tamara shares her journey from journalism into screenwriting, why she chose film as the medium to tell this story, and how a fox became the unexpected symbol for OCD intrusive thoughts.

The conversation gets personal as Tamara opens up about caregiver burnout, and how exhaustion from caregiving became the tipping point that triggered her own Pure O symptoms, long before she understood what OCD really was. She reflects on media misrepresentations of OCD, what she wants people to know about living with Pure O, and how making this film has helped her, and others, feel less alone.

A must-listen for anyone touched by Pure O, caregivers navigating burnout, or anyone curious about how OCD really gets portrayed on screen.

If you want to find out more about Tamara's work, follow her at https://www.instagram.com/tamaraoaikon/ or go to her website https://purelyobsessional.com/

Topics covered: Pure O OCD, caregiver burnout, filmmaking and mental health storytelling, OCD symbolism in film, media representation of OCD, journey to OCD diagnosis

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

01:25 Hello and introduction to Tamara

02:09 Brain Spam

03:25 Who Tamara is and her journey to film writing 

06:30 Journalism vs Screenplay 

08:26 Purely Obsessional, where it came from

11:42 Representing Pure O on film

13:21 Using a fox to symbolise OCD

14:45 Finding others with OCD

16:30 Helping people with OCD to feel less alone

17:12 What Tamara wants people to know about Pure O

19:09 Orchard OCD observations from Tamara

22:30 Media representations of OCD

25:10 How Tamara realised it was OCD

28:00 Advice for anyone with OCD

28:42 When the film is happening and where to follow to support the project

30:20 Goodbyes

Tamara's Website:

www.purelyobsessional.com

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Ever googled a symptom at 2am and spiralled into full-blown catastrophe mode? This week we're unpacking health anxiety; what it actually is, how it overlaps (and doesn't) with OCD, and where somatic symptom disorder fits into the picture.

We get into the key fears driving health anxiety, the sneaky compulsions that keep it going, and why "it's all in your head" is the worst possible thing to say to someone struggling with it. Plus: what happens when you have a genuine health condition on top of the anxiety, why neurodivergent folks are especially prone to health anxiety, and practical tips you can use today.

As always, a Brain Spam, your Listener Question, a Win of the Week, and an Exposure Lab to send you off.

In this episode:

Health anxiety vs OCD: the similarities and the differences

Somatic symptom disorder and how it shows up

Treatment options that actually help

Neurodivergence and health anxiety

Practical tips and hints for managing it right now 

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

01:00 What today's episode is about

02:30 Brain Spam

04:55 What health anxiety is and how to recognise it

08:55 Health anxiety and OCD differences and overlaps

12:35 Key themes and fears

13:20 Mistrust in medical professionals

15:45 Key fears and meaning of health anxiety

18:00 Common health anxiety compulsions

21:50 hypervigilance to vigilant

24:30 Rules you can make for health anxiety

28:15 Does therapy mean it is all in your head?

32:00 What if you have an actual health condition?

34:10 Stressed about the stress

35:20 What we are looking to reduce

41:15 Neurodivergence and health anxiety

45:20 What helps with health anxiety?

50:30 What are the goals of health anxiety therapy?

51:45 Tips for now

54:40 Listener Question

57:15 Win of the Week

57:48 Exposure Lab

59:55 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

OCD isn't about being neat and tidy, and it's not "just anxiety." In this episode, we break down what obsessive compulsive disorder actually is: what intrusive thoughts really are, what compulsions can look like, and why OCD themes can be so misunderstood. If you've ever wondered what to say (or not say) to someone with OCD, this one's for you.

This is the episode to send to family, friends, colleagues — anyone who wants to understand OCD without googling their way into misinformation.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:58 Introduction to the episode

02:52 What obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) really is

04:28 Everybody gets intrusive thoughts

06:00 What compulsions can be

07:17 What do the OCD themes mean?

10:00 Don't ask what the thoughts are

12:25 OCD or anxiety? What is the difference?

19:00 Why this episode?

22:05 You don't need to understand their OCD

25:05 What someone with OCD wants you to know

26:20 What therapy for OCD does

27:09 They haven't picked this

29:30 A message for loved ones of those with OCD

32:25 Common OCD themes

38:10 Contamination and just right OCD

42:30 Which episode themes you can check out 

43:15 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Harm OCD explained: two vignette case studies on intrusive thoughts of hurting other people or yourself

Ever had a sudden, terrifying thought about hurting someone you love — or yourself? You're not alone, and it's more common than you think. In this Just Checking mini pod, OCD therapists Laura and Jess break down Harm OCD through two illustrative vignettes (fictional case studies, not real clients): a mum experiencing intrusive thoughts about harming her children, and a young person struggling with unwanted intrusive thoughts of harming themselves.

