Busting the Common Myths

Sally Winston & Martin Seif

Almost everything we learned about OCD in graduate school prior to 2000 was just plain wrong: it’s not rare, obvious, hard to treat, or a manifestation of deep underlying conflict. We now know it’s common, often unrecognized, and that it’s far more helpful to treat what maintains the symptoms than what lies “underneath.” This workshop will bring you up to date on contemporary thinking and treatment of OCD and OC spectrum disorders. You’ll discover:

• What questions to ask to uncover OCD when it’s hidden from view out of shame
• How understanding the biological mechanisms of inhibitory learning and habituation shape effective treatment
• The basic principles of treatment planning, including exposure and response prevention
• How to help clients endure the momentary anxiety of not doing ritual repetitive behavior

Sally Winston, PsyD, cofounded and codirects the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland. She’s the inaugural recipient of the national Jerilyn Ross Award of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. She’s the coauthor of What Every Therapist Needs to Know about Anxiety Disorders.

Martin Seif, PhD, ABPP, cofounded the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. He’s associate director of the Anxiety and Phobia Treatment Center at White Plains Hospital and the coauthor with Sally Winston.