EP 23: OCD: What It Really Is And How Therapy Can Help

In this episode of Relational Lives, Ali and Ros take an honest, practical look at Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They unpack what OCD really is and explore how intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and emotional distress interact. Ali explains different subtypes of OCD, how therapy can help, and offers hope to anyone struggling. Whether you’ve lived with OCD for years or are just beginning to question your thoughts and behaviours, this episode is packed with understanding, reassurance, and practical steps forward. Please note that this episode covers harder aspects of OCD including paedophilia OCD and harm OCD Shownotes: Episode: OCD: What It Really Is - And How Therapy Can Help In this episode: 00:00 – Intro 02:08 – What Is OCD? Obsessions, compulsions & misunderstandings 09:14 – Is It OCD or just a quirk? 13:37 – The role of trauma, control & childhood experiences 16:20 – Taboo thoughts & shame in OCD 23:36 – Types of OCD 30:00 – How therapy works: CBT & ERP explained 36:17 – Challenges in treatment: Internal rituals, resistance & EMDR 42:20 – Client stories & self-help recommendations 43:04 – 3 takeaway tips & thought experiments 📍 Resources mentioned: 'Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder' by David Veale and Rob Wilson British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP): https://www.babcp.com Therapy types mentioned: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP), EMDR Connect with us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relational_lives Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/relationallives/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relational_lives YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Relational_Lives LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tempo-psychotherapy-services-33a00318/ Want to share your story or come on the show to discuss your dilemma? Write to us and we might cover it in a future episode. Drop us a message at [e-mail] or you can anonymously complete our form here: https://forms.office.com/e/qcrCkbhPiT. We’d also love to hear updates if you’ve written in before. Subscribe for future episodes on trauma, attachment and more mental health topics. If you found this episode helpful, please like this video or share it with a friend. Disclaimer: Please remember, this is not meant to be a replacement for personal therapy and is for information and self-reflection only. Please reach out to an appropriate professional in your area if you feel you need individualised help. Credits: Hosts: Alison Bickers and Ros Peckham at www.mytempo.co.uk Music by: Stile Tree Studio Produced by: Synergy Podcast Studio