Harm OCD explained: two vignette case studies on intrusive thoughts of hurting other people or yourself

Ever had a sudden, terrifying thought about hurting someone you love — or yourself? You're not alone, and it's more common than you think. In this Just Checking mini pod, OCD therapists Laura and Jess break down Harm OCD through two illustrative vignettes (fictional case studies, not real clients): a mum experiencing intrusive thoughts about harming her children, and a young person struggling with unwanted intrusive thoughts of harming themselves.

Laura and Jess walk through how they'd approach exposure therapy and behavioral experiments for each vignette — covering psychoeducation, reassurance-seeking, family accommodation, thought-action fusion, distress tolerance, and interoceptive exposures. If you've ever wondered "is this OCD or am I actually dangerous?" — this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• What Harm OCD looks like in real life (illustrated through vignettes)
• Why intrusive thoughts about harming loved ones don't mean anything about who you are
• How OCD therapists actually approach exposure therapy for harm-based fears
• Treating harm OCD when suicidal intrusive thoughts are involved
• Working with family accommodation and reassurance-seeking behaviors

🎧 New episodes weekly. Follow, rate, and subscribe so you never miss one.

📩 Got a topic you want us to cover? Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com or find us on Instagram & TikTok @justcheckingpod

Disclaimer: Laura and Jess are OCD therapists, but not your OCD therapist. The cases discussed are fictional vignettes for illustrative purposes only and do not represent real clients. This podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only and doesn't replace individual professional support. If you're struggling, please speak to your GP or a qualified mental health professional.

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

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.

Does trauma cause OCD? We're answering the question everyone's been asking. This week Laura compares OCD to herpes (you'll have to listen to find out why), and we dig into the real relationship between trauma and OCD- including why OCD and PTSD get mixed up, what complex PTSD looks like alongside OCD, and how EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) fits into treatment. We also tackle whether therapy itself can traumatise people, what recovery timelines actually look like, and answer your listener questions.

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 Episode overview

01:30 Introduction and hello

03:00 EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) Therapy

04:15 Brain Spam

07:40 What is trauma?

11:19 Trauma and OCD links

17:00 Does trauma cause OCD?

19:20 Why OCD and PTSD get mixed up sometimes

23:50 Complex PTSD and OCD

28:20 How treatment looks for OCD and trauma combined

35:42 Why we might use the trauma to understand the OCD

39:45 Can you do EMDR online?

44:00 Can we traumatise people in therapy?

48:30 Treatment length and recovery expectations

50:25 Question from the Listeners

57:00 Weekly Wins

57:46 Exposure Lab

59:30 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 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.

Sex and OCD; the topic everyone's thinking about but nobody wants to bring up in session. Jess and Laura get into how sex shows up across intrusive thoughts and compulsions, the impact on relationships and intimacy, and the trickier corners like groinal responses, kink fears, and bestiality-themed intrusions. They also talk SSRIs, communication, and why therapists need to get comfortable bringing sex into the room.

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

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. Please be aware that this episode contains sexual themes, listener discretion advised.

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.

Time Stamps:

00:40 What today covers

01:50 Hello and catch up

03:10 Brain Spam

06:34 How sex shows up in intrusive thoughts

09:50 Sex in compulsions

15:20 How common these thoughts can be

21:10 Communication around sex

26:03 The impact of OCD on relationships and intimacy

28:20 Casual relationships and dating

28:50 Bestiality fears

29:44 Groinal response

32:18 SSRIs, sex, and OCD

39:12 Fears around kink

42:00 How we bring sex into the therapy room

47:19 Trauma and sex with OCD

48:00 Culture, religion and values on sex and OCD

51:20 Question from the listeners

54:11 Weekly Win

54:50 Exposure Lab

56:36 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

If your intrusive thoughts have ever convinced you that you're secretly dangerous- welcome to Harm OCD. This is the subtype that makes loving, gentle people terrified of their own minds.

