Anxious & Capable | Real Talk on Anxiety, OCD and Mental Health

Épisodes

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  What you need to know about OCD therapy (as a client + counsellor & therapist) + life as an OCD therapist. 23.05.2026 52min

  This weeks episode of the Anxious and Capable Podcast, two OCD therapists, Jess & Charlotte (@the_floral_therapist) discuss all things OCD, how therapy and treatment work, what you need to know about OCD (as both a client and a therapist). And we're super excited to share with you our CPD for therapists who want to build their confidence working with OCD. 🧠 OCD in Your Therapy Room: Essential Insight for Non-Specialist Therapists A live online CPD training designed to h...
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  Why you need to STOP avoiding everything! Anxiety, OCD & Avoidance vs Protecting Your Peace. 11.05.2026 15min

  How many times have you been told to avoid things that trigger your anxiety or OCD? Maybe you start to feeling anxious, so you cancel your plans. Or you avoid opening messages. Maybe you skip that event, and all of this brings you immediate relief. You got to avoid the anxiety. That's a good thing right?! This is advice that I see everywhere, But what if I actually told you this habit of avoidance may actually be keeping your anxiety and your OCD going? In todays episode I'm talking about: Th...
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  The 6 Things I'm Doing For My Mental Health in 2026 (from a therapist) 12.01.2026 27min

  In this episode, I'm reflecting on and sharing the 6 things that have helped my mental health and wellbeing in 2025, that I will continue doing in 2026. These are the habits & life style self care practises that have genuinely improved my mental health and confidence. Living with anxiety and OCD can leave you overthinking, with low self-confidence and struggling to trust yourself. These 6 things aren't quick fixes or things that will immediately make you feel better, but instead 6 p...
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  When Texting Triggers Anxiety, Rejection, and Self-Doubt with Ellie Belfield 15.12.2025 42min

  When texting triggers anxiety, rejection, and self-doubt, it can feel exhausting and confusing, especially when everyone else seems to say “it’s just a text.” In this episode, we talk about text anxiety and why messaging can feel so overwhelming for anxious, highly sensitive, neurodivergent, and people-pleasing brains. We explore why unanswered messages, short replies, and changes in tone can trigger overthinking, rejection sensitivity, and fears of abandonment, even when nothing is actually ...
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  Anxiety in Dating & Relationships: Why You’re Not ‘Clingy’ or 'Too Much' - It's Your Anxious Attachment Style. 10.11.2025 49min

  If you’ve ever been called “clingy,” “too much,” or feel like you need constant reassurance from your partner, this episode is for you. We’re talking about what’s really going on underneath that anxiety in your relationships, the constant need for reassurance and the times you feel your partner pulling away. Because it’s not that you’re too much or that you only attract emotionally unavailable people. In this episode, we unpack how insecure/ anxious attachments develops, what it looks l...
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  Feel the Fear & Do It Anyway with Anxiety & OCD: Why Forcing It Doesn’t Work (and What Does) 29.09.2025 21min

  If you find this episode helpful, I’d love if you could rate and review the podcast. It really helps me reach more people who are struggling with anxiety and OCD and need this kind of support. You’ve probably heard the phrase “feel the fear and do it anyway.” It sounds motivating, but if you live with anxiety or OCD, it can feel impossible. In this episode of Anxiously Capable, I’m breaking down what this actually looks like in real life. It’s not about throwing yourself into the scariest thi...
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  How to Stop Sleep Anxiety (and Calm Your Mind at Night) | Insomnia and Sleep Anxiety with Therapist Amy (@therapywithamy_) 23.09.2025 40min

  It starts with one bad night’s sleep (or a few), then suddenly you’re lying awake every night, dreading bedtime, checking the clock at 3 a.m, and panicking about how you’ll get through tomorrow on 2 hours of sleep. The harder you try to force yourself to sleep, the more impossible it feels. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. I’m joined by therapist Amy Townsend, a sleep anxiety specialist, to talk about the reality of sleep anxiety and why your brain won’t switch off, how insom...
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  When Anxiety Targets Your Relationship: Understanding Relationship OCD / ROCD | Subtype Deep Dive 15.09.2025 36min

  Ever find yourself stuck in endless “what if” thoughts about your partner? “Do I really love them? Are we meant to be together? What if I’m making a huge mistake?" Or find yourself comparing your partner or your relationship to others even though you know that you're happy in your relationship. In this episode of Anxiously Capable, we’re diving deep into Relationship OCD (ROCD) a subtype of OCD where intrusive thoughts, doubts and compulsions focus on your relationship and compati...
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  When Social Anxiety Makes You Feel Like You Don’t Belong (+ with Therapist Sophia Spencer) 08.09.2025 43min

  Social Anxiety, Bullying, and the Fear of Judgment. That's what we're covering in todays episode of the Anxiously Capable Podcast. I am joined by the lovely Sophia Spencer (@Socially_fearless), a psychotherapist and coach who specializes in working with social anxiety, inferiority, belonging and confidence. In this episode we break down: ✔️ Why early experiences of bullying, humiliation and other social traumas manifest as social anxiety. ✔️ How the fear of judgement f...
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  Is ChatGPT Making Your OCD & Anxiety Worse? (+When Ai Becomes Compulsive) 01.09.2025 35min