Laura and Jess walk through how they'd approach exposure therapy and behavioral experiments for each vignette — covering psychoeducation, reassurance-seeking, family accommodation, thought-action fusion, distress tolerance, and interoceptive exposures. If you've ever wondered "is this OCD or am I actually dangerous?" — this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• What Harm OCD looks like in real life (illustrated through vignettes)
• Why intrusive thoughts about harming loved ones don't mean anything about who you are
• How OCD therapists actually approach exposure therapy for harm-based fears
• Treating harm OCD when suicidal intrusive thoughts are involved
• Working with family accommodation and reassurance-seeking behaviors

🎧 New episodes weekly. Follow, rate, and subscribe so you never miss one.

📩 Got a topic you want us to cover? Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com or find us on Instagram & TikTok @justcheckingpod

Disclaimer: Laura and Jess are OCD therapists, but not your OCD therapist. The cases discussed are fictional vignettes for illustrative purposes only and do not represent real clients. This podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only and doesn't replace individual professional support. If you're struggling, please speak to your GP or a qualified mental health professional.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Does trauma cause OCD? We're answering the question everyone's been asking. This week Laura compares OCD to herpes (you'll have to listen to find out why), and we dig into the real relationship between trauma and OCD- including why OCD and PTSD get mixed up, what complex PTSD looks like alongside OCD, and how EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) fits into treatment. We also tackle whether therapy itself can traumatise people, what recovery timelines actually look like, and answer your listener questions.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:40 Episode overview

01:30 Introduction and hello

03:00 EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) Therapy

04:15 Brain Spam

07:40 What is trauma?

11:19 Trauma and OCD links

17:00 Does trauma cause OCD?

19:20 Why OCD and PTSD get mixed up sometimes

23:50 Complex PTSD and OCD

28:20 How treatment looks for OCD and trauma combined

35:42 Why we might use the trauma to understand the OCD

39:45 Can you do EMDR online?

44:00 Can we traumatise people in therapy?

48:30 Treatment length and recovery expectations 

50:25 Question from the Listeners

57:00 Weekly Wins

57:46 Exposure Lab

59:30 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Sex and OCD; the topic everyone's thinking about but nobody wants to bring up in session. Jess and Laura get into how sex shows up across intrusive thoughts and compulsions, the impact on relationships and intimacy, and the trickier corners like groinal responses, kink fears, and bestiality-themed intrusions. They also talk SSRIs, communication, and why therapists need to get comfortable bringing sex into the room.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. Please be aware that this episode contains sexual themes, listener discretion advised.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Time Stamps:

00:40 What today covers 

01:50 Hello and catch up

03:10 Brain Spam

06:34 How sex shows up in intrusive thoughts

09:50 Sex in compulsions 

15:20 How common these thoughts can be

21:10 Communication around sex

26:03 The impact of OCD on relationships and intimacy 

28:20 Casual relationships and dating

28:50 Bestiality fears

29:44 Groinal response

32:18 SSRIs, sex, and OCD

39:12 Fears around kink

42:00 How we bring sex into the therapy room

47:19 Trauma and sex with OCD

48:00 Culture, religion and values on sex and OCD

51:20 Question from the listeners

54:11 Weekly Win

54:50 Exposure Lab

56:36 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

If your intrusive thoughts have ever convinced you that you're secretly dangerous- welcome to Harm OCD. This is the subtype that makes loving, gentle people terrified of their own minds.

This week Jess and Laura dig into one of the most misunderstood and shame-soaked corners of OCD- where caring deeply about not hurting anyone gets twisted into "proof" that you might. Harm OCD can include a fear of harming others, yourself, or a fear that harm will/has come to others because of you- this episode explores it all.

We talk about what these thoughts actually sound like, why "possible" doesn't mean "probable," and why your brain treats a passing thought like a five-alarm fire. We also get into the messier stuff- anger, allergy and poisoning fears, and the compulsions that quietly creep in when you're trying to "just be sure." 

Plus: what real exposure work looks like for harm OCD, how to rebuild trust in yourself, and why badly-pitched exposures can do more harm than good.

As always, there's Brain Spam, an Exposure Lab, a listener question, and a bit of social media chaos courtesy of Laura.

Trigger warning: Please note that this episode contains discussions around harm and suicide, so please listen with caution.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:34 What we cover today

01:26 Hellos and introductions

02:42 Brain Spam

07:02 What harm OCD thoughts sound like

08:06 Compulsions in harm OCD 

08:57 Harm OCD misunderstandings

10:00 What if you experience anger with harm OCD?

11:14 Common harm OCD themes

12:29 Possible vs probable

13:56 The meaning of harm OCD themes

16:10 Why does it feel so real?

18:10 How do we know you won't hurt someone?

19:45 OCD vs actual risk of harm 

24:15 Common compulsions for harm OCD

28:44 Allergy and poisoning fears 

29:39 What does therapy look like for harm OCD?

