Joan Davidson - Daring to Challenge OCD: Overcome Your Fear of Treatment and Take Control of Your Life Using Exposure and Response Prevention

Joan Davidson, PhD, is codirector and founding partner of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy and assistant clinical professor in the clinical science program at the University of California, Berkeley. For over twenty years she has worked as a cognitive behavioral clinician specializing in the treatment of adults with mood and anxiety disorders. In addition, she teaches, writes, and provides clinical consultation and supervision to students and licensed professionals. Davidson is founding fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and an Academy of Cognitive Therapy Certified Trainer/Consultant. She is the coauthor of A Transdiagnostic Road Map to Case Formulation and Treatment Planning: Practical Guidance for Clinical Decision Making (New Harbinger, 2014), as well as The Essential Components of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Depression (American Psychological Association, 2001) and videotape series of the same name.

Foreword writer Jeff Bell is author of Rewind, Replay, Repeat: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and When in Doubt, Make Belief: An OCD-Inspired Approach to Living with Uncertainty. He serves as a national spokesperson for the International OCD Foundation and is founder of The Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance. Bell lives in Benicia, CA.

If you or someone you know is suffering from the agonizing symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), read this book! Youll learn that you are not aloneand youll learn about a proven and effective treatment for OCD: exposure and response prevention (ERP). Joan Davidson explains in clear and accessible language, with plenty of practical exercises, what to expect and how to prepare for treatment. What makes this book truly unique is that Davidson includes the stories of three very different people who regained control over their lives through this treatment. Their stories are authentic, inspiring, and full of hope. This straightforward and compassionate approach to ERP is a real contribution for clientsand for clinicians, this text is an invaluable resource for improving our skills at helping clients commit to treatment.

Laura B. Mason, PhD, clinical professor in the department of psychology at University of California, Berkeley and associate director of the UC Berkeley psychology clinic

Exposure and response prevention is the most effective treatment technique for OCD. Davidson makes these scientifically proven strategies very accessible in this excellent book. Working through it on your own, or with the help of a professional, should reduce obsessions and compulsions.

Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD, professor and associate chair of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Practical and matter-of-fact, yet simultaneously deep and compassionate, Daring to Challenge OCD is made-to-order for anyone plagued by obsessions and compulsions, including family members and loved ones. Loaded with wisdom, science, and clear case examples, it authoritatively documents what OCD is and how to treat it. To my mind, this is the go-to book on the topic across the entire field. Run, dont walk, to get this book and read it!

Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and vice-chair of psychology in the department of psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco

Davidson, with the help of her brave and articulate clients, illuminates a healing path for those suffering from OCD and the therapists who want to help them. I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with the problem or who cares about someone who does.

Mary Pipher, PhD, author of Reviving Ophelia and The Green Boat

A fantastic book about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its gold standard treatment! This book provides answers to anyone struggling to understand OCD and offers a blueprint for what to expect in treatment. It describes the experiences of three individualseach with a different kind of OCDand provides hope and motivation for positive change. I wish it had been in print when I was first diagnosed.

Paula Kotakis, San Francisco OCD support group facilitator

Three individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), guided by the author, a talented therapist, tell the stories of their illness and their treatment in blow-by-blow detail. Any person who suffers from OCD, loves someone who suffers from OCD, or treats OCD, should read this book.

Jacqueline B. Persons, PhD, director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Science Center and clinical professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley

Daring to Challenge OCD is a long overdue, step-by-step treatment manual that offers hope to those struggling to tackle the complexities inherent in exposure and response prevention therapy. Offering personal, firsthand accounts of what its like to go through the treatment process, this easy-to-read, wonderfully well-written tool is a must-have for those needing to guide their own treatment and who may not otherwise have access to expert therapists. The compassionate approach in this book will help many overcome their fear of treatment and embrace their new journey toward recovery of their OCD.

Robin Zasio, PsyD, LCSW, president of the International OCD Foundation, featured doctor on A&Es Hoarders, and author of The Hoarder in You

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2014 by Joan Davidson

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

http://www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Amy Shoup

Acquired by Catharine Meyers

Edited by Jasmine Star

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davidson, Joan, 1960

Daring to challenge OCD : overcome your fear of treatment and take control of your life using exposure and response prevention / Joan Davidson, PhD.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-60882-859-3 (paperback) -- ISBN 978-1-60882-860-9 (pdf e-book) -- ISBN 978-1-60882-861-6 (epub) 1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder--Treatment. 2. Exposure therapy. I. Title. II. Title: Daring to challenge obsessive-compulsive disorder.

RC533.D35 2014

616.85227--dc23

2014006467

To Miriam and Jack