Federico Ferrarese Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

20/11/2025

Do you ever feel trapped in your own mind — replaying conversations, analysing every feeling, or “testing” your thoughts just to feel a little safer?

That’s mental checking… and while it feels like you’re solving the problem, it secretly makes OCD stronger.

The good news? You can break the cycle.
This carousel shows why mental checking keeps you stuck and the 5 evidence-based alternatives that help you step out of the loop and regain control.

Every time you choose not to check — even for a few seconds — you weaken OCD’s grip. That’s real progress.

Want the full breakdown, more examples, and practical tools you can start using today?
👉 Read the full guide here: https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/20/mental-checking-worsens-ocd/

20/11/2025

🌪 How Mental Checking Worsens OCD: 5 Effective Alternatives
Ever find yourself replaying conversations, analysing your feelings, or “testing” your thoughts to feel certain? You’re not alone — and you’re definitely not broken.

Mental checking feels like a solution… but it secretly feeds the OCD cycle, making intrusive thoughts stronger and anxiety harder to shake.

The good news? You can break this pattern.
With the right tools, you can learn to respond to intrusive thoughts in healthier, more freeing ways.

If you’ve ever felt trapped in your own mind, this article will help you understand why mental checking keeps you stuck — and what to do instead.

👉 Read the full guide here: https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/20/mental-checking-worsens-ocd/

Discover why Mental Checking Worsens OCD and explore 5 strategies from an expert Italian CBT psychotherapist for effective online therapy.

19/11/2025

Do you ever find yourself wondering, “What if I don’t actually have OCD?” or “What if I’ve been lying to myself this whole time?”
If so, you’re experiencing one of the most confusing and exhausting patterns of OCD: Meta-Doubt OCD.

This form of OCD doesn’t fixate on external fears — it targets your diagnosis itself.
It makes you question, analyse, research, and second-guess every thought, feeling, and reaction.

But here’s the truth:
The urge for certainty is part of OCD.
The doubt feels real, but it isn’t evidence against your diagnosis — it’s a symptom of the disorder.

Freedom begins not with certainty, but with accepting uncertainty and learning to live alongside it.

To dive deeper into this topic and understand how to break the cycle, visit:
https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/19/meta-doubt-ocd-2/

19/11/2025

Do I Really Have OCD or Am I Just Looking for an Excuse? Untangling Meta-Doubt OCD

Ever found yourself spiralling into questions like “What if I don’t actually have OCD?” or “What if I’ve been lying to myself this whole time?”
You’re not alone — and you're definitely not “making it up.”

Meta-Doubt OCD is one of the most frustrating and sneaky forms of OCD. It makes you question the validity of your own diagnosis, turning your mind into a maze of self-doubt, reassurance-seeking, and what feels like endless mental checking.

If you’ve ever felt trapped in this loop, this deep-dive is for you.
I break down what Meta-Doubt OCD really is, why it feels so real, and how you can finally break free from the cycle.

👉 Read the full article here: https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/19/meta-doubt-ocd-2/

Discover insights on Meta-Doubt OCD and how to address doubts about your diagnosis with professional help in Edinburgh.

18/11/2025

When your body or emotions don’t “match” what you know about yourself, it can feel confusing, terrifying, and isolating. But groinal responses, emotional numbness, and intrusive doubts in OCD are not reflections of who you are — they are symptoms of a highly misunderstood condition.

You’re not broken.
You’re not dangerous.
You’re not losing your feelings.
You’re experiencing noise, not truth. 💭

If this resonates, I’ve written a new in-depth article that explains why it happens, why it feels so real, and how recovery is possible.
📖 Read it here: www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/18/groinal-responses/

18/11/2025

Groinal Responses and Emotional Confusion in , Explained

If you’ve ever had a disturbing thought, felt a sensation “down there”, or suddenly felt nothing for your partner and panicked about what it means, you’re not alone – and you’re not broken.

In OCD, the body and emotions can send completely mixed signals:
👉 Groinal sensations that feel like “evidence” of something wrong
👉 Emotional numbness that makes you question if you really love your partner
👉 Endless checking of feelings, reassurance seeking and mental replay

These aren’t secret truths about who you are. They’re noise – the way OCD hijacks normal body sensations and turns them into doubt and shame.

In my new article, I explain:
🧠 What groinal responses actually are
Why love can feel like “nothing” in Relationship OCD
🔄 How checking and analysing your feelings keeps you stuck
🛠️ What evidence-based treatment (ERP, CBT, mindfulness) can do to help

If this resonates with you or someone you care about, you don’t have to keep this to yourself.
👉 Learn more here:

Discover the connection between Groinal Responses and emotional confusion in OCD, with insights from a CBT psychotherapist in Edinburgh.

