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OCD Collective
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OCD therapists talk intrusive thoughts, scary themes, and why your brain can be a dick. If you are looking for reputable information that comes from some good friends then come and join us; Laura Mole and Jessica Hayes. Get involved by emailing ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com and following us on Instagram @justcheckingpod to contribute towards features and to request that we cover what you want to hear. Disclaimer: This podcast provides educational information only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support.

  1. 3D AGO

    OCD Questions from the Listeners: How to Get Diagnosed, OCD and ADHD, False Attraction & More

    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.

    1h 4m

  2. MAY 5

    A Deep Dive into POCD: The Shame, Fear, and Hope of Recovery

    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.

    1h 3m

  3. APR 28

    Molly Lambert on pOCD, Shame, and Finding Acceptance: The OCD Theme No One Talks About

    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.

    1h 25m

  4. APR 21

    Moral Scrupulosity OCD — When Your Brain Decides You're a Bad Person

    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.

    1h 4m

  5. APR 14

    Ask a Therapist: The Stuff We Don't Usually Talk About

    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.

    1h 10m

  6. APR 7

    Relationship OCD: the shame, the doubt and the rumination loops

    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.

    1h 6m

  7. MAR 30

    Supporting the person, not the OCD: A guide for loved ones of those with OCD

    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.

    1h 7m

  8. MAR 24

    ERP, do's and dont's, and practical therapy tips

    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.

    58 min
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About

OCD therapists talk intrusive thoughts, scary themes, and why your brain can be a dick. If you are looking for reputable information that comes from some good friends then come and join us; Laura Mole and Jessica Hayes. Get involved by emailing ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com and following us on Instagram @justcheckingpod to contribute towards features and to request that we cover what you want to hear. Disclaimer: This podcast provides educational information only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support.

Information

  • Creator
    OCD Collective
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © OCD Collective
  • Show Website
    Just Checking

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