As a clinician specializing in the treatment of pediatric anxiety and OCD, I am very fortunate to have access to so many effective interventions designed to treat the children suffering from these disorders. However, as anyone who works with this population knows, addressing the child’s symptoms is only half the battle.
Many people feel hopeful after reading about OCD and learning that treatment may help them. At the same time, as they learn about what exposure and response prevention (ERP) entails, they often feel caught between a rock and a hard place. As awful as OCD is, therapy that involves facing your worst fears may also […]
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition and therefore even following an effective treatment, your client always and will forever face the possibility of relapse. Assisting the client to manage the risk of relapse is an essential part of treatment for the condition. As you taper sessions with the client, use the times between sessions […]
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition and therefore even following an effective treatment, your client always and will forever face the possibility of relapse. Assisting the client to manage the risk of relapse is an essential part of treatment for the condition. As you taper sessions with the client, use the times between sessions […]
Exposure appears to be the key change-producing procedure in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety and phobic disorders in children. Successful exposures depend on the clinician’s ability to engage the child in anxiety-provoking tasks. Successful exposures are both developmentally appropriate and fun for the child. Developing exposures for anxious children can be fun for the clinician […]
Imaginal exposure involves the client imagining the feared object or situation to evoke fear and anxiety. Research has demonstrated that direct in vivo exposure to feared objects or situations is more effective than imaginal exposure to the same circumstance. However, the combination of both exposure strategies has produced excellent outcomes and, at times, imaginal exposure […]
What Does the D in OCD Mean?
Obsessions (the thoughts, images, and doubts that bother and scare you) and compulsions (the things you do and think to decrease your fear and discomfort) are upsetting enough but for some kids, the D in OCD can be pretty upsetting too. So what does the D in OCD mean […]
Exposure therapy is often a primary treatment component when working on anxiety. Whether an individual is coming to treatment for a specific fear, social anxiety, OCD, or another type of anxiety presentation, exposure can be a critical aid in reducing distress. It can also significantly change our relationship with anxiety and the role it plays […]
Uncertainty can feel uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. It can feel frightening and even dangerous. We can’t avoid it, although we often try. Yet, when we learn to work with it and even embrace it, (yes, embrace it!), we can be more open, curious, and free from the struggle of trying to control it.
Uncertainty is a word […]