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Intensive Treatment of Pediatric OCD: The Case of Sarah

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Journal of Clinical Psychology

Published online on

Abstract

While cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) either alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) has received strong empirical support for obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD; Geller & March, 2012), this treatment is often inaccessible for children and their families. Barriers to accessing CBT include a lack of trained therapists, clinician and patient beliefs about CBT, and geographical and financial barriers (Goisman et al., 1993; Marques et al., 2010; Turner, Heyman, Futh, & Lovell, 2009). Furthermore, while the majority of therapists endorse a CBT orientation, exposure therapy is rarely used in routine clinical practice (Whiteside, Deacon, Benito, & Stewart, 2016). This case study therefore describes an intensive 2‐ or 3‐session treatment of childhood OCD (e.g., Farrell et al., 2016) to improve efficient and rapid delivery of evidence‐based treatment. The case of Sarah illustrates this intensive treatment model and highlights clinical considerations for therapists when delivery a concentrated, time‐limited treatment.