Avsnitt
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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
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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 stamps00:00 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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
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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 [email protected]
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.