33:31 Harm exposures or behavioural experiments 

35:07 Trusting yourself again

37:00 How exposures can be pitched wrong 

39:00 Building up exposures and behavioural experiments 

41:55 Harm OCD summary

43:15 Laura's social media backlash 

44:30 Next episode teaser 

45:40 Compassionate work and rebuilding your life

47:28 Question from the listeners 

49:15 Exposure Lab

53:20 Goodbyes 

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

What does the latest OCD research actually tell us, and what does it mean for the people living with it and treating it? This week Jess and Laura dig into the key findings from the recent Orchard OCD International Conference, translating the science into something genuinely useful.

They cover a lot of ground: the economic cost of OCD, which brain areas are involved and what that means for treatment, early signs in children, the genetics of OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), and what mental health medications are actually targeting (and what questions you should be asking). 

Plus: mouse models, psychedelic research, PANDAS, secondary OCD, and what healthy lifestyle factors like sleep, diet, and exercise actually do for OCD symptoms.

Jess also shares her pet peeves from the research (you'll want to hear those), and they round things off with listener questions, Weekly Wins, and an Exposure Lab challenge.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time stamps:

00:00 Overview of the episode

01:00 Introduction and hellos 

02:30 Brain Spam

05:30 Superstitions and OCD

08:10 Disclaimer 

08:30 OCD's cost on the economy

09:20 Brain areas involved in OCD

10:57 Early detection, OCD signs in children

15:42 Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours: skin picking and hair pulling 

19:57 How much OCD runs in families

21:30 What are mental health medications targeting and what types should we ask about?

25:33 Mouse research and implications

29:30 Psychedelic research and an OCD holiday

33:20 Onset ages of OCD and OCD genes

32:20 Secondary OCD and PANDAS

38:40 Healthy living and OCD; sleep, diet and exercise 

39:45 How therapy can use this information

48:20 Sleep disorders in OCD

49:11 Neuroplasticity to help OCD

51:00 Jess' pet peeves from the research

53:00 Question from the listeners

53:48 Weekly Wins

54:42 Exposure Lab

55:33 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

For the first time ever, there are international guidelines for how OCD should be treated — and in this episode, we break them down.

Fresh from the Orchard OCD International Conference, Jess and Laura unpack what these landmark guidelines actually say: which treatments are recommended, in what order, and what this means for people with OCD and the clinicians supporting them. From ERP and medication through to TMS and DBS, the guidelines bring global consensus to questions that have long been answered differently depending on where you live or who you see.

Before they get there, they cover what the conference revealed about OCD neuroscience — brain imaging showing OCD as a network problem, gene mapping progress, biomarkers, and what the research says about how psychological treatments work on a neurological level. 

There's also a section on OCD in childhood, apps and neuroimaging, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours.

This is Part 1 of a series covering the conference — and it's a good one to start with.

As always: Brain Spam, Weekly Wins, and a look at what's coming next.

Podcast by

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Caveat

Before we get started, a quick disclaimer. This episode is intended for educational and informational purposes only. We discuss a range of medical and therapeutic interventions used in OCD treatment, including medication and neuromodulation approaches such as TMS, DBS and tDCS. However, we are not medical doctors or prescribing professionals, and nothing in this episode should be taken as medical advice or a recommendation to pursue any particular treatment.

We also mention some commercially available products and technologies. These references are provided for information only and should not be interpreted as an endorsement or recommendation to purchase or use them.

If you are considering any medical treatment, medication, or intervention discussed in this episode, please consult a suitably qualified healthcare professional who can advise you based on your individual circumstances.

Timestamps:

00:34  Extra disclaimer

02:26  Catch up

02:48  Introduction to the episode

04:00  Brain Spam

08:33  Who are Orchard OCD?

13:25  Takeaways about OCD treatment choice

16:00  OCD treatment and costs

18:34  OCD in childhood and brain changes

20:00  Apps and neuroimaging

20:49  OCD as a brain network problem

22:26  Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy work

24:00  Metacognitive Training

24:40  Biomarkers and precision psychiatry

25:30  Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours

27:39  The International Guidelines for OCD Treatment

46:30  How the guidelines can help people with OCD

49:25  How we plan to use the guidelines

52:40  What next?

54:06  Possible next episode themes

56:01  Weekly Wins

58:00  Goodbyes

Links:

Orchard OCD: https://www.orchardocd.org/

Orchard OCD Registry: https://orchardocdregistry.org/

CANMAT/ICOCS International Guidelines for OCD: https://icocs.org/2025-canmat-icocs-international-guidelines-for-the-management-of-patients-with-ocd/

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer: 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

This week Jess is joined by Joshua Munn, a therapist specialising in OCD and ADHD, for a conversation that's long overdue on this podcast. They get into how to tell OCD and ADHD apart (spoiler: it's not always straightforward), why adapting ERP for ADHD brains actually makes therapy better for everyone, and how ACT and compassion-focused approaches fit into the picture. Expect honest chat about rejection sensitivity, executive functioning, hyperfixation shame, and why the goal was never a neurotypical brain anyway.

