Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Abstract:

The development of basic competence and the progression from basic to expert competence in delivering cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex endeavor that has rarely been the focus of discussion in the literature despite the obvious importance of the topic. In this chapter we endeavored to develop a basic set of therapist skills that range from: 1) comprehensive and yet focused assessment of core symptoms; 2) differential diagnosis from disorders that overlap OCD; 3) clinical management of the common comoridities likely to be encountered; 4) providing a clear rationale for the treatment procedures that flow logically from a neurobehavioral framework; 5) conveying the current state of the treatment literature and its implications for treatment choice; and 6) developing reliance on the conceptual model of OCD to inform treatment progression. The movement from basic competence to expert delivery of