This week Jess and Laura dig into one of the most misunderstood and shame-soaked corners of OCD- where caring deeply about not hurting anyone gets twisted into "proof" that you might. Harm OCD can include a fear of harming others, yourself, or a fear that harm will/has come to others because of you- this episode explores it all.

We talk about what these thoughts actually sound like, why "possible" doesn't mean "probable," and why your brain treats a passing thought like a five-alarm fire. We also get into the messier stuff- anger, allergy and poisoning fears, and the compulsions that quietly creep in when you're trying to "just be sure."

Plus: what real exposure work looks like for harm OCD, how to rebuild trust in yourself, and why badly-pitched exposures can do more harm than good.

As always, there's Brain Spam, an Exposure Lab, a listener question, and a bit of social media chaos courtesy of Laura.

Trigger warning: Please note that this episode contains discussions around harm and suicide, so please listen with caution.

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:

00:34 What we cover today

01:26 Hellos and introductions

02:42 Brain Spam

07:02 What harm OCD thoughts sound like

08:06 Compulsions in harm OCD

08:57 Harm OCD misunderstandings

10:00 What if you experience anger with harm OCD?

11:14 Common harm OCD themes

12:29 Possible vs probable

13:56 The meaning of harm OCD themes

16:10 Why does it feel so real?

18:10 How do we know you won't hurt someone?

19:45 OCD vs actual risk of harm

24:15 Common compulsions for harm OCD

28:44 Allergy and poisoning fears

29:39 What does therapy look like for harm OCD?

33:31 Harm exposures or behavioural experiments

35:07 Trusting yourself again

37:00 How exposures can be pitched wrong

39:00 Building up exposures and behavioural experiments

41:55 Harm OCD summary

43:15 Laura's social media backlash

44:30 Next episode teaser

45:40 Compassionate work and rebuilding your life

47:28 Question from the listeners

49:15 Exposure Lab

53:20 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.

What does the latest OCD research actually tell us, and what does it mean for the people living with it and treating it? This week Jess and Laura dig into the key findings from the recent Orchard OCD International Conference, translating the science into something genuinely useful.

They cover a lot of ground: the economic cost of OCD, which brain areas are involved and what that means for treatment, early signs in children, the genetics of OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), and what mental health medications are actually targeting (and what questions you should be asking).

Plus: mouse models, psychedelic research, PANDAS, secondary OCD, and what healthy lifestyle factors like sleep, diet, and exercise actually do for OCD symptoms.

Jess also shares her pet peeves from the research (you'll want to hear those), and they round things off with listener questions, Weekly Wins, and an Exposure Lab challenge.

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 Overview of the episode

01:00 Introduction and hellos

02:30 Brain Spam

05:30 Superstitions and OCD

08:10 Disclaimer

08:30 OCD's cost on the economy

09:20 Brain areas involved in OCD

10:57 Early detection, OCD signs in children

15:42 Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours: skin picking and hair pulling

19:57 How much OCD runs in families

21:30 What are mental health medications targeting and what types should we ask about?

25:33 Mouse research and implications

29:30 Psychedelic research and an OCD holiday

33:20 Onset ages of OCD and OCD genes

32:20 Secondary OCD and PANDAS

38:40 Healthy living and OCD; sleep, diet and exercise

39:45 How therapy can use this information

48:20 Sleep disorders in OCD

49:11 Neuroplasticity to help OCD

51:00 Jess' pet peeves from the research

53:00 Question from the listeners

53:48 Weekly Wins

54:42 Exposure Lab

55:33 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.

For the first time ever, there are international guidelines for how OCD should be treated — and in this episode, we break them down.

Fresh from the Orchard OCD International Conference, Jess and Laura unpack what these landmark guidelines actually say: which treatments are recommended, in what order, and what this means for people with OCD and the clinicians supporting them. From ERP and medication through to TMS and DBS, the guidelines bring global consensus to questions that have long been answered differently depending on where you live or who you see.