Podcast by: 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Special guest Joshua Munn, OCD and ADHD specialist therapist 

Website: www.therapywithjosh.co.uk Social media: @therapywith_josh on Instagram and @therapywithjosh on Tiktok

Time stamps:

00:00 What to expect this episode 

01:44 Introduction to Josh

02:50 Why Josh started working with OCD and ADHD

03:40 How to differentiate OCD and ADHD

05:50 Not aiming for a neurotypical brain

06:20 Rejection sensitivity and OCD

09:00 Imposter syndrome in ADHD and OCD

10:30 What executive functioning difficulties people may notice

12:40 ADHD adaptions for OCD therapy 

17:00 What ACT therapy is and how it works with OCD and ADHD

22:00 Neurodivergence and parenting 

25:33 Making ERP more ADHD friendly 

27:30 Visualising characters for OCD

29:20 OCD leading to low mood in ADHD

31:00 ADHD and boredom

34:33 Neurodivergence and OCD Venn diagrams

36:56 Attention training and music 

39:10 Hyperfixations and shame

39:35 Healthy guilt vs OCD guilt

42:52 Josh's favourite tips for OCD and ADHD

45:20 Session adaptions for people with ADHD

48:00 Being mindful of how much OCD content you consume 

50:36 Considerations for medication 

53:49 Question from the listeners 

56:22 Exposure Lab

58:00 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer: 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

If you've found yourself Googling "does my child have OCD?" at 11pm, this episode is for you.

This week, Laura takes the lead whilst her and Jess take a dive deep into OCD in children and young people — what it looks like, how it hides, and what actually helps. Whether you're a parent trying to make sense of what you're seeing, a young person wondering if what you're experiencing has a name, or a teacher noticing something feels off — this one's for you.

They cover the signs parents and teachers often spot first (including one you really might not expect), the most common OCD themes in younger people, and how to have those early, important conversations without making things worse. There's also a genuinely hopeful message for young people who are in the thick of it right now.

On the practical side: how to find a good therapist (and the questions to ask to make sure they actually know their stuff), what to expect from therapy sessions, how ERP works with younger clients, what to do if your young person refuses help, family accommodations, and co-regulation — because OCD is a whole-family thing.

Plus: listener questions, the Exposure Lab, a brilliant book recommendation for the trickiest of situations, and Laura's reassurance game which is exactly as chaotic as it sounds.

Podcast by: 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Timestamps:

01:35 – Hello and Greg's Anatomy facts

04:13 – Introduction to OCD in children and young people

07:05 – Just Checking merch

07:47 – Brain Spam 🧠

12:44 – Signs a parent might notice in their young person

18:22 – Key OCD themes in children and young people

22:49 – What early signs can a teacher spot?

26:50 – Jess's message of hope

28:05 – Laura's tip for young people who think they have OCD

31:50 – How to talk to your child about OCD concerns

36:40 – Family accommodations

39:18 – Co-regulation and modelling for your young person

40:40 – What if your young person doesn't want help?

43:38 – An amazing book for parents in this situation

46:00 – Tips for finding the right therapist

47:00 – What to expect in therapy and what gets shared with parents

49:00 – How ERP works with young people

52:00 – What if someone isn't ready for ERP?

55:48 – OCD onset and how to access help

1:00:30 – Tips on what you can request

1:02:14 – Medication for OCD

1:02:44 – Advocating as a parent and key resources

1:04:45 – Questions to scope out a good therapist

1:06:30 – Listener questions

1:08:52 – Exposure Lab

1:12:40 – Weekly Wins

1:13:26 – Goodbyes

📚 Resources mentioned:

Because We Are Bad – Lily Bailey

Natasha Daniels' videos

How Josh Defeated the Worry Villain- www.reimaginetherapy.co.uk

Can I Tell You About OCD? – Amita Jassi

OCD Tools to Help You Fight Back – CBT workbook for young people

Break Free from Childhood Anxiety and OCD – Eli Lebowitz

The SPACE Programme

Laura's website: Counselling Service North London | Laura Mole Counselling | England 

OCD-UK: ocduk.org

OCD Action: ocdaction.org.uk

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

If you Googled something terrifying about your baby and ended up here, you're in the right place. This week Jess and Laura are talking about one of the most misunderstood and underdiagnosed presentations of OCD — perinatal OCD. Whether you're pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone who is, this one's for you.

We get into why OCD loves to latch onto the thing you love most, what's actually happening in your brain and body during the perinatal period, and why so many people suffer in silence.

We talk about that fear directly, and what advocating for you actually looks like.

From the most common perinatal presentations to what therapy actually looks like in this season of life — including why regulation comes before challenging OCD — this episode covers the full picture. We also talk maternity leave grief, secure attachment, parenting values, and we close with a note from someone who has been where you might be right now, and come out the other side.

You are not a bad parent. Your thoughts are not your character. And you are not alone in this.

