The 20 Best Ocd Podcasts (2026)

Stuart Ralph has been running The OCD Stories since 2015, and with over 535 episodes and 7 million downloads, it has become the go-to interview podcast in the OCD space. Stuart sits down with leading therapists, researchers, and people who have lived through OCD themselves, pulling out the kind of practical wisdom that actually makes a difference. The format is straightforward: one guest, one conversation, usually around 30 to 60 minutes. What makes it work is Stuart's genuine curiosity and his ability to ask the questions you would want to ask yourself. He talks to names like Dr. Jonathan Grayson, Dr. Michael Greenberg, and Shala Nicely, but he also gives a platform to everyday people sharing raw, honest recovery stories. The show covers every OCD subtype you can think of -- contamination, harm, relationship, scrupulosity, Pure O -- and regularly tackles ERP, ACT, and medication questions. Stuart is open about his own OCD journey, which gives the interviews an authenticity that feels earned rather than performed. Episodes come out biweekly, which gives each one a bit more weight. Rated 4.8 stars with over 700 reviews on Apple Podcasts, this is the podcast that therapists recommend and that people actually keep coming back to.

The New York Times named this one of their 6 Podcasts to Soothe an Anxious Mind back in 2024, and it has only gotten better since. Kimberley Quinlan is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in anxiety and OCD, but she dedicates substantial episodes to the depression that so often travels alongside anxiety disorders. With 430 episodes and a near-perfect 4.9-star rating from over 800 reviews, the show has built one of the larger dedicated followings in the mental health podcast space. Quinlan is refreshingly practical in her approach. She does not spend twenty minutes on theory before getting to what you can actually do. A typical episode picks a specific problem — social anxiety in group settings, the depression spiral that follows a panic attack, perfectionism-driven burnout — and walks through science-backed strategies you can start using immediately. Her tone sits in a comfortable spot between clinical authority and genuine warmth. She clearly knows her research, but she also talks openly about her own mental health journey in ways that make the advice feel tested rather than theoretical. The show publishes weekly and episodes run about 30 to 45 minutes. Quinlan frequently brings on guest experts for specialized topics and answers listener questions with the kind of specificity that makes you think she actually read the whole email. For anyone dealing with depression tangled up with anxiety, panic, or obsessive thinking patterns — which, honestly, describes most depression — this podcast addresses the full picture rather than treating each condition in isolation.

Robert James has built one of the most prolific anxiety podcasts around, with nearly 600 episodes and a 4.6-star rating from 140 reviewers. The OCD & Anxiety Podcast focuses on the overlap between obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders, a space that many shows touch on briefly but few cover with this level of depth and consistency.

Robert publishes multiple episodes per week, covering topics like Pure O (where compulsions are entirely mental rather than physical), relationship OCD, how certain therapy approaches can accidentally reinforce OCD patterns, and the journey from chaos to inner peace through acceptance-based techniques. He regularly features guest stories from people who have lived through OCD and come out the other side, including therapists and coaches who turned their personal experience into professional work.

The show strikes a useful balance between education and emotional support. Robert explains the mechanics of OCD and anxiety in straightforward terms, breaking down why reassurance-seeking backfires, how to sit with uncertainty, and what evidence-based treatment actually looks like in practice. He also dedicates episodes to supporting partners and family members of people with OCD, which is a gap most anxiety podcasts ignore entirely. Episodes range from 15 to 45 minutes, and the sheer volume of the back catalog means you can find something relevant no matter how specific your situation is. If anxiety and intrusive thoughts are your main struggle, this podcast goes deeper than most.

Chris Leins is an anxiety and OCD treatment specialist, and OCD Straight Talk does exactly what the name promises -- it cuts through the noise and gives you clear, actionable information about how OCD treatment actually works. Across 215 episodes, Chris addresses a question that most people with OCD are privately thinking: why am I not getting better? He explains how certain therapy approaches fall short, why some well-meaning therapists inadvertently reinforce OCD patterns, and what effective ERP treatment looks like in practice. Episodes release monthly and typically stay under 30 minutes, each one focused on a specific clinical concept like uncertainty tolerance, compulsion prevention, or the difference between anxiety and OCD. Chris has a direct, almost blunt teaching style that listeners consistently praise in reviews. He does not sugarcoat the difficulty of recovery, but he is very clear about what actually helps. Rated 4.8 stars from 96 reviews on Apple Podcasts, this podcast is particularly valuable for people who feel stuck in treatment or who want to understand the mechanics of their OCD at a deeper level. It is also a great resource for therapists looking to sharpen their OCD-specific skills.

