In this 4 part series, I will share with you the 4 treatment models for anxiety from Dr. David Burns' TEAM-CBT and how I use them to treat anxiety and intrusive thoughts/postpartum OCD.

This 4th and last part is all about Exposure Therapy.

One piece I forgot to share that could be important before starting exposure therapy is addressing their motivation to let go of compulsions.

I'll have my clients first write out

1) all of the benefits of continuing the mental and physical compulsions (e.g., feel more calm in that moment, lowers my anxiety, helps me to feel like my baby is safe) and

2) the cost facing their fears through exposure therapy (e.g., it'll increase my anxiety and panic at first, it'll be really hard).

Then rate their motivation to move forward with this hard work 0-100, with 100 being completely motivated.

Then they would answer, despite these benefits of the compulsions, and the cost of exposure therapy to let go of compulsions, why should we move forward with this hard work? Their answers to this question becomes their motivation script.

I'll have them re-rate motivation after writing out their motivation script, 0-100. If motivation is at least above a 50%, then it is a good time to move forward with exposure therapy as described in the video.

I’ll have them read their motivation script before exposure therapy and anytime they know the temptation/urge to do compulsions is higher.