Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: An Introduction for Clinicians
Many individuals suffering from anxiety disorders try to cope with their distress by avoiding the situations that trigger their anxiety. While this avoidance can help them to decrease their anxiety in the immediate situation, it serves to exacerbate their anxiety symptoms over the long term. The first-line approach for treating anxiety disorders is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). An important component of CBT is exposure therapy. The use of exposure therapy helps individuals with anxiety to decrease their avoidance of feared stimuli while gradually increasing their tolerance to the situation and the anxiety accompanying it.
This seminar provides practical recommendations for providing effective exposure therapy for clients suffering from anxiety symptoms. Some topics include strategies for identifying appropriate candidates for exposure therapy, implementation of exposure therapy with a systematic approach, overcoming roadblocks in treatment, and implementation of relapse prevention techniques.
About the Speaker: Maegan Jenkins, PsyD
Dr. Maegan Jenkins is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders. Dr. Jenkins received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Bradley University and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Midwestern University. She trained at the Center for Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital and at the Anxiety Centers of Illinois. She has treated anxiety in various environments including inpatient settings, outpatient settings, group therapy formats, as well as completing in vivo exposures within the home and community settings. Dr. Jenkins now practices independently in her private practice in St. Charles, IL treating OCD and Anxiety Disorders.
CE Units: 3 Credits
Please note, the locations of these courses may change due to class enrollment. You will be notified of any location changes via email.