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10/06/2026

Families often react to OCD out of love - reassuring, checking, joining rituals, helping avoid triggers, changing routines to keep the peace.

And I really get why -Because in the moment, it can reduce distress fast.

But the evidence on family accommodation in OCD shows a pretty consistent pattern: the more people around someone are pulled into the OCD, the more severe OCD can become, and it can also be linked with poorer treatment progress.

The practical implication is:
try not to let OCD recruit you into the ritual system. Guidance from the IOCDF also stresses that reducing accommodation works best when it is planned ahead, gradual, and discussed outside the heat of the moment.

So in real life, that can mean:
• not answering the same reassurance question again and again
• not checking things for them
• not helping avoidance quietly take over daily life
• not joining rituals just to get everyone through the moment
• but also not snapping, shaming, or withdrawing support

The goal is to stay kind without helping OCD grow. Families can play a genuinely helpful role when they learn to support the person while stepping back from the compulsions.



This content is for psychoeducation only and is not therapy, diagnosis, or individual advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional or your local mental health service. If you are in crisis or feel at risk, contact emergency services or your local crisis team.

If you want to explore therapy with me, please visit my website - link in bio.

09/06/2026

Supporting Someone With OCD? Don’t Stop Reassuring Or Helping With Rituals Too Suddenly



This content is for psychoeducation only and is not therapy, diagnosis, or individual advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional or your local mental health service. If you are in crisis or feel at risk, contact emergency services or your local crisis team.

If you want to explore therapy with me, please visit my website - link in bio.

08/06/2026

If you’ve ever typed “best trauma therapy” into Google at 2am, you’ll know the options can feel overwhelming.

EMDR, trauma-focused cognitive therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure…they’re all evidence-based, but they’re not the same “fit” for every person.

In my new blog, I break down - in plain English - what each approach is like, who it often suits best, and the key questions to ask a therapist so you can choose with confidence (not confusion).

Read it here:
https://getcbt.co.uk/animations-%26-blog/f/which-trauma-therapy-should-i-choose

08/06/2026

If You’re Supporting Someone With OCD, You Might Be Helping In A Way That Actually Keeps It Going



This content is for psychoeducation only and is not therapy, diagnosis, or individual advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional or your local mental health service. If you are in crisis or feel at risk, contact emergency services or your local crisis team.

If you want to explore therapy with me, please visit my website - link in bio.

07/06/2026

What do OCD treatments actually do at brain level? 🧠

If OCD involves a false alarm system, sticky doubt, and a strong compulsion loop… treatment is not just about “coping better” 👇

💊 SSRIs
• one of the main evidence-based treatments for OCD
• may help the brain feel less stuck on threat
• may reduce that “unfinished / not right” feeling
• can make it easier for some people to engage in therapy
• they do not erase intrusive thoughts

🔁 ERP
• the best-established psychological treatment for OCD
• helps weaken the link between obsession, alarm, and compulsion
• teaches the brain: “I can have this thought, feeling, or urge and I do not need to obey it”
• repeated practice is what helps build a new pattern

💭 Cognitive therapy / I-CBT
• works on the meaning attached to the thought
• helps you notice why a thought suddenly feels dangerous, important, or revealing
• I-CBT focuses on when the mind drifts from what is actually known into an imagined obsessional story
• the research base is growing, though still smaller than for ERP and SSRIs

✨ So although these treatments look different, they are all trying to:
• turn down the false alarm
• weaken the obsession → compulsion loop
• reduce the danger meaning attached to thoughts
• strengthen your ability to respond differently

OCD treatment is about helping the brain learn a different pattern over time.

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06/06/2026

Lots of people ask me how OCD actually develops 🧠
The short answer is, It is usually not one single cause.

What the evidence suggests is that OCD can develop through a mix of 👇

🧬 Genetic vulnerability
• some people are more prone to doubt
• more likely to get stuck on responsibility, mistakes, or uncertainty
• often find it harder to draw a line, feel done, and move on

🧠 Brain systems involved in threat + habit
• OCD is linked to brain systems involved in threat detection, error signals, habit learning, self-control, and attention
• in real terms, this can mean the brain gets over-engaged with warning signs, doubt, and urges
• not because someone is weak — but because the system is more likely to get stuck

👤 Personality + temperament
• some people naturally lean more towards caution, responsibility, detail, or needing certainty
• that can make OCD themes feel even more convincing

🌧️ Life experiences
• stress
• illness
• major change
• frightening events
• or even one intrusive thought that lands badly
All of these can play a part in triggering symptoms

🔁 Behavioural learning
• this is a huge part of how OCD gets established
• a thought, feeling, image, or urge shows up
• the person checks, avoids, washes, reassures themselves, or mentally reviews
• they get short-term relief
• and the brain learns: “that must have mattered… do that again next time”

⚠️ That is how the cycle gets stronger
• OCD feels convincing because the brain keeps learning that the ritual was needed
• which is also why treatment works by changing the response to doubt — not just the thought itself
OCD is not random.
And it is not just “overthinking.”
It is a pattern that develops through vulnerability, experience, and learning.



This content is for psychoeducation only and is not therapy, diagnosis, or individual advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional or your local mental health service. If you are in crisis or feel at risk, contact emergency services or your local crisis team.
If you want to explore therapy with me, please visit my website - link in bio.

05/06/2026

One of the cleverest things OCD does is hide the moment you entered the bubble.

It can sound sensible, careful and responsible.
That is exactly why it feels like a genuine concern.

By the time the bigger obsession lands, you may already be treating imagination as if it belongs in the here and now.

That is why learning to spot the bridge thought matters so much.



This content is for psychoeducation only and is not therapy, diagnosis, or individual advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional or your local mental health service. If you are in crisis or feel at risk, contact emergency services or your local crisis team.
If you want to explore therapy with me, please visit my website - link in bio.

04/06/2026

This is one reason reassurance does not settle OCD for long.

When the doubt starts in imagination, there is no neat finish line.
You can keep checking, analysing and trying to feel certain, but the loop stays alive.

Sometimes the more useful question is not “how do I solve this?”
It is “what pulled me out of reality in the first place?”



This content is for psychoeducation only and is not therapy, diagnosis, or individual advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional or your local mental health service. If you are in crisis or feel at risk, contact emergency services or your local crisis team.
If you want to explore therapy with me, please visit my website - link in bio.

03/06/2026

The obsession is not always the first problem.

Often there is a moment before it where the mind moves from what you actually sensed into a story about what might have happened.

That bridge matters.

Because if you only focus on the final fear, you can miss the thought that pulled you into it in the first place.



This content is for psychoeducation only and is not therapy, diagnosis, or individual advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional or your local mental health service. If you are in crisis or feel at risk, contact emergency services or your local crisis team.
If you want to explore therapy with me, please visit my website - link in bio.

02/06/2026