Evidence-Based Techniques for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Recognise, Assess, Diagnose and Treat Effectively
A client sitting on a harm obsession or a sexual orientation obsession is usually not going to volunteer it. They have decided the thought means something about who they are, and they are waiting to see whether you have heard of it before. If you have not asked directly, they will leave and keep it. That is a large part of why OCD is so commonly missed, and it is what this course is built to fix.
Amanda Petrik-Gardner works those themes openly. Harm, sexual orientation, paedophile obsessions, religious and scrupulosity, existential, relationship obsessions, contamination, just-right. She puts the questions in the words a clinician would actually need to use at intake, and explains the distinction between an intrusive taboo thought and genuine risk, which is where a lot of clinicians freeze and some make it worse.
The rest is exposure and response prevention, built over two recorded days. The rationale and the habituation process, then building an exposure hierarchy, then applying exposures to every theme with worked examples throughout, then response prevention plans and practice records for the client’s own work between sessions. She covers imaginal exposure for the obsessions you cannot do in vivo, family accommodation and how to unwind it, children and parents, and a full troubleshooting section on what to check when ERP does not appear to be working. Participants practise exposures on themselves during the session, which is the part that makes the difference between knowing what ERP is and being willing to do it.
You’ll walk away with
- How to ask about taboo obsessions so a client can answer, including the exact framing she uses at intake
- Harm, sexual, religious, existential, relationship, contamination and just-right themes, with clinical examples of each
- The distinction between taboo intrusive thoughts and genuine suicidal or homicidal risk
- OCD differentiated from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, which are confused constantly
- Compulsions you will miss, including mental compulsions and reassurance seeking
- The rationale behind exposure and response prevention, and how to explain it to a reluctant client
- Building an exposure hierarchy, and running exposures with SUDS ratings that behave unpredictably
- Imaginal exposure for obsessions that cannot be tested in real life
- Response prevention plans and practice records a client can use between sessions
- Family accommodation: what it looks like, why it maintains the disorder, and how to work with parents on it
- Working with children and adolescents, including the parent’s role in home practice
- Troubleshooting when ERP is not working, and what to check first
Watch the course trailer
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This course is included with your Tatra Training membership, along with every other course in the library.
Please note: this course discusses taboo obsessions in clinical detail, including harm, sexual and paedophile obsessions, because these are the presentations most often missed. The content is clinical throughout.
Where this sits: the longest and most detailed of Amanda Petrik-Gardner’s clinical courses. More than Just a Bad Habit covers the body-focused repetitive behaviours that sit alongside OCD, and Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders covers the broader anxiety category.
Course Duration: 11 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records. Your certificates are yours to keep.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Revisit Anytime: Come back to the course as often as you like while your membership is active, whenever 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