Starting Exposure Therapy: What’s it Like?

On January 26, 2012, in ERP, OCD, OCD - Treatment, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

For anyone new to exposure-based therapy, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP), there is often much anticipatory anxiety about starting treatment.

“What is it? What will it be like? How bad will it be? Can I handle it? Will I be forced to do things I’m unwilling to do?”

These uncertainties are …  (read more)

Does Non-Avoidance = Exposure? No! Anxiety Disorder Treatment Principles for OCD, Panic, Social Anxiety, & Phobias.

On November 29, 2011, in CBT, ERP, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Anxiety Principle of the Day: Non-Avoidance is not equivalent to exposure.

Although exposure is predicated upon the purposeful non-avoidance of anxiety-related stimuli, non-avoidance of anxiety triggers is not equivalent to exposure.

What is non-avoidance?

I liken non-avoidance to being in a particular place at a particular time. Essentially, it involves being in a situation in …  (read more)

Exposure Therapy’s Most Common Mistake: All Eggs in the Habituation Basket

On November 4, 2011, in CBT, ERP, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Many people have an incomplete understanding of exposure therapy

…be it exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD, intentional mistake practice for social anxiety, or interoceptive exposures for panic disorder…

This is true for exposure newbies, seasoned exposure veterans, and even some good CBT therapists.

This limited understanding is based on the following flawed …  (read more)

OCD Treatment: OCD vs. Me. How do I Tell the Difference?

On September 14, 2011, in CBT, ERP, OCD, OCD - Treatment, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Question: Because many of my OCD rituals are related to my professional identity, I’m worried that changing my rituals will somehow change those parts of me that I like (e.g., my personal goals and ambitions). Should I be concerned about this?

Early Onset OCD in Kids & Teens (Pediatric OCD)

Many people worry that by …  (read more)

Pure-O OCD Rituals: Starting Over, Resetting, & Undoing

On September 12, 2011, in OCD, “Pure-O” Symptoms, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Question: It’s hard to describe this, but I feel like every few days I need to mentally “start over” by doing a variety of mental and behavioral rituals. I don’t want to live like this, but I’m afraid that if I undergo treatment and stop my OCD rituals, I won’t be the same person with  (read more)

School Refusal & Parental Stigma: Am I a Bad Parent?

On August 17, 2011, in School Refusal, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Like any other behavior, school refusal does not have a singular cause. This is pretty self-evident, but in the heat of the moment when your child is having a tantrum, this fact is quickly forgotten. It is simply too easy to conclude that you have raised a “bad child.” Sadly, much of society might wrongly …  (read more)

School Refusal Causes (Social & Anxiety-Related Factors)

On August 16, 2011, in School Refusal, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

With the summer quickly fading to black and the academic year looming largely, we will soon be entering the season of school refusal. When I use the term “school refusal,” I’m not talking about that once-in-a-blue-moon occasion when a child forgets about an important test or project and decides it’s easier to feign illness …  (read more)

Test Anxiety Treatment & Diagnostic Considerations

On August 6, 2011, in Test Anxiety, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

When considering treatment for test-taking anxiety, make sure that you have a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.  Not all cases of test anxiety are alike, and sometimes symptoms of test anxiety actually reflect a separate, underlying condition.  If you’re located in South Florida (Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, …  (read more)

OCD perfectionism & social anxiety treatment: Tweet your way to greater health

On July 26, 2011, in OCD, Perfectionism, Perfectionism, Social Anxiety, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Looking for ways to overcome social anxiety or OCD-related perfectionism?  At the end of this post, you’ll find some strategies I use to help individuals in South Florida (Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, & Miami) overcome their anxiety.  These exercises are examples of “Intentional Mistake Practice“, a CBT-based technique …  (read more)

Perfectionism in OCD: When the pursuit of success turns toxic

On July 25, 2011, in OCD, Perfectionism, Perfectionism, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

There is more than one type of perfectionist.

First, there is the adaptive perfectionist.  This perfectionist is the prototypical workaholic student/employee who goes above and beyond expectations.  This person is intelligent, hard-working, dependable, and passionate about meeting or beating deadlines.  He or she sets high personal standards of performance and has an attention to detail that is appreciated …  (read more)

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