Anxious & Capable | Real Talk on Anxiety, OCD and Mental Health

 This weeks episode of the Anxious and Capable Podcast, two OCD therapists, Jess & Charlotte (@the_floral_therapist) discuss all things OCD, how therapy and treatment work, what you need to know about OCD (as both a client and a therapist). 

And we're super excited to share with you our CPD for therapists who want to build their confidence working with OCD. 

🧠 OCD in Your Therapy Room: Essential Insight for Non-Specialist Therapists

A live online CPD training designed to help therapists feel more confident recognising and understanding OCD presentations in clinical work, even if you don’t specialise in OCD.

📅 Friday 10th July
🕚 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (+ live Q&A) (+ Access to the replay).

Inside the training, we’ll cover:

➡️ How OCD  presents in therapy
➡️ Commonly missed themes, presentations & how to assess for OCD.
➡️ The differences between GAD & OCD.
➡️ The many ways obsessions & compulsions may show up.
➡️ Subtle ways therapy can accidentally reinforce OCD cycles and how you can ethically support Obsessive Compulsive Clients (without accidently strengthening OCD).

This training is especially useful for therapists working with anxiety, perfectionism, overthinking, shame, intrusive thoughts.

We’re really excited to share our knowledge with you and support you to feel more confident working with Obsessive Compulsive Clients. 

Click here for more info & join us in July.

Meet Charlotte

PP -  NHS CBT Therapist and Mental Health Social Worker, Charlotte Brierley has worked in mental health services for 16 years; from Neurological Services, Early Intervention for Psychosis Teams, Crisis Services and NHS Talking therapies. Last year Charlotte opened her PP because she wanted to offer a more accessible service for those experiencing OCD and work place/medical Phobias without the excessive NHS waiting lists and strict engagement policies. Which had proven highly successful and won Charlotte an award for “Best CBT practice in Greater Manchester” this year. Charlotte's practice has stood out for its link to nature as Charlotte is also a sustainable British flower florist and offers floral immersive therapy sessions for those who have severe anxiety or neurological barriers going into therapy. Charlotte also offers Icbt EMDR and DBT as well as a Perinatal Specialist in the NHS.

Visit Charlotte's website.

Follow Charlotte on Instagram

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

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Jess | Therapy with Jess

How many times have you been told to avoid things that trigger your anxiety or OCD?

Maybe you start to feeling anxious, so you cancel your plans. Or you avoid opening messages. Maybe you skip that event, and all of this brings you immediate relief. You got to avoid the anxiety. That's a good thing right?!

This is advice that I see everywhere, But what if I actually told you this habit of avoidance may actually be keeping your anxiety and your OCD going?

In todays episode I'm talking about:

• The problem with avoidance and when it becomes unhelpful.
• How avoidance re-enforces OCD and anxiety.
• Subtle and sneaky forms of avoidance (gently calling you out in this one!).
• Why avoidance shrinks your world & how you can work on avoidance. 

Together, lets learn why avoidance might be keeping you stuck. 

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

In this episode, I'm reflecting on and sharing the 6 things that have helped my mental health and wellbeing in 2025, that I will continue doing in 2026. These are the habits & life style self care practises that have genuinely improved my mental health and confidence. 

Living with anxiety and OCD can leave you overthinking, with low self-confidence and struggling to trust yourself.

These 6 things aren't quick fixes or things that will immediately make you feel better, but instead 6 practices and habits that I feel have made the biggest different for me. 

So take a moment to reflect on 2025 & the things that worked. 

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

When texting triggers anxiety, rejection, and self-doubt, it can feel exhausting and confusing, especially when everyone else seems to say “it’s just a text.”

In this episode, we talk about text anxiety and why messaging can feel so overwhelming for anxious, highly sensitive, neurodivergent, and people-pleasing brains. We explore why unanswered messages, short replies, and changes in tone can trigger overthinking, rejection sensitivity, and fears of abandonment, even when nothing is actually wrong.

