Cognitive-behavioral treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be effective for many clients who have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Despite its effectiveness, many treatment guidelines fail to describe cognitive-behavioral therapy procedures in adequate detail. The present paper will review the literature on cognitive- behavioral therapy for OCD in an attempt to provide concise, meaningful guidelines for the psychological treatment of this disorder. Cognitive- behavioral therapy includes four general components: initial preparation for therapy, development of applied coping skills, exposure with ritual prevention, and relapse prevention. The four general treatment components are described, and clinical examples are provided.