Lauren McMeikan Rosen and Kelley Franke are both licensed marriage and family therapists who specialize in OCD -- and they both live with it. That combination of professional expertise and personal experience gives Purely OCD a voice that most clinical podcasts lack. Across 69 episodes, the two hosts break down specific OCD subtypes in focused series: harm OCD, relationship OCD, contamination OCD, and more. They walk through what the obsessions look like, what the compulsions are (including the sneaky mental ones), and how ERP applies to each flavor. Their dynamic is relaxed and often funny, which helps take the edge off topics that can feel overwhelming. They do listener Q&A sessions regularly, and they host weekly Instagram Live conversations that feed into the show. Episodes come out roughly every two weeks. The humor is a deliberate choice -- both hosts have talked about how important it is to not treat OCD as something too sacred to laugh about, especially when you are deep in recovery. Rated 4.3 stars from 68 reviews, the show is especially well-suited for people who want clinical depth served with a side of personality and warmth.

Kristina Orlova is a licensed therapist in California who specializes in OCD and anxiety, and her podcast reflects her belief that meaningful conversations about mental health do not need to follow a script. With 172 episodes, The OCD Whisperer stands out for its unscripted, reflective format -- Kristina brings on clinicians, creatives, public figures, and everyday people, and the conversations often wander into territory that more structured shows would edit out. That is part of its appeal. She talks about how anxiety and identity intersect, how pressure shapes our sense of self, and what it actually means to live alongside OCD rather than trying to defeat it. Kristina is open about her own experience with OCD, and that openness sets the tone for her guests too. Episodes run 13 to 47 minutes and release biweekly. The show is categorized under mental health but often touches on broader themes like creativity, relationships, and the internal narratives we build around fear. Rated 4.7 stars from 77 reviews, this podcast works best for listeners who appreciate a more contemplative, human-centered approach to OCD content rather than a strictly clinical breakdown.

Ali Greymond takes a radically different approach to OCD podcasting. With over 1,500 episodes, OCD Recovery drops daily mini-episodes that typically run 30 seconds to 2 minutes each. Think of them as quick mental resets -- short reminders about how to handle intrusive thoughts, resist compulsions, and stay on track with recovery practices. Ali developed her own framework called The Greymond Method, drawing from over 20 years of personal OCD recovery experience. She covers every major OCD subtype: Pure-O, relationship OCD, harm OCD, scrupulosity, contamination, real-event OCD, and sexuality-focused obsessions. The brevity is intentional and effective. When you are in the middle of an OCD spike, you do not want a 45-minute lecture. You want someone to quickly remind you what to do and why it matters. Listeners consistently call the episodes straight to the point and helpful for pulling out of bad cycles. The daily cadence means you always have something fresh to listen to. Rated 4.7 stars from 227 reviews, this is the podcast equivalent of having a recovery coach in your pocket -- brief, frequent, and focused on action over theory.

Drew Linsalata is not a therapist. He is someone who spent years trapped in a cycle of panic disorder and agoraphobia, recovered, and then built one of the most respected anxiety-focused podcasts on the internet. The show has 335 episodes, a 4.9-star rating from over 1,200 reviews, and features in the New York Times and Vogue as a recommended mental health resource.

The reason this show belongs in a depression category is straightforward: anxiety and depression are frequently tangled together, and Drew addresses that overlap directly. Many episodes deal with the hopelessness, withdrawal, and emotional flatness that come alongside chronic anxiety -- feelings that are functionally indistinguishable from depression for a lot of people. His approach draws heavily on exposure therapy and acceptance-based strategies, which have solid evidence for both anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Drew brings on specialists like OCD expert Lauren Rosen and child anxiety specialist Natasha Daniels, but the strongest episodes tend to be his solo recordings where he breaks down recovery concepts in plain language. He is blunt about what works, what does not, and why most people stay stuck longer than they need to. There is no sugarcoating, which some listeners find refreshing and others find a bit confrontational -- but the results speak through the reviews.

The companion podcast "Disordered" and an active listener community add extra support for people who want more than passive listening. If you are dealing with depression that rides alongside anxiety, panic, or avoidance patterns, Drew's framework for understanding and working through those cycles is genuinely useful.

Disordered pairs Josh Fletcher, a UK-based psychotherapist, with Drew Linsalata from The Anxious Truth, creating a transatlantic conversation about anxiety recovery that feels both professional and personal. With 148 episodes and a remarkable 4.9-star rating from 424 reviews, this weekly show covers panic disorder, OCD, health anxiety, and agoraphobia through the lens of evidence-based practice -- primarily ACT, CBT, and mindfulness. What sets it apart from other clinical podcasts is the chemistry between the hosts. Josh and Drew riff off each other naturally, bringing different cultural and clinical perspectives while clearly agreeing on the core principles of anxiety treatment. Episodes run 30 to 55 minutes and strike a balance between structured teaching and open conversation. Both hosts are bestselling authors in the mental health space, and both draw from lived experience with anxiety disorders alongside their professional training. The show creates what they call a community-oriented environment, and listeners frequently mention that it feels less like being lectured and more like overhearing two knowledgeable friends talk through something real. This is an excellent companion podcast for anyone already listening to OCD-specific shows who wants broader anxiety recovery coverage.

