The OCD Stories

Episod

• Blakely Hunze-Austin: OCD and Sex (#542) 14.06.2026 40min

  In episode 542 I chat with Blakely Hunze-Austin. Blakely is a licensed professional counselor in the states of Colorado and Tennessee. She obtained her master's degree in clinical mental health counseling with a concentration in addictions. She's a nationally certified counselor who specializes in sex therapy, eating disorders, trauma, and OCD. She enjoys working with LGBTQIA, kink, and poly/ENM communities. She is completing hours to become a certified sex therapist and is trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy. We discuss her therapy story, OCD and sex, anxiety around sex and intimacy, redefining the meaning of sex, vaginismus, some particular OCD worries around sex, sensate focus sex therapy, disgust around sex, neurodiversity and sex, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/blakely-542 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Brad Stulberg (Self-harm-themed OCD, writing, and his book The Way of Excellence) (#541) 07.06.2026 1j 4min

  In episode 541 I chat with Brad Stulberg who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us. Brad is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes about mastery, meaning, and excellence. We discuss his OCD story, beginnings of his OCD, health obsessions, self-harm themed OCD, finding a therapist for his OCD, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), writing about his OCD, OCD support groups, values, mindfulness, his new book The Way of Excellence, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/brad-541 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Alex Habens: A Therapist's journey with OCD and Compassion Focused Therapy (#540) 31.05.2026 46min

  In episode 540 I interview Alex Habens. Alex is a BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist, Clinical Supervisor and OCD Specialist. He also works with myself at The Integrative Centre for OCD Therapy. We discuss why he became a therapist and his own OCD experiences, what is compassion focused therapy (CFT), compassion more generally, integrating CFT into OCD treatment, shame, connecting with compassion, fears blocks and resistances to compassion, compassion during exposures, his CFT therapy group, and his CFT therapist training he is running, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/alex-540 His CFT for OCD (Integrating Compassion Focused Therapy for OCD) training for therapists: https://www.icocdtraining.co.uk/  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Katie d'Ath: OCD therapeutic communities and groups (#539) 24.05.2026 47min

  In episode 539 I interview Katie d'Ath. Katie is a cognitive behavioural therapist with a special interest in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders. She is also the co-author of "Managing OCD with CBT for Dummies"  and she has a popular YouTube channel where she shares OCD videos. In this episode we discuss running OCD therapy groups, managing an online OCD community platform, benefits of community to people with OCD, what Katie's learned from her OCD community, learning from groups that the content of OCD isn't the problem, consistency in the skills and therapy, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/katie-539 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Dr Ronald Nicholson: Sensory OCD (Somatic/Sensorimotor OCD) (#538) 17.05.2026 38min

  In episode 538 I chat with Dr Ronald Nicholson. Ron is a clinical psychologist. We discuss why he doesn't use somatic and sensorimotor OCD labels interchangeably, why he likes the label of sensory OCD, core fear vs the content, the idea of taking the B grade, the obsessions and compulsions around this theme, using exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) on this theme, exposure scripting, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/ron-538 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Shannon (existential themed OCD and postpartum OCD) (#537) 10.05.2026 36min

  In episode 537 I chat with Shannon who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss her earliest OCD memory, various themes of OCD, existential themed OCD, worrying everyone is an 'non-playable character (NPC)', finding out it was OCD, starting therapy for OCD, doing therapy homework, postpartum OCD, support groups, non-engagement responses, shame and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/shannon-537  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Dr Fugen Neziroglu: When a higher level of care may be needed, and overvalued ideation (#536) 03.05.2026 59min

  In episode 536 I chat with Dr. Fugen Neziroglu. Fugen is a board-certified cognitive and behavior psychologist and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Bio Behavioral Institute in Great Neck, NY. Fugen has published more than 150 papers in scientific journals and authored or co-authored 15 books. We discuss her rich background in the field of OCD, being mentored by the late Dr Edna Foa, the dosage of therapy, when to level up care, some of the earliest signs once a week therapy isn't working for someone, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), residential treatment, inpatient treatment, medical treatments, what an IOP should look like, adapting the IOP to the clients timeframe. We then discuss overvalued ideation (OVI), low insight, the need to deal with OVI to improve treatment effectiveness, motivational interviewing, shame, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/fugen-536  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Michael (health anxiety, trauma and OCD) (#535) 26.04.2026 56min

  In episode 535 I chat with Michael who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss his OCD story, nightmares in childhood, relationship themed OCD, the onset of his OCD, harm themed OCD, getting therapy, experiencing a health condition, medical trauma, health anxiety, balancing real health conditions with health anxiety, trauma and OCD (PTOCD), living life and making choices, doing exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) for health anxiety in the midst of an actual health issue, self compassion, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/michael-535 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Rachel Kuchem Woodward: Faith, Scrupulosity and OCD (#534) 19.04.2026 36min

  In episode 534 I chat with Rachel Kuchem Woodward (LCSW). Rachel is the owner of Re-Viving Lives Counseling, in Fort Worth.  Rachel is a therapist holistically and clinically treating girls and women since 2019. Having her own 20+ year personal journey with OCD, Rachel is passionate about treating sufferers of OCD and educating faith circles on OCD, bridging the gap between biblical and clinical circles around this topic for clients, church leaders, and mental health leaders. We discuss her therapy journey, how OCD can latch on to faith, telling the difference between a genuine faith based question and an OCD question, how pastors and churches can help, scripture and OCD, moving towards values, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), addressing shame in therapy, bringing in family members, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/rachel-534 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Dr Steven Phillipson and Sean: 'Sarnos' and Sean's story (#533) 12.04.2026 53min