   Is ChatGPT making your OCD and anxiety worse? This is the big question that we are going to be covering in today's episode of the Anxiously Capable Podcast. If you have OCD, you might find yourself turning to chat GPT to get reassurance or to check if a thought is 'normal' or to even ask it questions like; Did I do something horrible in this situation? At first it might seem that the AI chat bots response brings you comfort, but over time, constantly going to chat GPT when you feel sel...
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  What is High-Functioning Anxiety & Do I Have It? + Burnout and the Emotional Cost of 'Looking Fine'. 28.07.2025 34min

   Anxiety isn't always visible and it doesn't always show up in the ways that we think - and if you struggle with high functioning anxiety, you might be able to get through every single day, looking like you've got it all together, but deep down you feel like you're falling apart. You feel burnt out, exhausted, and like you are barely holding on. If this sounds like you, then keep listening because in today's episode of the Anxiously Capable Podcast, we are going be talking about high ...
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  What If I’m a Bad Person? OCD, Anxiety & Breaking the Thought Spiral 21.07.2025 8min

  If you’ve ever found yourself obsessively replaying conversations, overanalysing your actions, or spiralling into “What if I’m a bad person?” thoughts — this episode is for you. As a therapist, I see this struggle often in people with anxiety and OCD. In this episode, I break down: ✔️ Why OCD and anxiety make you doubt your own character ✔️ Thought-action fusion & the fear of ‘being bad’ ✔️ Why anxiety targets what you care about most ✔️ The reminder you need: your...
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  What I Wish I Knew When My Anxiety Was At It’s WORST 14.07.2025 38min

  What actually helps when anxiety feels unbearable? In this episode, I’m sharing the honest truths and reminders I wish someone had told me when my anxiety was at its worst. These are the lessons I learned the hard way—like how you’re not broken (just overwhelmed), why avoidance makes anxiety worse, and how learning to rest changed everything. Whether you're in a spiral, feeling lost, or just need someone to sit beside you and say “I get it,” this episode is for you. 🔔 Follow the podcast for m...
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  For When You Feel Like You Can’t Cope (But You Actually Can) 03.07.2025 6min

  Ever feel like everyone else is coping better than you? Like you’re the only one struggling, falling apart, or secretly wondering, “Why can’t I handle life like other people?” In this short, calming episode, therapist Jess Eden shares why anxiety tricks you into believing you’re incapable, and why your brain is probably forgetting all the evidence that you’ve handled more than you realise. You’ll hear: ✔️ Why anxiety highlights past “failures” ✔️ How comparison and survival...
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  Why You Can’t Stop Doom-scrolling: What It’s Really Telling You About Anxiety 30.06.2025 30min

  Do you find yourself scrolling social media endlessly? Maybe you're not even fully aware its happening - until 1 hour late you're left feeling frustrated and annoyed at yourself for wasting your life. Maybe you've tried setting screentime limits but you still find yourself on an Instagram or TikTok deep dive. You’re not alone — and you’re not doing anything wrong. In this episode, therapist Jess Eden explores the link between anxiety, doomscrolling, and digital burnout. We’ll talk about...
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  For When You Feel Pressure to Be Better (The Toxic Side of Self-Improvement) 26.06.2025 7min

  Do you ever feel like you have to constantly be working on yourself just to be “enough”? In this mini episode, therapist Jess Eden explores the constant pressure to do more, be more and always be improving yourself. You’ll hear a gentle reframe on the pressure to grow, why self-help can sometimes become self-harm in disguise, and why you’re allowed to stop striving and just be. Whether you’re in a healing season or just feeling tired of always having to be your “best self,” this i...
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  3 Things That Actually Help With Anxiety and OCD (From a Therapist) 23.06.2025 27min

  Feeling overwhelmed by all the anxiety and OCD advice out there? You’re not alone. In this honest episode, therapist Jess Eden shares 3 things that genuinely support long-term recovery — without adding to the noise. You’ll learn: ✔️ Why separating from intrusive thoughts is a powerful step toward recovery ✔️ How reassurance-seeking fuels the anxiety cycle (and how to stop) ✔️ Why reconnecting with your values and hobbies matters more than you think This episode is grounded, ...
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  For When You’re Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else (And Feeling Behind) 19.06.2025 6min

  When you’re stuck in comparison, it’s easy to feel like everyone else is doing better than you, especially on social media. In this short, calming episode, therapist Jess Eden shares a gentle reminder that what you’re seeing is never the full story of someone else's life. If you’ve been spiralling, overthinking, or feeling behind in life, this episode is your pause. We’ll explore: ✔️ Why comparison is so common (and not a flaw) ✔️ How social media warps our view of other people’s ...
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  How to Stop Feeling Like a Fraud: Imposter Syndrome, Self-Worth & Healing with Harriet Curry 16.06.2025 58min

  Imposter syndrome, anxiety, and self-doubt — if you’ve ever felt like a fraud, like you don’t deserve your success, or like you’re waiting to be “found out,” this episode is for you. Jess is joined by therapist Harriet Curry for a real and validating conversation about how imposter syndrome shows up, why it’s so convincing, and how to start building your self-worth and self-belief. We talk about: ✔️ Why he popular advice “fake it till you make it” might be keeping you stuck ...
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  When you feel guilty for resting (+letting go of guilt & productivity pressure) 05.06.2025 3min

  Feeling guilty for resting is one of the most common struggles when you live with anxiety, OCD, or low self-worth. In this short, soothing episode, therapist Jess Eden shares a gentle reframe on why you don’t need to earn your rest — and how to let go of the internal pressure to always be doing more. You’ll hear validation for emotional exhaustion, support for slowing down, and a calm reminder that rest isn’t a reward for productivity — it’s part of being human. 🎧 Follow Anxiously Capable for...