16/11/2025

why your ocd themes keep shifting: a mental health expert reveals all

“last month it was germs. now it’s checking. before that it was my relationship. why does my ocd keep changing its mind?”

if this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. around 81% of people with ocd experience more than one theme across their life. it can feel like you beat one obsession only for another to appear.

here’s the key shift:
ocd isn’t really about the content (contamination, harm, relationships, morality). those are just costumes. underneath, it’s the same process repeating:

obsession → anxiety → compulsion → brief relief

then it starts again.

ocd adapts to whatever matters most to you: exams, new jobs, parenthood, health, love. that’s why it feels so personal and believable every time. when one theme loses power, another theme often appears that feels “more real”.

but this doesn’t mean recovery isn’t working. many people improve by learning skills that work across all themes, including:
• recognising the pattern instead of chasing content
• allowing uncertainty rather than fighting it
• reducing reassurance and mental checking
• erp for behaviour change
• act for thought flexibility
• living by values, not fears

you don’t have to wait for ocd to stop changing themes before you start living. you can begin responding differently now.

if your ocd has ever told you “this time is different”, this article is for you.

👉 read the full guide here:
https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/16/ocd-themes/

16/11/2025

OCD Themes: Navigating Change and Finding Hope in Recovery

Does your OCD feel like a cruel game of whack-a-mole? 🤯
One week it’s contamination fears… then suddenly it’s checking, harm, relationships, health, or something completely new. It can feel like you’re “relapsing” over and over again, even when you’ve been doing the hard work.

Here’s the truth I see every day in my Edinburgh practice:
OCD changes costume, but it’s the same performer underneath — the same demand for absolute certainty in an uncertain world.

In my new article, I break down:
🔹 Why OCD keeps shifting themes over time
🔹 How life events and stress trigger new obsessions
🔹 The “certainty trap” that keeps you stuck in reassurance and rumination
🔹 Why ERP and ACT can work for any OCD theme
🔹 Practical ways to respond when your OCD changes focus (again)

If your brain keeps saying, “This time it’s different… this time it’s real,” this is for you. There is a pattern—and once you see it, you can start to step out of it.

👉 Learn more here: https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/16/ocd-themes/

Discover why your OCD themes change and how to cope effectively with guidance from a mental health expert in Edinburgh.

14/11/2025

If you’ve ever been hit with the intrusive thought “What if I’m a paedophile?” and felt instant panic, shame, or disgust… please know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not dangerous.

These thoughts often come from POCD — a form of OCD rooted in fear, not desire — and so many people suffer in silence because they’re terrified to talk about it.

This carousel breaks down what POCD really is, why the thoughts feel so disturbing, and how recovery is absolutely possible. You deserve clarity, compassion, and a space free from shame.

Want to dive deeper?
I wrote a full, gentle, in-depth guide you can read here 👇
https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/14/understanding-pocd/

14/11/2025

Have you ever had a thought so disturbing, so “out of nowhere”, that it made your stomach drop… and then you couldn’t stop analysing it?

For many people struggling with OCD, one of the most terrifying spirals is the intrusive fear of “What if I’m a paedophile?”
And the shame around that thought can be so heavy that people suffer in silence for years.

But here’s the truth no one talks about enough:
These thoughts don’t mean something about who you are.
They’re a symptom of a very specific form of OCD — and they’re treatable.

As a CBT therapist specialising in OCD, I’ve just written a new in-depth article that gently unpacks this fear, explains why it happens, and shows you how POCD can be treated without fuelling the panic.

If you or someone you love struggles with intrusive thoughts like these, please know: you’re not alone, and you’re not dangerous.
You deserve clarity, compassion, and proper information.

You can read the full article here:
👉 https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/14/understanding-pocd/

Understanding POCD with an expert psychotherapist to ease fears and anxiety. Online therapy available in Italian and English.

12/11/2025

Ever found yourself wondering, “Do I really have OCD… or am I just making excuses?”

That tiny question can spiral into hours of analysing, comparing, and self-doubt — and before you know it, you’re stuck in what we call Meta-Doubt OCD.

It’s the OCD that doubts itself. The “OCD about having OCD.”
And it’s more common than you’d think.

If you keep checking your thoughts, researching symptoms, or asking others whether you’re “OCD enough,” you’re not broken — you’re caught in a loop your brain learned to keep you safe.

Good news? You can learn your way out of it. 🧠
With CBT and ERP therapy, you can break the reassurance cycle and start trusting yourself again.

I’m Federico Ferrarese, a CBT therapist based in Edinburgh, specialising in OCD treatment — and I’ve seen hundreds of people untangle this loop and get their life back.

Read the full article here to understand meta-doubt OCD and how to move forward:
👉 https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/12/meta-doubt-ocd/

12/11/2025

💭 Do I Really Have OCD or Am I Just Looking for an Excuse? Untangling Meta-Doubt OCD

Ever caught yourself wondering, “What if I don’t actually have OCD — maybe I’m just making excuses?”
That thought alone can spiral into hours of analysing, googling, and second-guessing yourself. I see this often in therapy — it’s called meta-doubt OCD, or OCD about OCD.

I’ve just written a new article where I unpack what this actually means, why it happens, and how you can start breaking free from that endless loop of doubt. It’s written for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in their own mind and wondered if they “deserve” help.

You can read it here 👉 https://www.federicoferrarese.co.uk/2025/11/12/meta-doubt-ocd/

If this resonates with you, please know you’re not alone — and you don’t have to keep questioning your right to heal.

✨ Federico Ferrarese
CBT Therapist, Edinburgh | Specialising in OCD treatment

Explore Meta-Doubt OCD with an Italian CBT therapist in Edinburgh. Gain clarity and support for OCD and anxiety online.