Course Description:

With the rise of the Neurodiversity-Affirming movement, the field of psychology has had to grapple with the ever-growing knowledge that it got it wrong with Autism and ADHD. This course asks: What if we’ve gotten OCD wrong, too? What if OCD is part of the innate neurodivergent umbrella that needs support and accommodation instead of treatments that often end up feeling like a game of whack-a-mole?

B Lourenco uses a combination of lived experience and scientific research to analyze and assess the current understanding of and framework for OCD and its treatment. This continuing education workshop offers a different way of viewing OCD through a non-pathologizing lens, a holistic view that honors the strengths of the OC brain. This workshop will also cover ways to provide care for clients using a blend of modalities that offer affirming support. If you live or work with OCD, this class will absolutely leave you questioning what you thought you knew!

Workshop Objectives:

1. Compare and contrast the medical model and the reconceptualization of OCD
2. Describe the purpose of the OC brain through a non-pathologizing lens
3. Identify ways that the OC brain may have supported early human survival
4. Describe the impact of trauma and/or core fears on the experience of OCD
5. Define what shifts an OC brain into an experience of OCD
6. Learn how to support OCD through a combination of I-CBT, ACT, and IFS