ABSTRACT
Exposure and response prevention are the essential component of CBT for anxiety disorders. In the case of OCD, successful long-term improvement requires that the patient repeatedly confront obsessional stimuli directly and without engaging in safety behaviors such as compulsive rituals, neutralization, or reassurance seeking. Therapeutic exposure elicits obsessional fear, which is then allowed to decline while the patient remains exposed to the obsessional stimuli. Cognitive techniques are also used to facilitate the correction of catastrophic beliefs that underlie OCD symptoms. This chapter discusses how to conduct exposure therapy sessions for OCD. It covers procedures for acclimating patients to the treatment procedures, assisting them with gradually confronting stimuli of greater and greater difficulty, and assigning and reviewing homework exposure practice. The integration of cognitive techniques with exposure is highlighted throughout the chapter. As in previous chapters, Susan T.'s case is used to illustrate how exposure procedures are commonly implemented.
