Utilizing Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of OCD

Description

OCD can devastate a client’s life—and leave even seasoned clinicians feeling powerless. Intrusive thoughts, overwhelming compulsions, and the desperate need for certainty can trap individuals in cycles of suffering, while therapists struggle to intervene without reinforcing the very behaviors they aim to treat. This course confronts that challenge head-on, empowering clinicians to break through avoidance, disrupt maladaptive cycles, and guide clients toward lasting change through exposure therapy.

If you’ve ever hesitated to implement exposure therapy due to uncertainty or fear of doing it wrong, you’re not alone—and you’re not without support. This training empowers you with the tools and insights needed to implement exposure therapy with integrity and precision.

Melanie Smith, PhD, LMHC, CEDS-S, is a nationally respected trainer and clinician who specializes in evidence-based treatments for emotional disorders. As Director of Training at The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders and a co-author of the Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity, Dr. Smith brings both deep clinical expertise and a dynamic teaching style to this training. She is also a Certified Therapist and Trainer in the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP), giving her a unique lens on how exposure therapy can be adapted to meet the nuanced needs of diverse clients.

Dr. Smith’s approach combines warmth, clinical rigor, and a sharp focus on evidence-based practice. This course integrates foundational theory with practical application, equipping clinicians to confidently design and deliver tailored exposure hierarchies for clients struggling with OCD.

Topics include an overview of DSM-5 criteria and differential diagnoses for OCD, the psychological mechanisms that sustain compulsions, and the vital role of emotion-driven behaviors and avoidance. You'll learn why traditional approaches often fail, how to implement exposure-based techniques that actually work, and how to structure individualized hierarchies that promote long-term symptom reduction and emotional tolerance.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand evidence-based principles: Gain clarity on the most effective, research-backed strategies for implementing exposure therapy.

• Design custom exposure hierarchies: Learn how to create personalized, stepwise interventions that build client resilience and reduce compulsions.

• Support emotional tolerance: Help clients move through fear instead of around it, reinforcing psychological flexibility and long-term change.

Why this course?

• Clinically relevant and immediately applicable: Unlike overly theoretical trainings, this course gives you clear tools you can use with your next OCD client.

• Expert instruction from a trusted source: Dr. Smith’s depth of experience and instructional clarity set this training apart from more generic CE offerings.

• Backed by a mission-driven provider: Telehealth Certification Institute is committed to equipping behavioral health clinicians with high-quality, ethically grounded continuing education.

Learning Objectives:

• List at least two key evidence-based principles of emotion exposure.

• Describe how to create an individualized Exposure Hierarchy for clients with OCD.

Whether you’re new to exposure therapy or seeking to refine your approach, this course offers the support and structure you need to make meaningful progress with your clients. Join a growing community of professionals who are learning how to face fear—and help others do the same.

Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Melanie Smith, PhD, LMHC, CEDS-C

Melanie Smith (she/her) is a therapist in private practice at CBT of Central & South Florida (https://cbtcentralflorida.com) and a Consulting Clinical Training Specialist for the Renfrew Center. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Qualified Supervisor in the State of Florida. Additionally, she is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Approved Consultant (CEDS-C) and is a Certified Therapist & Trainer of the Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP). Special treatment interests include Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction such as Rumination Syndrome, OCD, phobias including emetophobia, health-related anxiety, and coping with chronic pain & chronic illness.

Dr. Smith is passionate about the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments, clinical supervision, and clinical training and has presented numerous lectures, workshops, and Keynote presentations at academic and professional conferences nationally and internationally. She has co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals and is co-author of the peer-reviewed treatment manual and patient workbook, The Renfrew Unified Treatment Model for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity, published by Oxford University Press.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 1.5 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 90 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
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