Natasha Daniels is a child therapist with over 20 years of experience treating OCD and anxiety in kids -- and she is also a parent of children with these conditions. That dual perspective makes AT Parenting Survival uniquely practical. With 474 episodes and a 4.9-star rating from over 1,200 reviews, this weekly podcast has become the definitive resource for parents navigating OCD and anxiety in their families. Natasha covers everything from managing compulsions at home to finding the right therapist, understanding accommodation cycles, and knowing when behavior is anxiety-driven versus typical kid pushback. Her tone is reassuring without being dismissive, and she breaks down complex clinical concepts into language that parents can use immediately. Episodes cover specific scenarios: what to do when your child refuses school, how to handle bedtime rituals that have become OCD-driven, and when to push versus when to support. She also addresses the guilt and exhaustion that parents of anxious kids carry, which most OCD podcasts overlook entirely. The show is equally useful for mental health professionals who treat children. If you are a parent whose child has received an OCD or anxiety diagnosis, this podcast should be one of the first things you listen to.

Nicole Morris is a licensed therapist and mental health correspondent who created OCD Family Podcast to serve the people who are often forgotten in OCD conversations: the family members. With 156 episodes and a 4.8-star rating, this weekly show addresses spouses, partners, parents, adult children, and chosen family of people living with OCD. Nicole covers the specific challenges of supporting someone with OCD -- navigating accommodation, understanding why reassurance makes things worse, and managing your own burnout without feeling guilty about it. She brings on clinical experts to discuss evidence-based treatments like ERP, I-CBT, and ACT, and she also covers related conditions like body-focused repetitive behaviors, ARFID, and body dysmorphic disorder. Episode formats vary widely, from 2-minute Water Cooler Chats to in-depth 90-minute conversations with researchers and clinicians. That range keeps the show from feeling monotonous. Nicole is direct about the emotional toll that OCD takes on relationships, and she gives concrete strategies rather than vague encouragement. This podcast fills a real gap -- most OCD shows speak to the person with OCD, while this one speaks to the people trying to love them well.

Jess Eden is a therapist who created Anxiously Capable for the overthinkers, the spirallers, and the people whose brains seem to run a constant background process of worry. With 40 episodes, this newer weekly show tackles anxiety, OCD, and self-trust with an energy that feels genuinely encouraging without tipping into toxic positivity. Jess covers specific anxiety subtypes -- relationship OCD, social anxiety, sleep anxiety, attachment-related fears -- and brings on guest therapists for specialized episodes. Her core message is practical: you can have an anxious brain and still do hard things, still build the life you want. Episodes are focused and accessible, typically covering a single topic with clear takeaways. She addresses the everyday texture of living with anxiety -- the text you reread twelve times before sending, the social event you almost cancel, the 3 AM thought spiral about something you said six months ago. That specificity is what makes the show feel relatable rather than generic. The podcast is rated 5.0 stars on Apple Podcasts and sits at the intersection of OCD-specific content and broader anxiety management. For anyone early in their understanding of OCD or anxiety, this is a welcoming starting point that does not oversimplify the experience.

Matt Codde has been putting out weekly episodes since 2019, and at over 500 installments, he's built one of the most consistent OCD recovery resources you'll find in podcast form. Matt's a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), and each episode tends to run 10-15 minutes — short enough to fit into a lunch break but packed with genuinely useful strategies.

What sets this show apart is Matt's ability to take clinical concepts and make them feel approachable. He'll walk you through why your ERP hierarchy might be stalling, or explain the difference between real-event OCD and pure-O in a way that actually sticks. There's no fluff, no long-winded intros. He gets right into it.

Matt also wrote a book called "From Stuck to Unstuck," and you can tell his teaching background carries over. He structures episodes around specific problems — like mental compulsions, reassurance-seeking, or backdoor spikes — and gives you concrete next steps. He's not just describing OCD; he's coaching you through the messy parts of recovery.

The show does lean heavily toward practical advice over personal storytelling, so if you're looking for interview-style conversations or lived-experience narratives, this might feel more like a workshop than a chat. But honestly, that's kind of the point. With a 4.8 rating from 260 reviews, it's clear the no-nonsense approach is landing with listeners who want real tools, not just encouragement.

