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.

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.