Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and teens: Evidence-informed treatment strategies for kids and their families

The training focuses on treatment strategies for families dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Some familiarity with paediatric OCD is encouraged but not required. Participants in this training will learn practical, evidence-informed methods for using exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) with children and adolescents.

Attendees will learn how to create effective hierarchies for various OCD presentations. They will also learn strategies to help children and families work through these hierarchies when challenges arise. Discussions will cover examples of family accommodation in OCD and how to address this issue. Participants will learn ways children can “break the rules of OCD” and “boss back” their OCD in age-appropriate ways.

Time will be devoted to discussing the experience of being an OCD treatment provider. This includes exploring challenges and common mistakes when working with this disorder.

Participants are encouraged to bring challenging cases to the workshop. These cases will be used to discuss how to implement the learned strategies.

Learning objectives:

• How to construct a hierarchy/stepladder for child/teen OCD.
• CBT strategies to help make EX/RP more effective.
• How to use EX/RP to treat multiple different presentations of OCD.