Before they get there, they cover what the conference revealed about OCD neuroscience — brain imaging showing OCD as a network problem, gene mapping progress, biomarkers, and what the research says about how psychological treatments work on a neurological level.

There's also a section on OCD in childhood, apps and neuroimaging, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours.

This is Part 1 of a series covering the conference — and it's a good one to start with.

As always: Brain Spam, Weekly Wins, and a look at what's coming next.

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

Caveat

Before we get started, a quick disclaimer. This episode is intended for educational and informational purposes only. We discuss a range of medical and therapeutic interventions used in OCD treatment, including medication and neuromodulation approaches such as TMS, DBS and tDCS. However, we are not medical doctors or prescribing professionals, and nothing in this episode should be taken as medical advice or a recommendation to pursue any particular treatment.

We also mention some commercially available products and technologies. These references are provided for information only and should not be interpreted as an endorsement or recommendation to purchase or use them.

If you are considering any medical treatment, medication, or intervention discussed in this episode, please consult a suitably qualified healthcare professional who can advise you based on your individual circumstances.

Timestamps:

00:34 Extra disclaimer

02:26 Catch up

02:48 Introduction to the episode

04:00 Brain Spam

08:33 Who are Orchard OCD?

13:25 Takeaways about OCD treatment choice

16:00 OCD treatment and costs

18:34 OCD in childhood and brain changes

20:00 Apps and neuroimaging

20:49 OCD as a brain network problem

22:26 Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy work

24:00 Metacognitive Training

24:40 Biomarkers and precision psychiatry

25:30 Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours

27:39 The International Guidelines for OCD Treatment

46:30 How the guidelines can help people with OCD

49:25 How we plan to use the guidelines

52:40 What next?

54:06 Possible next episode themes

56:01 Weekly Wins

58:00 Goodbyes

Links:

Orchard OCD: https://www.orchardocd.org/

Orchard OCD Registry: https://orchardocdregistry.org/

CANMAT/ICOCS International Guidelines for OCD: https://icocs.org/2025-canmat-icocs-international-guidelines-for-the-management-of-patients-with-ocd/

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 is joined by Joshua Munn, a therapist specialising in OCD and ADHD, for a conversation that's long overdue on this podcast. They get into how to tell OCD and ADHD apart (spoiler: it's not always straightforward), why adapting ERP for ADHD brains actually makes therapy better for everyone, and how ACT and compassion-focused approaches fit into the picture. Expect honest chat about rejection sensitivity, executive functioning, hyperfixation shame, and why the goal was never a neurotypical brain anyway.

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

Special guest Joshua Munn, OCD and ADHD specialist therapist

Website: www.therapywithjosh.co.uk Social media: @therapywith_josh on Instagram and @therapywithjosh on Tiktok

Time stamps:

00:00 What to expect this episode

01:44 Introduction to Josh

02:50 Why Josh started working with OCD and ADHD

03:40 How to differentiate OCD and ADHD

05:50 Not aiming for a neurotypical brain

06:20 Rejection sensitivity and OCD

09:00 Imposter syndrome in ADHD and OCD

10:30 What executive functioning difficulties people may notice

12:40 ADHD adaptions for OCD therapy

17:00 What ACT therapy is and how it works with OCD and ADHD

22:00 Neurodivergence and parenting

25:33 Making ERP more ADHD friendly

27:30 Visualising characters for OCD

29:20 OCD leading to low mood in ADHD

31:00 ADHD and boredom

34:33 Neurodivergence and OCD Venn diagrams

36:56 Attention training and music

39:10 Hyperfixations and shame

39:35 Healthy guilt vs OCD guilt

42:52 Josh's favourite tips for OCD and ADHD

45:20 Session adaptions for people with ADHD

48:00 Being mindful of how much OCD content you consume

50:36 Considerations for medication

53:49 Question from the listeners

56:22 Exposure Lab

58:00 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.

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.