Ellie shares her own experience of struggling with text anxiety and the boundaries she has learned to set with her phone, including replying on her own timeline, using voice notes, and stepping back from constant texting. We also discuss practical ways to self-soothe when you are spiralling, how to challenge the meaning anxiety attaches to messages, and how to build healthier communication boundaries without guilt.

If you often overthink texts, feel pressure to reply instantly, or worry you are too much because of how you communicate, this episode is for you. 

About Ellie

Ellie Belfield (@elenabelfield) is a person centred therapist for the highly sensitive people who people please! Ellie is also trained in EMDR. Ellie lived in Spain for a few years growing vegetables before moving back to the UK to study psychotherapy, she now lives with her daughter running her private practice in Cheshire.

Follow Ellie On Instagram - @elenabelfield
Visit Ellie's website here - www.Elenabelfield.com 

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

If you’ve ever been called “clingy,” “too much,” or feel like you need constant reassurance from your partner, this episode is for you.

We’re talking about what’s really going on underneath that anxiety in your relationships, the constant need for reassurance and the times you feel your partner pulling away. 

Because it’s not that you’re too much or that you only attract emotionally unavailable people.

In this episode, we unpack how insecure/ anxious attachments develops, what it looks like in relationships, and how you can begin to feel more secure. 

It’s a really honest, compassionate conversation with the lovely integrative psychotherapist Lauren (@therapywithlauren_) about understanding your patterns, quieting the fear of rejection, and learning to trust that you’re safe to love and be loved.

About Lauren

I am an integrative psychotherapist who has been in practice for 4+ years. I specialise in relational trauma, working mainly with attachment wounds, domestic abuse and childhood trauma. My work is currently split across two sectors - one being my own private practice and the other working for a private health care company. In the past I worked at a domestic abuse charity and delivered a mental health programme on behalf of the DWP. I work in a trauma-informed way embodying all aspects of what makes us human and believe that therapy is so much more than our thoughts and feelings!

Connect with Lauren 

Instagram @TherapywithLauren_

Website - https://therapywithlauren.uk/

Facebook - Therapy With Lauren

Lets Connect!

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

If you find this episode helpful, I’d love if you could rate and review the podcast. It really helps me reach more people who are struggling with anxiety and OCD and need this kind of support.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “feel the fear and do it anyway.” It sounds motivating, but if you live with anxiety or OCD, it can feel impossible. In this episode of Anxiously Capable, I’m breaking down what this actually looks like in real life. It’s not about throwing yourself into the scariest thing you can think of, it’s about learning how to live alongside fear in a way that feels safe and gentle.

I’ll share my own experience of facing fear (including the story of learning to ride a motorbike while absolutely terrified), and how I help clients slowly build up their tolerance for fear without overwhelming themselves. We’ll chat about:

• Why recovery isn’t the absence of fear, but changing your relationship with it
• How small, gradual steps can make the biggest difference
• Everyday examples of how to “feel the fear and do it gently”

If you’ve ever felt pressure to just do the scary thing, this episode will give you a softer, kinder way to approach it.

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

It starts with one bad night’s sleep (or a few), then suddenly you’re lying awake every night, dreading bedtime, checking the clock at 3 a.m, and panicking about how you’ll get through tomorrow on 2 hours of sleep. The harder you try to force yourself to sleep, the more impossible it feels.

If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. I’m joined by therapist Amy Townsend, a sleep anxiety specialist, to talk about the reality of sleep anxiety and why your brain won’t switch off, how insomnia turns into a vicious cycle, and the small things you might be doing (like tracking your sleep or changing your bedtime) that are actually making it worse.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why sleep anxiety happens and the cycle that keeps it going
• The sneaky habits that fuel insomnia without you realising
• Practical tips to calm your mind when it won’t switch off
• How to stop clock-watching at night and why it matters
• Ways to reduce the pressure to “sleep perfectly”
• How to rebuild trust in your body’s natural ability to rest

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “What if I don’t sleep and can’t cope tomorrow?” then this episode will help you feel less alone, less panicked, and a lot more hopeful about reclaiming your nights.