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time stamps

00:36 Shout out to followers

01:10 Things you might have Googled with perinatal OCD

02:26 Introductions and shout out to Josh Fletcher

09:48 Introduction to perinatal OCD

10:44 Brain Spam

13:30 Prioproceptive input

15:50 Matrescence and mental health

20:00 Increased responsibility and vulnerability to OCD

22:05 Hormone shifts and OCD

23:52 Why OCD latches to the baby

24:30 Traumatic births and what you expect to feel

26:50 Birth planning and expectations

29:40 Preparing for pregnancy with OCD

31:30 Perinatal mental health team involvement

23:45 Building a village

36:07 Main OCD presentations in OCD

38:30 How common these intrusive thoughts are

39:20 What makes it OCD

42:30 Why we need more awareness of this

44:00 What if they report things to social services?

46:00 How we can advocate for you

48:00 What risk do we check more?

49:33 Options for support

50:55 Therapy for perinatal OCD; how it looks

52:00 Regulation before challenging OCD

54:00 Grieving maternity leave ideas and living like you value

58:21 Secure attachments and OCD

1:01:50 Prioritising parenting values

1:04:03 Responsive self-care lists

1:04:40 A note from someone who is recovered from perinatal OCD

1:05:23 Questions from the listeners

1:08:25 Key takeaways for perinatal OCD

1:09:00 Helpful resources and support websites

1:10:24 Exposure Lab

1:12:48 Weekly Wins

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd and her perinatal page @jess_the_therapy_mum

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Resources mentioned:

Jess’ perinatal mental health Instagram: @jess_the_therapy_mum

Birth Rights: Birthrights - your human rights during pregnancy and maternity care 

OCDUK: OCD-UK | A national OCD charity, run by, and for people with lived experience of OCD 

IOCDF Perinatal OCD Resource Centre: Perinatal OCD Resource Center To Help People Find Relief 

Maternal OCD UK: Welcome to Maternal OCD 

Postpartum Support International: Postpartum Support International - PSI 

The Breastfeeding Network (medication guidance): Drugs in Breastmilk factsheets - The Breastfeeding Network

Got OCD questions? Same. This week Jess and Laura tackle the listener mailbag from Laura's Tiktok live— covering how to get tested for OCD, accessing treatment, the serotonin myth, the OCD-ADHD connection, contamination OCD, and false attraction. Laura shares an insight into her feelings around her own OCD journey. There's also a free children's resource on neurodivergence, a children's book on intrusive thoughts, and Jess' entirely predictable over-preparation for an OCD research conference.

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time stamps

00:00 Hello chat

01:29 Introductions 

07:30 Children's book for intrusive thoughts

09:30 A free resource for children to understand neurodivergence 

12:30 OCD research conference and Jess' over-preparation

14:33 Brain Spam

18:18 Laura's Tiktok live for questions

19:52 How do you get tested for OCD 

24:44  How do I get help for OCD?

32:44 Is OCD just a lack of serotonin?

37:56 Can OCD and ADHD correlate?

46:40 I can't touch anything my family have touched because I know it will kill them- how do I stop that?

47:55 I feel like myself intrusive thoughts reflect real feelings, they feel so real

51:20 Can you explain false attraction and false urges?

54:35 Exposure Lab

1:01:00 Teaser for next week and goodbyes

For the book mentioned in the episode today, you can find it at www.reimaginetherapy.co.uk

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

This week Jess and Laura tackle one of the most stigmatised “taboo” OCD subtypes around — POCD, - and because we don’t want to get shadow banned, we will refer to it as “PDF File” – but we are not using this term as avoidance, or to avoid triggering anyone - just so you know! It shows up most as intrusive, unwanted sexual thoughts, images, doubts, words about children.

This is the one that sends people spiralling in shame and silence instead of reaching out for help. They break down what it actually is (and crucially, what it isn't), why groinal responses happen, what recovery looks like, and why the fact that these thoughts horrify you matters more than you think. This is an episode that will not only help you to feel less alone, but it will highlight exactly how to ask for help, and where to get it. Plus, Jess finally gets Laura crying on the podcast.

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time stamps

01:39 Hellos and introductions

02:59 Brain Spam

07:00 Peadophilia vs POCD

10:45 A message for people supporting those with POCD

17:58 How can pOCD look? And a little note on incest thoughts

28:37 What is a groinal response and why does it happen?

35:10 Shame in POCD

41:54 Recommended help and resources 

46:20 When POCD pairs up with other themes

49:10 What does recovery look like?

51:10 Statistics about types of thoughts

53:23 Final tips

55:40 Weekly Win

58:52 Exposure Lab

1:02:00 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Description:

⚠️ Content warning: this episode contains discussion of suicidal ideation and themes that some listeners might find distressing. 

pOCD — pedophilia-themed OCD — is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised subtypes out there, and Molly Lambert has lived it. In this episode, Molly shares what her intrusive thoughts actually looked and felt like: from existential anxiety to fears about being a paedophile, magical thinking, emotional checking, and the spiral that nearly broke her. She talks honestly about suicidal ideation, how TikTok helped her find her way, what it took to finally share her thoughts with others — and what acceptance can actually look like on the other side.

