Podcast
Get to know OCD
Hosted by NOCD · EN
Tune in each week for a deep dive into all things OCD with host Dr. Patrick McGrath, NOCD's Chief Clinical Officer. We’ll be sharing inspiring real-life stories of people who’ve faced OCD and came out the other side, as well as practical tips for understanding and tackling OCD. We hope you enjoy the podcast and it helps you get to know OCD.
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87episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What It's Like To Be A NOCD Therapist
2d ago00:36:12Summary readyBarbara Windeknecht and Alexi Pyles have both worked traditional therapy jobs so they know what the tradeoffs usually look like: commuting, shared offices, rigid schedules, and trying to squeeze the rest of life around the work. At NOCD, they’ve found something different: a fully remote setup where they can see members from home, build schedules that actually fit their lives, and still feel connected to a larger team of clinicians doing the same work. In this video, they walk you through what that day-to-day looks like and why this setup helps them show up better for the people they treat.If you’re ready to deepen your ERP skills and work somewhere specialized OCD treatment is the focus — not an afterthought — explore joining the team at NOCD: https://learn.nocd.com/therapist_careersFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryWhy OCD Treatment Can Feel Worse Before It Feels Better
5d ago00:06:56Summary readyA lot of people start ERP expecting immediate relief, so when their anxiety spikes in the beginning, they assume the treatment is failing. But as Dr. Patrick McGrath explains, that discomfort is often a sign that the therapy is actually working. OCD gets used to compulsions, reassurance, avoidance, and safety behaviors keeping fear under control, so when those habits are removed, the disorder tends to “fight back” harder before it starts losing power. In this video, Dr. McGrath explains why this happens so often during recovery. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryHow OCD Traps You in Endless Thinking
1w ago00:05:18Summary readyRumination can feel productive at first. It can feel like problem-solving, self-awareness, or “figuring things out.” But for people with OCD, there’s a point where thinking stops being helpful and turns into a trap. The same question gets replayed over and over, every answer creates another “what if,” and no amount of analyzing ever brings real relief. In this short video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down how OCD turns thinking into a compulsion, why rumination feels so convincing in the moment, and the key difference between healthy problem-solving and mentally spiraling. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryWhy OCD Can Feel Like You're “Losing Your Mind”
2w ago00:09:36Summary readyOne of the scariest OCD spirals can start with a simple thought: what if this isn’t OCD at all? For many people, OCD doesn’t just attack fears around harm or contamination — it can also latch onto the fear of “going crazy,” losing touch with reality, or developing something more serious like psychosis or schizophrenia. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down why OCD targets these fears so aggressively and why trying to prove to yourself that you’re okay only keeps the cycle alive. He also explains the key difference between OCD and psychotic disorders, and how therapy helps people stop treating every intrusive thought like an emergency that needs to be solved.At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryWhy ERP Therapy Works So Well For OCD
2w ago00:37:33Summary readyERP therapy is different from what most people imagine. Instead of just talking about fears, it helps people with OCD gradually face the thoughts, situations, and sensations they’ve been avoiding. In this video, NOCD therapists Barbara Windeknecht and Alexi Pyles explain what that looks like in real life — from contamination exposures and “just right” OCD to emetophobia, social anxiety, and phobias.They also share why their work is so rewarding: patients start re-doing things OCD once took away from them, like going back to work, school, relationships, and daily routines. The conversation also covers why virtual ERP can be just as effective as in-person treatment. If you’re ready to deepen your ERP skills and work somewhere specialized OCD treatment is the focus — not an afterthought — explore joining the team at NOCD: https://learn.nocd.com/therapist_careersFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryMy OCD Made Me Believe I Was A Monster
3w ago00:48:53Summary readyWhen Molly was a teenager, a single intrusive thought sent her into years of fear, panic, and silence. What started as one terrifying “what if?” quickly spiraled into constant doubts about who she was, what her thoughts meant, and whether she was secretly a horrible person. In this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Molly opens up about living with pedophilia OCD — a taboo thought she hid for years and years because she genuinely believed it meant something terrible about her. She also shares what it was like spending her teenage years trapped in nonstop fear and mental checking, why the thoughts felt so painfully real, and how finally learning what OCD actually was changed the course of her life.At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryOCD Convinces You Compulsions Prevent Harm... They Don't
3w ago00:07:21Summary readyOne of the hardest parts of OCD is that compulsions rarely feel irrational in the moment — they feel responsible. Checking the stove again, replaying a conversation, researching symptoms, repeating a ritual “just in case.” Over time, OCD convinces you that these behaviors are the reason nothing bad has happened yet, which makes stopping them feel reckless, selfish, or even dangerous. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down the false sense of responsibility at the center of OCD and why resisting them is ultimately the thing that gives you your freedom back.At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryHow OCD Makes You Consider Every Worst-Case Scenario
4w ago00:44:30Summary readyCiara Parsons thought she was just anxious, overly cautious, or a little superstitious. But underneath all of it was OCD — constantly forcing her to imagine every possible thing that could go wrong and making her feel responsible for preventing it. Whether it was flying on planes, going on tour, becoming a mother, or simply leaving the house, her brain treated every situation like a potential disaster waiting to happen.In this interview, Ciara opens up about what it was like living inside that constant loop of fear, rituals, and “what if” thinking, and how OCD slowly took over more and more of her life. She also shares how the right kind of therapy helped her stop treating every intrusive thought like an emergency and finally start enjoying moments she used to spend surviving.At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryI Got Better From OCD... Now I Help Others Do the Same
May 300:09:10Summary readyFor a long time, OCD made life feel overwhelming and exhausting until Cody Fournier finally found a type of treatment that actually worked. What started as his own search for relief turned into something much bigger. After experiencing firsthand what it’s like to come out the other side, he realized he wanted to help other people do the same. In this video, Cody shares how his journey with OCD led him to become a therapist for NOCD, what surprised him most about treating others, and why seeing real change in his clients has been the most rewarding part of the work. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTWatch full interview: https://youtu.be/Tw5FfJyl0xwFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryOCD Told Me I Was in Control (I Wasn't)
Apr 3000:42:38Summary readyKerry Osborn believed her OCD was helping her — giving her a sense of control in situations that felt uncertain and overwhelming. What started after a traumatic experience slowly turned into a system of rules, rituals, and “if I do this, then nothing bad will happen” thinking that took over more and more of her life. It didn’t feel irrational at the time. It felt necessary.In this episode, Kerry shares how OCD convinced her she had control, why that belief was so hard to let go of, and what changed when she finally started confronting it in therapy. It’s an honest look at how convincing OCD can be — and what it takes to break out of it.At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YTFollow us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/https://twitter.com/treatmyocdhttps://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Summary