Sensorimotor OCD Treatment: ERP, Metacognitive Therapy & Self-Compassion with Andy and Ferne from the Anxious Academy
Just CheckingShow Notes
Sensorimotor OCD; where you get stuck noticing your breathing, blinking, thinking, or other automatic bodily processes. It can feel relentless and impossible to switch off. In this episode of Just Checking, we're joined by Andy and Ferne from the Anxious Academy to explore what sensorimotor OCD is, why it can feel like the "worst" OCD theme, and how to treat it. We cover common sensorimotor compulsions, when reassurance becomes a compulsion, and why loss of certainty and control drives the cycle. Andy and Ferne share their lived experience, and we look at why response prevention often matters more than exposure with this theme. We also discuss compassion work, dropping perfectionism, metacognitive therapy for OCD, exposures for metacognitive beliefs, and experiments for mental compulsions. We also cover green and red flags in OCD programmes, neurodivergent considerations, what recovery really looks like, the biggest recovery roadblocks, and a common mistake therapists make with this presentation. If you're living with OCD, supporting someone who is, or you're a therapist wanting to understand this theme better, this one's for you.
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 Featuring Andrew Mellish and Ferne Manniex from Anxious Academy Anxious Academy Website: https://theanxiousacademy.co.uk/
Time Stamps: 00:00 Anxious Academy introduction 02:45 Introduction to the episode 05:40 Brain Spam 11:10 What is sensorimotor OCD? 17:00 Losing a sense of certainty and control 18:05 Common sensorimotor compulsions 21:00 When validation and assurance changes to reassurance 23:45 Why Ferne struggled with sensorimotor themes 24:35 How sensorimotor OCD impacted Andy 25:25 Is this the 'worst' OCD theme? 28:05 Focusing more on response prevention than exposure 29:00 Compassion work 34:35 Dropping the perfectionism 36:20 Metacognitive therapy for OCD 39:30 Metacognitive awareness 40:25 Exposures for metacognitive beliefs 43:40 Experiments for mental compulsions 44:35 Metacognitive Training 45:55 Red flags in OCD programmes 47:40 OCD compulsions involving OCD research 48:35 Summary of what OCD therapy green flags are 49:50 Neurodivergent considerations 58:20 What does recovery look like? 1:01:25 Biggest recovery roadblocks 1:05:30 Jess Donald Trump toddler analogy 1:06:45 Common therapist mistake with this 1:12:26 Weekly Win 1:18:58 Exposure Lab 1:24:21 Goodbyes Resources: Andy's recommended Youtube attention videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx0h9GH33gV0ItzP_nOuJPVIXLzh3vDBo&si=YWLWilOUbGtx4VZX Anxious Academy social media: @theanxiousacademy
Get in Touch: Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us: Email us at [email protected] 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.
More from Just Checking
Ever felt "dirty" after a memory, a thought, or being around a certain person, even though you haven't touched anything? That's mental contamination, and it's one of the most commonly missed presentations of contamination OCD. In the third episode of our contamination OCD series (following physical and disgust-based contamination), Jess and Laura unpack what mental contamination is, how it can show up, and why it so often goes unrecognised - by sufferers and clinicians alike. We explore the subtypes, the link with trauma, the central role of guilt and shame, and how treatment differs from standard ERP, including how combining therapeutic approaches can help. We also look at the measurement scales used to assess mental contamination. Plus: Laura shares some very embarrassing Brain Spam, a Listener Question, this week's Weekly Win, and a new Exposure Lab challenge. Has mental contamination affected you? We'd love to hear your experience - get in touch.
What happens when your intrusive thoughts end up on the page? This week we're joined by author Louis Urbanowski to talk about his experience of "Pure O" OCD, what actually helped him, and how he now uses his obsessive brain in his writing. His books feature characters with OCD. We talk about why the "Pure O" label can be misleading, the hidden mental load of OCD, and the overlap between OCD, neurodivergence and shame. Louis also explains how writing became a place to put intrusive thoughts, why "good enough" is okay, and how a partner can support someone with OCD. We also cover sensory differences, getting diagnosed, the jobs that suit an OCD brain, and Louis' honest reflections on wishing he'd been braver. As always, we finish with a listener question, this week's win and the Exposure Lab. ⚠️ Content note: this episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts (46:45). If you're struggling, contact Samaritans on 116 123 (UK, free, 24/7). 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 Featuring Louis Urbanowski, author To Follow Louis: https://linktr.ee/Urbwrites?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAU5vXVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAnNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABpxl_cisqLbDburKiLFcODOMPd1QqiUkPQpAUprJOTGqViB2vS09X4CrH6UnD_aem_ByThqUt8ymBZtrRI85wGEg https://www.instagram.com/urbwrites?cplk=aDBidHUzYm0zZWs1
Contamination OCD is so much more than liking things clean. In this episode of Just Checking, OCD specialists Jess and Laura unpack what contamination OCD really is, how it differs from everyday cleanliness, and why it can leave people feeling like nowhere is ever truly safe.
⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts.
Ever wondered what OCD therapy actually looks like from the inside? In this mini vignette, we build a fake client, Jamie, presenting with magical thinking OCD, and walk through the whole clinical journey: assessment, formulation, and treatment, step by step. We cover thought-action fusion, excessive responsibility, "just right" challenges, memory manipulation, and how to bring family into the support system- all with the warmth and compassion Theory A/Theory B deserves. Whether you're a clinician wanting a practical walkthrough or someone with OCD wanting to understand what therapy might involve, this one's for you.