  In episode 533 I chat with Dr Steven Phillipson and his patient Sean. Steven is a licensed clinical psychologist who specialises in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD. Steven is the Clinical Director at the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy in New York. He is joined by one of his patients, Sean, who has kindly agreed to share his story. We discuss Sean's OCD story, Steve discusses the idea of Sarnos (psychosomatic symptoms), Sean's difficulty bragging and worrying about Sarnos, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), the idea of the brain voice and the gatekeeper voice, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/steve-and-sean-533 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Dr Sorcha O'Connor: The PsilOCD study investigating low-dose psilocybin for OCD (#532) 05.04.2026 49min

  In episode 532 I chat with Dr Sorcha O'Connor. Sorcha is a neuroscientist and PhD graduate from Imperial College London, where she led the PsilOCD study investigating low-dose psilocybin for OCD.  We discuss Sorcha's background that led her to this work, what is psilocybin, the background to the study, what the actual study looked like for participants, the outcomes of the study, what's happening in the brain during a dose of psilocybin, future studies, how psychedelics may improve learning, integration sessions with a therapist, what people with OCD can take from this study, limitations of the study, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/sorcha-532 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Alex (suicidal OCD, existential OCD, health anxiety, I-CBT) (#531) 29.03.2026 56min

  In episode 531 I chat with Alex who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss his OCD story, suicidal themed OCD, inference-based cognitive behavioural therapy (I-CBT), worries of harming others, existential themed OCD, how his wife helped, meditation, low self worth, understanding the past, peadophile themed OCD, health anxiety, self compassion, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/alex-531 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Amy (relationship OCD, harm OCD, contamination OCD) (#530) 22.03.2026 1j 2min

  In episode 530 I chat with Amy who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss relationship themed OCD, harm themed OCD, contamination themed OCD, realising that what was going on was OCD, compulsions, disordered eating, how her husband helped, finding the OCD community, doing exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), medication, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/amy-530 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Dr Jon Hoffman: Rethinking Mental Rituals: A Philosophical Conversation (#529) 15.03.2026 1j 1min

  In episode 529 I chatted with Jonathan Hoffman. Jon is a licensed psychologist and Board Certified in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology. He co-founded the NBI Ranch and the Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI), where he was Chief Clinical Officer, exiting these roles at the end of 2025 after many years of practice.  We discuss an update on Jon, what are mental rituals/compulsions, the history of mental rituals/compulsions, are mental rituals/compulsions behaviours, we debate what is good science, how do we study mental rituals/compulsions, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/jon-529 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Jeff Bell: Lessons that OCD and its treatment have taught Jeff about navigating Parkinson's (#528) 08.03.2026 56min

  In episode 528 I chat with Jeff Bell, a past guest of the podcast. Jeff is a long time OCD advocate and is the author of "When in doubt, make belief" and "rewind, replay, repeat". Jeff co-founded adversity to advocacy. We get a recap of his OCD story, the idea of greater good motivation, lessons OCD has taught him that helps him deal with other conditions such as his Parkinson's disease diagnosis, we discuss stoicism, advocacy and service, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/jeff-528 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Ethan Tuccienza: Exposure to emotions (#527) 01.03.2026 50min

  In episode 527 I chat with Ethan Tuccienza. Ethan is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and clinical director of Behavioural Psych Studio's LA office. We discuss his therapy story, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), exposure to emotions, DBT-PTSD as an intervention, trauma, shame, tolerating emotions, he shares a couple DBT skills including willing hands and mindfulness of our emotions. We also discuss guilt, shutting down during exposures and what to do, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/ethan-527 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Mike (sexual orientation OCD, existential OCD, somatic OCD, harm OCD) (#526) 22.02.2026 51min

  In episode 526 I chat with Mike who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss sexual orientation themed OCD, existential themed OCD, somatic themed OCD, harm themed OCD, compulsing around the recovery process, getting therapy, working with Dr Steven Phillipson and Dr Michael Alcee, words of hope and much more. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/mike-526 (Episode includes explicit language) The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Charlotte (harm and suicidal themed OCD, journaling, therapy) (#525) 15.02.2026 38min

  In episode 525 I chat with Charlotte who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss her story, worrying she was pregnant as a kid, realising it's OCD, experiencing theme switches, harm themed OCD, mental health health anxiety, suicidal themed OCD, getting therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), acceptance, her joy journal, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/charlotte-525 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Ray Kolke: Rumination by the Numbers (RBTN) as a tool for dealing with rumination (#524) 08.02.2026 52min

  In episode 524 I chat with Ray Kolke. Ray is a licensed mental health counsellor (LMHC) who works with people affected by OCD and anxiety.   We discuss his therapist background, why he doesn't ask his clients how they are feeling at the start of the session, he discusses not focusing on feelings in more detail, rumination, his tool of rumination by the numbers (RBTN), he breaks down this tool, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/ray-524 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter 
• Story: Angie (Health anxiety, contamination OCD, suicidal OCD) (#523) 01.02.2026 49min

  In episode 523 I chat with Angie who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss health anxiety, contamination themed OCD, and suicidal themed OCD. Doubting whether it's OCD or not, compulsions, uncertainty, getting therapy including exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), relationships, exercise, having a dog in relation to OCD, and much more. Hope it helps.   Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/angie-523 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: https://theocdstories.com/newsletter