Laura, Jess and Molly also dig into how common pOCD really is, why it tends to hit the people it does, how therapy helped, and why Molly now advocates publicly for OCD awareness (including how she handles the inevitable backlash). Plus: postpartum mums and pOCD, the role of drinking and distraction, and Molly gets involved in the Brain Spam feature 🧠 

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Featuring Molly Lambert, OCD and mental illness advocate

Edited by Christian Nickson

Timestamps:

01:00 Hellos

01:30 Introducing Molly Lambert

02:57 What were Molly's thoughts like? From existential anxiety to paedophile fears

05:20 Magical thinking and checking emotions

09:20 When the pOCD started to spiral

14:40 How common is pOCD and why does it happen?

16:45 Thinking about suicide

17:30 What helped Molly realise it was OCD?

19:30 How drinking and distractions fit in

20:50 How TikTok helped

23:45 Other themes sneaking in

25:30 Starting to share the thoughts with others

28:30 Sharing with family

30:10 Advice for sharing — and Molly's experience of others' reactions

31:20 Therapy for Molly's OCD

35:47 Pursuing an OCD diagnosis

41:15 What acceptance can look like

45:00 Laura's OCD Doris

46:00 OCD help needs to be personalised

47:15 Molly's advocacy work for OCD

53:12 How Molly deals with negative feedback online

58:00 Postpartum mums and pOCD

1:04:50 How do Molly's friends and family help?

1:07:00 Where to find information and support

1:12:12 What did 15-year-old Molly need to hear?

1:14:33 Brain Spam

1:18:50 Wins of the Week

1:20:00 Avoidance in pOCD

1:20:25 Exposure Lab

1:22:30 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD Instagram and Tiktok pages: @jess_helps_your_ocd and @ocdtherapylaura

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Are you a terrible person, or does your brain just really, really want you to think so? This week Jess and Laura get into moral scrupulosity OCD — the subtype where intrusive thoughts aren't about harm or contamination, but about your fundamental character, your values, and whether you've done something unforgivable.

Laura gets personal about her own moral OCD compulsions (yes, really), and they unpack why this subtype hits so differently — the shame, the thought-action fusion, and why reassurance-seeking feels almost morally necessary in itself. Plus: a detour into horse willies, a neurodivergent shout-out, and an unexpectedly deep dive into manifesting.

🧠 Brain Spam, an Exposure Lab, and a listener question about supporting a loved one with moral OCD round things out nicely.

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Laura Mole

Time stamps

00:43 Stuff you might Google with Moral scrupulosity OCD

02:50 Introduction and catch up

09:00 Brain 🧠 Spam

14:30 Horse willies

15:30 What moral OCD is

18:00 Laura's moral OCD compulsions 

26:30 Why does it feel so bad?

28:11 What if i have actually done something bad?

31:35 Differences in therapy to help moral OCD; tolerating uncertainty, compassion, and thought-action-fusion. 

40:46 Autistic shout-out

42:00 OCD irony

44:25 Manifesting and OCD

50:22 Question from a listener: Supporting a loved one

59:02 Exposure Lab

1:02:45 Upcoming episode themes 

1:03:23 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Ever wondered what goes on behind the therapy room door? This week Jess and Laura answer your questions about therapist life — from why therapy costs what it does to whether we actually have our own therapy (spoiler: yes). It's honest, a little unfiltered, and probably not what you'd expect. Dive in and get to know us better, and listen to what we worry about in OCD therapy too.

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time stamps:

00:00 Introductions and hellos

04:30 Today's themes

05:14 Brain Spam

13:00 Question for a therapist: what are you writing?

18:18 Therapy costs and the ick

27:26 People selling OCD dreams

32:20 What if you don't like your therapist?

39:55 Do therapists have therapy?

43:50 How we juggle work and look after ourselves

48:00 EMDR therapy for OCD

50:57 How does your therapist feel?

57:00 What your therapist finds hard when working with OCD

1:00:40 Therapist Weekly Wins

1:03:15 Exposure Lab

1:08:40 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Do you love your partner? Are you sure? What about now? Still sure? If your brain won't stop cross-examining your own feelings, this one's for you.

In this episode, Jess and Laura dig into relationship OCD (rOCD) — the subtype that turns love into a courtroom and your own mind into the world's most annoying prosecutor. We cover what rOCD actually looks like, why it's so easy to mistake for genuine doubt, and how it gets you stuck in a loop of checking, reassurance-seeking, and mental reviewing that makes everything worse (classic OCD, honestly).

We also get into retroactive jealousy, false memories (yes, including the "did I actually kiss someone at that party in 2009?" variety), where our weirdly perfectionist ideas about relationships come from, and how different treatment approaches can help you stop taking your brain spam quite so literally.

