New ERP Group!

Erin Jones, LCMHC and Jeremy Bryant, LCMHC are excited to be offering a new group for adults with OCD. This 7-week treatment group will incorporate evidence-based practice modalities including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Group members will learn how to plan exposures, unhook from intrusive thoughts, and implement response prevention strategies. Time will be allotted for exposure practice and debriefing, while also allowing for support and discussion amongst others who experience OCD. Weekly homework goals will be set to help the group stay accountable on their treatment goals as they work towards "crushing OCD" and living a values-based life. 

To register or for more information, click here.

New Podcast Alert!

Check out the most recent episode of the OCD Whisperer podcast! Ben joined host Kristina Orlova to talk about Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and how to avoid some of the more common pitfalls that can interfere with the treatment being effective.

ERP Basics Training

Feeling energized after wrapping up our most recent training series! And excited to cultivate more therapists trained in using ERP to treat OCD!

How do you adapt ERP for a pandemic?

Many people wonder about where to draw the line with exposures. This conundrum has become particularly muddy in our current situation, as we are faced with new and uncertain risks. Some of my former colleagues at McLean Hospital’s OCD Institute recently wrote an article, detailing many of the considerations affecting how we deliver ERP during a pandemic. The article is featured in the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies’ newsletter, the Behavior Therapist and is called “Adapting Exposure and Response Prevention in the Age of COVID-19”.

In short, the article suggests that we can adjust by: doubling down on response prevention (given the limits on actual exposure), focusing on function over form (am I washing my hands to follow the recommended guidelines or to reduce distress?), and by leaning into inhibitory learning rather than habituation-focused exposures (changing our relationship to anxiety and uncertainty rather than trying to eliminate it).