IFS Talks has long been one of my favorite podcasts, so it was an honor to speak with Aníbal Henriques and Alexia Rothman about understanding OCD through an IFS lens. They were the most wonderful, warm, and well-prepared hosts! They did their research and had a lot of excellent questions as well as interesting observations of their own, which made this a truly collaborative and creative conversation.
We explored some of the particular challenges in treating OCD that arise from the interplay between neurobiology and psychological factors that underly the condition. IFS is an experiential approach that has a great deal of potential to help those who are not getting better using traditional modalities. But since OCD was considered untreatable only a few decades ago, we also need to be careful and recognize that the empirically supported treatment approaches, primarily exposure and response prevention (ERP), have demonstrated that some specific processes and mechanisms are most effective with OCD.
In this conversation, we discuss how to integrate IFS with the effective elements of ERP for maximum impact with OCD while still maintaining the, collaborative, non-pathologizing spirit of IFS and its essential ingredients.
My belief, supported by my experience with clients, is that IFS enhances the effectiveness of exposure approaches and that the concept of exposure not only fits with what we are already doing in IFS, turning towards and befriending parts but also makes IFS more effective with OC systems when embraced intentionally.
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