Plus: The rOCD trap, some extra considerations for this subtype, and a surprise cameo in the Exposure Lab.

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time stamps:

00:00 Relationship OCD Google searches

02:47 Intro and hello

04:40 Brain Spam

07:20 Why relationship OCD? 

07:42 What is rOCD and what does it look like? 

12:45 What might someone with rOCD do?

15:00 Where we get perfectionist views of relationships 

19:49 The relationship OCD trap

23:20 Retroactive jealousy 

24:00 Did I just kiss that person? And other false memories

27:20 Is this OCD or normal doubt?

36:19 How do we work with rOCD? 

40:00 How different approaches can work for OCD

47:30 Extra considerations for this subtype of OCD

1:02:34 Exposure Lab and Peter's cameo

1:05:55 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Ever watched someone you love spiral and had no idea what to do — so you just… answered the question? Yeah. This week we're talking directly to the OCD support squad: partners, parents, siblings, and anyone else who's been accidentally colluding with OCD while trying to be a good human.

We cover why OCD feels the way it does (brain spam, basically), the sneaky reassurance traps even the most well-meaning loved ones fall into, what to actually say instead, and how to look after yourself in all of this. Warm, honest, occasionally chaotic, and featuring Laura's chunky rims and some words that made Jess blush.

Podcast by

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time stamps:

00:40 Introductions and chunky rims

02:30 What we are covering and upcoming episodes

03:50 Brain spam

07:20 Recap of the OCD cycle

10:15 How OCD feels to someone with it

13:46 An example of what OCD is like for the person

18:00 Example of the impact of OCD on their loved one

20:02 Family accommodation and reinforcing the OCD

22:15 Reducing reassurance in a gradual and supportive way

26:42 Expectations and time frames for dropping reassurance

27:45 The reassurance trap and sneaky reassurance

30:30 Phrases to use instead of reassurance

31:15 The reassurance book

33:42 Validating the emotion, not the thoughts

34:30 Reassuring the person, not the OCD phrases

35:45 Managing the shame of a 'failed' exposure

36:40 Balancing care vs colliding with OCD when you need to manage your own emotions

39:07 Attending a therapy session

41:19 How to support exposures or behavioural experiments

47:18 Helping to advocate for a loved one with OCD

49:50 Neurodivergent considerations

52:10 Support for the supporter

54:00 What if the loved one doesn't want help?

57:18 What people with OCD want you to know

1:00:15 Do's and dont's

1:02:48 OCD Wins of the Week

1:04:13 Exposure Lab

1:06:15 Goodbye!

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Convinced you'll be the one person who does Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) wrong? This one's for you. Jess Hayes and Laura Mole walk through how ERP actually works — who picks the exposures, how scary they need to be, and why you genuinely cannot fail — plus what happens when therapy ends.

Exposure and Response Prevention is all about exposing yourself to your OCD fears (exposure) and then making active choices in not engaging in compulsions and avoidance (response prevention) to challenge the OCD, and it is often referred to as the 'gold standard' of OCD treatment. This episode explores why it can be a helpful approach, and future episodes will discuss some alternatives. 

Podcast by 

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

and

Christian Nickson, editor

Time stamps:

02:00 Brain spam

05:20 OCD brains need to obsess

07:20 Compassionate other voices 

09:20 ERP as the gold standard, what is it?

10:45 Amygdala, the brain, and the threat response 

15:44 How ERP fits into cognitive behavioural therapy

18:40 Which CBT treatments are unhelpful for OCD

21:45 Brody and their contamination OCD

24:20 How might ERP look like for Brody?

26:30 What we don't do with ERP

27:10 Do you have to immediately do exposures?

27:30 Who picks the exposures? 

28:30 You are in control and what to do if you aren't ready?

29:28 You can't fail your ERP

31:15 How scary should exposures be? How Brody tackles ERP

34:29 What to do to make ERP work?

36:00 How family and other support can help 

41:10 What comes after therapy?

43:00 When does ERP not work? 

46:34 ERP is imperfect 

49:05 Questions from the listeners: ERP and medication

51:20 Key takeaways for ERP for OCD

51:55 OCD Weekly Wins

52:56 Exposure Lab feedback

55:20 Exposure Lab for contamination OCD

56:20 Thank you and goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Come with us, Laura Mole and Jess Hayes, as we explore the 'checking' in 'Just Checking'. You get to hear about a day in the life of Shenrique, as we talk all about how they check to make sure that they aren't a bad person, then take a lesson from vampire superstitions to break the OCD loop. As always, you also get a look into our brain spam, and get to shout out your weekly OCD wins too. 

