The OCD Stories

Stuart Ralph
The OCD Stories
Latest episode

554 episodes

  • The OCD Stories

    Blakely Hunze-Austin: OCD and Sex (#542)

    14/06/2026 | 40 mins.
    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
  • The OCD Stories

    Story: Brad Stulberg (Self-harm-themed OCD, writing, and his book The Way of Excellence) (#541)

    07/06/2026 | 1h 4 mins.
    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
  • The OCD Stories

    Alex Habens: A Therapist's journey with OCD and Compassion Focused Therapy (#540)

    31/05/2026 | 46 mins.
    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
  • The OCD Stories

    Katie d'Ath: OCD therapeutic communities and groups (#539)

    24/05/2026 | 47 mins.
    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
  • The OCD Stories

    Dr Ronald Nicholson: Sensory OCD (Somatic/Sensorimotor OCD) (#538)

    17/05/2026 | 38 mins.
    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
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About The OCD Stories
Welcome to The OCD Stories, hosted by Stuart Ralph. The podcast has been heard over 8million times globally. Check out your first episode from our existing hundreds of episodes featuring experts, and people experiencing symptoms just like you today. If you do, you may just feel understood, heard and possibly help you identify your next step in your own personal journey to healing. Disclaimer - this podcast is not a replacement for therapy. Please seek treatment from a licensed mental health professional.
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