Evidence-Based Techniques for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Recognise, Assess, Diagnose and Treat Effectively
Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that affects up to 3% of the population (more than 500,000 Australians). It usually begins in late childhood or early adolescence.
People with OCD experience recurrent and persistent thoughts, images or impulses that are intrusive and unwanted (obsessions). They also perform repetitive and ritualistic actions that are excessive, time-consuming and distressing (compulsions). People with OCD are usually aware of the irrational and excessive nature of their obsessions and compulsions. However, they feel unable to control their obsessions or resist their compulsions.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misdiagnosed, due to the stigma that OCD is solely about being “clean” and “organised.”
This online recording will assist participants in
- Identifying and diagnosing OCD
- Recognizing common themes such as
- Harm OCD
- Sexual Orientation OCD
- Religious/Scrupulosity OCD
- Existential OCD
- Relationship OCD, and more
Join us in learning the evidence-based treatment, Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP), over the course of two days. Participants will learn how to apply ERP to all OCD themes.
Learning Objectives:
- Name the diagnosis and criteria of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and be able to recognise it in a client.
- Identify five different OCD themes.
- Identify five possible OCD compulsions.
- Describe the difference between “Taboo Thoughts” OCD versus suicidal or homicidal feelings.
- Differentiate between OCD and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.
- Describe the rationale behind the evidence-based Exposure & Response Prevention as the most effective Exposure & Response Prevention.
- State the process of habituation.
- Identify possible exposure examples for any OCD theme.
- Practice using a Response Prevention Plan in order to decrease compulsions.
- Create a hierarchy of exposures for a client with OCD.
- Complete a Practice Record for an imaginal OCD case.
- Name at least one way to troubleshoot situations when Exposure & Response Prevention does not appear to be working.
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Pay once for lifetime access.
Course Duration: 11 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Lifetime Access: Your access to the course does not expire, so you can revisit key concepts anytime you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
When clients with OCD, anxiety disorders, and body-focused repetitive behaviors need evidence-based treatment that actually works, clinicians refer to Amanda Petrik-Gardner. Her specialised expertise in exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral interventions gives practitioners proven methods to help clients break free from the most stubborn anxiety patterns.
Licensed across eight states with over a decade in private practice, Petrik-Gardner has built her reputation on delivering concrete results for conditions that often resist traditional therapy approaches. Her deep training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Inference-Based CBT, and the Comprehensive Behavioral Model makes her a go-to resource for clinicians treating OCD, trichotillomania, skin picking, hoarding, and complex anxiety presentations.
What sets her training apart is practical application. Petrik-Gardner doesn't just teach theo - she shows clinicians exactly how to implement ERP protocols, structure exposure hierarchies, and navigate the challenging moments when clients want to avoid or seek reassurance. Her specialised knowledge spans everything from panic disorder and social anxiety to body dysmorphic disorder and selective mutism, giving practitioners comprehensive tools for anxiety spectrum conditions.
Her approach combines rigorous evidence-based methods with compassionate understanding of how these disorders impact daily life. She teaches clinicians to recognise the subtle ways OCD and BFRBs present, how to differentiate between anxiety disorders that look similar, and most importantly, how to help clients build lasting recovery skills.
For your practice, expect to gain specific ERP techniques for different OCD subtypes, practical strategies for treating body-focused repetitive behaviors, and clear protocols for helping clients with hoarding behaviors. Her methods help clinicians feel confident treating conditions they may have previously referred out.
Quick Win: Petrik-Gardner's approach to compulsive reassurance seeking - teaching both clients and their support systems how to respond differently to anxiety - helps to create immediate relief and faster treatment progress.
Qualifications
- M.S., Counseling Psychology, University of Kansas, 2008
- B.A., Psychology, Kansas State University, 2006
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Kansas, Maine)
- Licensed Professional Counselor (Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Arizona)
- Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (Nebraska)
- Approved out-of-state telehealth provider (Florida)
Authored Books
- The Compulsive Reassurance Seeking Workbook (2024)
Featured & Recognition
- Creator, OCD Exposure Coloring Books (2021)
- Guest, OCD Family Podcast (2024)
- Active YouTube and Instagram mental health educator (2022–2025)
Teaching & Roles
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Private Practice, Topeka, KS and Telehealth, 2015–present
- IOCDF Conference presenter (multiple years)
- Professional webinar presenter (2022–2025)
- Licensed Clinical Outpatient Therapist, Stormont Vail, Topeka, KS, 2014–2016
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 9
- Topics 0
- Duration 11 hours
- Quizzes 1
- Language English