Zach Westerbeck was diagnosed with OCD in 2016, and things got dark — severe anxiety, depression, the works. He came through the other side and started this podcast to talk openly about what that journey actually looks like. Over 115 episodes, Zach has built a show that blends his personal recovery experience with expert interviews, and the combination works really well.

The format alternates between solo episodes where Zach shares his own insights and strategies, and longer interview episodes with therapists, researchers, and other people who've lived with OCD. He's had conversations with PhDs exploring the overlap between eating disorders and OCD, therapists breaking down specific subtypes, and everyday people sharing their own messy recovery stories. It never feels clinical or detached.

What makes Zach a good host is his honesty about how hard recovery can be. He doesn't sugarcoat it or pretend that ERP is a quick fix. At the same time, there's a genuine warmth to the show — he's clearly someone who cares about this community and remembers what it felt like to be in the thick of it.

With a 4.9 rating from 80 reviews, listeners clearly respond to his approach. The show particularly shines when Zach connects his personal experience to the clinical advice his guests offer. If you want a podcast that treats you like a real person going through something hard, rather than a patient being lectured to, this one belongs on your list.

There aren't many OCD podcasts hosted by a married couple, and that's exactly what makes Living Uncertain stand out. Stacee has been living with OCD for roughly 30 years but only got her diagnosis recently, and her husband Marc co-hosts alongside her to bring the partner's perspective into the conversation. It's a angle that most OCD content completely ignores.

The show launched in late 2025 and is still building its library, but the episodes already available tackle subjects that feel genuinely underserved — like how ERP affects the non-OCD spouse, what it means to support someone through exposure exercises without becoming a reassurance machine, and the emotional toll on relationships when one partner is in active treatment.

Stacee and Marc have a natural chemistry on mic. They disagree sometimes, laugh at themselves, and aren't afraid to get into the uncomfortable specifics of what living with OCD actually does to a marriage. It feels like sitting with a couple who've been through it and decided to be candid about every part.

The episodes focus heavily on Exposure and Response Prevention as a treatment framework, and they're transparent about their own therapy process. If you're the partner or family member of someone with OCD, this show fills a gap that most other podcasts in this space don't even acknowledge. It's still early days, but the foundation here is strong and the perspective is genuinely needed.

Toi Hershman created Out of OCD as a resource for people dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder and the people around them — caregivers, partners, family members. It's a smaller show with about 17 episodes, but each one zeroes in on a specific aspect of OCD with real focus.

Recent episodes cover things like OCD thought loops, the difference between intrusive thoughts and genuine desires, and practical strategies for breaking compulsive cycles. Toi keeps the language accessible and grounded, speaking from a place of personal understanding rather than purely clinical distance. She brings up ERP techniques but explains them in everyday terms, which makes the show approachable for people who are just starting to learn about their diagnosis.

The production is straightforward — mostly solo episodes where Toi talks through a topic for 15-20 minutes. There's no elaborate setup or intro segment; she just gets into the material. That simplicity actually works in the show's favor, because it keeps the focus tight and the advice actionable.

What comes through most clearly is Toi's commitment to normalizing the OCD experience. She talks about the shame and secrecy that often surrounds the disorder, and she does it without being preachy about it. For listeners who are newly diagnosed or still figuring out what OCD means for their daily life, this podcast offers a calm, steady voice that doesn't overwhelm. It's the kind of show that feels like a conversation with someone who genuinely gets it.

The name grabs your attention, and the mission behind it is just as direct: it takes an average of seven years for someone with OCD to get properly diagnosed, and Joshua C. Richardson wants to close that gap through free education. He lives with OCD himself, and that personal stake gives the show an urgency that purely clinical podcasts sometimes lack.

With around 29 episodes, Damn You James keeps things intentionally brief — most installments land between 5 and 12 minutes. Josh covers specific OCD topics like the role of understanding and connection in healing, what it feels like when the disorder makes you question your own character, and why traditional talk therapy often misses the mark for OCD. The short format means you can listen to several episodes in one sitting and come away with a surprisingly complete picture.

Josh's narration style is personal and unpolished in the best way. He's not reading from a script or performing for an audience. He sounds like someone sitting across from you, trying to explain something that took him years to understand himself. That rawness makes the content stick.

The show is particularly valuable for people who suspect they might have OCD but haven't been diagnosed yet. Josh spends a lot of time on the "wait, that's OCD?" moments — the subtypes and presentations that don't match the hand-washing stereotype most people picture. If you or someone you know is in that confusing pre-diagnosis phase, this podcast could genuinely save years of wandering.