Time Stamps:

01:30: Dramas through our week

07:00: What OCD Doris has been up to

10:30: Interoceptive differences in neurodivergence and health anxiety

13:15: Brain spam

18:48: Our story telling about checking clients

23:00: Epstein files, me too and OCD

23:20: Shenrique's checking compulsions in case they are a bad person

27:50: What checking actually does

28:40: Shout out to Elyse Myers 

30:00: The OCD cycle and what keeps it going

31:25: Vampires and OCD to show what to aim for

37:49: Hierarchies and values-based erp lists

40:40: Do we have to do an exposure to everything on the list? 

43:55: How do we help Shenrique?

45:40: More tolerance, not more certainty 

46:40: OCD wins of the week

51:00: Questions from the listeners: OCD diagnosis

53:00: Exposure lab feedback from imaginal exposure

54:50: Exposure lab for checking 

56:40: OCD being a big anxiety diverter

58:00: Goodbyes 

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Join us, Laura Mole and Jessica Hayes, to really pick apart an OCD subtype that isn't talked about much. False memories and real-event OCD gets explored in this episode, you'll get to understand mental and invisible compulsions, and you even get a look into Jess' dog frustrations and Laura's big brain fails to get to know us more. We hope you have as much fun with it as we did. 

Time stamps:

00:30 Jess talks Dobby the house elf

02:30 Introduction to real-event OCD

02:58 Exposure feedback from our self-care

09:10 Using our support systems 

10:00 Spoon theory 

12:30 How we felt releasing the podcast

13:50 Brain spam 

19:00 Real event OCD and false memories, how it works

19:50 Why memory is unreliable, despite what your OCD says

24:00 Sexual shame memories 

25:30 Mental compulsions and what they do

26:40 Laura starts buffering 

30:45 Cancel culture and real-event OCD

32:40 Why is guilt there?

35:00 Perfect morals and values

37:00 Over-apologising and OCD

39:00 Mental compulsions vs just thinking 

44:20 What is pure O?

44:58 Can ERP work for mental compulsions? 

46:20 The mental load of OCD

48:10 What we aim for in therapy for OCD

49:15 Dropping anchor to help with rumination

53:47 OCD wins of the week

55:00 Exposure lab

100:00 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

In this episode, we go through some of the wider factors that can make someone more susceptible to OCD, and some things that might have made previous therapy unsuccessful. Laura Mole talks through a way to build some self-compassion and Jessica Hayes shares some tips for those who are neurodivergent too. As always, we talk things through with a bit of humour and a whole lot of validation. So grab a brew, settle in, and listen to some friends get passionate about OCD. 

Time Stamps

00:40 Introduction and hello

01:20 Exposure lab feedback

05:30 Brain spam- our intrusive thoughts feature

13:40 Jess' book for children to protect people from OCD

15:55 Coping skills to tolerate exposures

18:04 Laura gets lost

18:35 Window of tolerance and why ERP is sometimes too hard

20:25 How self-care fits into OCD therapy

22:32 Responsive self-care vs self-care compulsions

30:00 A list for when your amygdala is driving the bus and how loved ones can help

32:40 Self-esteem and how this plays into OCD

35:00 Neurodivergent self-regulation and sensory needs

41:20 Building self-compassion to help OCD

44:20 Laura's self-compassion exercise 

49:40 OCD Wins of the Week

52 :00 Exposure Lab

54:30 Goodbyes

For the book referenced in the episode, you can find it at www.reimaginetherapy.co.uk

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Join us, Laura Mole and Jessica Hayes, as we start to challenge myths around OCD and share some tips around what help can look like. Just two friends having a chat about something we are passionate about, hopefully in a way that makes you feel heard. You can listen to Laura pranking Jess and come along for the ride while we firm up some new features, and give you some food for thought around OCD too. 

Time Stamps

00:00 Intro and Laura's prank

03:26 Our training and approaches

07:12 Things our d*ckead brains have said this week

11:28 Resources for you

12:00 Exposure feedback

13:30 Therapist competencies and OCD help

17:35 You have to be tidy to have OCD, right? And other myths

24:35 OCD and the thousand chamber gun

27:50 OCD risk assessing, trust and personality traits

36:00 What if, just in case

37:20 Useful questionnaires

40:25 Helpful places to start challenging OCD

41:00 When things can be helpful vs reinforce the OCD

47:20 Exposures for the week

52:00 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

An episode where you get to know us, Jess Hayes and Laura Mole, and our wonderful guest host, Jess Marriner. Grab a coffee and listen to three friends and therapists talk all things OCD and let us share some interesting insights you might not have considered. Prepare for some swearing, tangents, and genuinely useful knowledge too. 

Time Stamps:

00:00 Intro and theme

03:00 Things our d*ckhead brains said this week

09:30 Visualising differences in OCD

15:00 Dreams in OCD, important?

16:30 Manifestation and other social media trends

19:10 Life as an OCD therapist

23:15 OCD search for certainty 

24:00 How to know if it is OCD

34:30 What compulsions do we see?

36:15 What we want to hear from you

39:50 Taboo topics and Jess H's inappropriate surveys

42:30 Exposures from us

45:00 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing 

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. 

Disclaimer 

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.