Amy Townsend (@therapywithamy_) a therapist who helps adults with trouble sleeping or insomnia to fall asleep faster and sleep through the night, with a particular focus on helping those experiencing anxiety or stress related poor sleep. 

Follow Amy on Instagram @therapywithamy_

Check our Amy's website and services here.

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

Ever find yourself stuck in endless “what if” thoughts about your partner? “Do I really love them? Are we meant to be together? What if I’m making a huge mistake?" 

Or find yourself comparing your partner or your relationship to others even though you know that you're happy in your relationship. 

In this episode of Anxiously Capable, we’re diving deep into Relationship OCD (ROCD) a subtype of OCD where intrusive thoughts, doubts and compulsions focus on your relationship and compatibility. We’ll explore:

• What an OCD subtype is and why it matters
• The difference between normal relationship doubts and ROCD
• Common obsessions (like “what if I don’t love them enough?”) and compulsions (like reassurance-seeking, checking, or avoiding milestones)
• Why ROCD is so sneaky and feels so convincing
• What actually helps (and what makes things worse) when you’re stuck in the cycle

If you’ve ever felt like your relationship anxiety is taking over your life, this episode is here to help you feel less alone. 

✨ Resources mentioned: 

NOCD (treatmyocd.com),  (forum, OCD therapist directory)

https://rocd.net

What is relationship OCD? Signs, Symptoms & Treatment

Relationship OCD: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Treatment

The OCD Stories Podcast, 

Disordered Podcast, 

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

Social Anxiety, Bullying, and the Fear of Judgment. That's what we're covering in todays episode of the Anxiously Capable Podcast. 

 I am joined by the lovely Sophia Spencer (@Socially_fearless), a psychotherapist and coach who specializes in working with social anxiety, inferiority, belonging and confidence. 

In this episode we break down:

✔️ Why early experiences of bullying, humiliation and other social traumas manifest as social anxiety.
 ✔️ How the fear of judgement fuels your anxiety and feelings of inferiority.
 ✔️ How to deal with feeling like you don't belong. 

You can find Sophia on Instagram @socially_fearless. 

Interested in working with Sophia and checking out her additional resources? Click here.

So if you've been struggling with social anxiety and this sounds like the episode that you need, keep listening and let's dive in.

Lets Connect!

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess

 Is ChatGPT making your OCD and anxiety worse? This is the big question that we are going to be covering in today's episode of the Anxiously Capable Podcast. If you have OCD, you might find yourself turning to chat GPT to get reassurance or to check if a thought is 'normal' or to even ask it questions like; Did I do something horrible in this situation? 

At first it might seem that the AI chat bots response brings you comfort, but over time, constantly going to chat GPT when you feel self-doubt, or when you're trying to make decisions, can quickly become a harmful compulsive behaviour. 

Whether you notice that you're using Ai compulsively or want to prevent this becoming a compulsion and making your OCD worse, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I break down:

 ✔️ Why ChatGPT and other Ai LLM feel so irresistible to someone with OCD and Anxiety.
 ✔️ All of the ways someone can use ChatGPT compulsively and what this might look like for different OCD subtypes.
 ✔️ The dangers of using ChatGPT when you struggle with OCD or obsessive thoughts.

✔️ How to stop the compulsive behaviour (and no, it's not as simple as deleting your ChatGPT account). 

Follow Anxiously Capable for more calming episodes on anxiety, OCD, overthinking, and healing.

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Disclaimer - This channel/ podcast exist for psychoeducation & marketing purposes. This is not a replacement for professional mental health support or therapy. While I am a therapist, I am not your therapist and this content does not substitute a professional, therapeutic relationship. Please reach out to a mental health professional for a higher level of care.

Take Care!

Jess | Therapy with Jess