Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD and Its Subtypes

“Clark has provided a masterful guide that beginning and experienced clinicians as well as graduate students should heed for advice. A compact, user-friendly, and advice-laden text, this manual is a ‘must have’ for anyone planning to work with OCD-related disorders. This guide is appropriate for many professionals in various disciplines, including clinical psychology, counseling, psychiatry, and social work. Additionally, the text is suitable as a primary or supplementary text for courses related to evidence-based therapy, OCD and anxiety disorders, and possibly psychopathology and psychodiagnosis. In the current state of this world via the impact of COVID-19, hypochondriasis and OCD-related rituals may be seemingly on a rise, and this guide may be essential for clinicians working in a postpandemic era….This guide is a phenomenal resource that should have a permanent home on the bookshelves of all clinicians working with these disorders.”

—Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy


“This is a book I recommend highly to all therapists who want a solid grounding in cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.”

—Cognitive Therapy Today (on the first edition)


“A very impressive and comprehensive text for any researcher or clinician working with patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder....This book is a must for anyone who will ever have a potential OCD patient walk into her or his office.”

—Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic (on the first edition)


“This updated second edition is a powerhouse of a book that should be on the shelf of anyone who treats OCD. It is a 'must read' for students and young clinicians, but even experienced clinicians will find gems and be glad they read it. The step-by-step instructions on how to conduct exposure and response prevention are worth the price of the book alone. Everything a clinician needs to know to assess and treat OCD is provided in this accessible volume, which includes sample dialogues with clients and helpful downloadable forms. Clark shines his expertise on virtually all problems that a patient with OCD could present with.”

—Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry, and Director, Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, Emory University School of Medicine


“An outstanding guide written by a highly influential clinician and researcher. This accessible book builds on the first edition, but also offers new information on specific OCD subtypes and describes refinements of clinical strategies. The step-by-step descriptions of treatment techniques and the clear explication of relevant research make this an ideal resource for both graduate students and practitioners.”

—Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Psychology, Massachusetts General Hospital


“A consummate scientist-practitioner, Clark has drawn on impeccable scholarship and rich clinical experience. An essential guide for practitioners of all levels and backgrounds, this is also a valuable resource for use in clinical training. Deftly written, the volume provides a concise and authoritative review of the clinical presentation of OCD and the cognitive-behavioral model, fully explicating the internal logic of OCD in its many faces. It guides the reader in case formulation and offers clear, accessible directions for executing behavioral and cognitive elements of treatment. Clark anticipates and troubleshoots every challenge a therapist will face. The book is chock-full of case illustrations, clinical wisdom, and state-of-the-art research.”

—Christine Purdon, PhD, CPsych, Professor and Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada


“This is an excellent book that provides a comprehensive account of the complex nature of OCD. The coverage of theoretical models of OCD is complemented by an empirically based overview of treatment approaches. The author does an exceptional job of fully capturing the heterogeneity of the disorder by highlighting treatment approaches for distinct subtypes. The book is quite thorough in its approach, and will be of interest to both clinicians and researchers.”

—Bunmi O. Olatunji, PhD, Professor and Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University


“This fantastic resource offers comprehensive and updated information about the theory, science, and practice of treating both common and rarer manifestations of OCD, from one of the field’s leading experts. I can think of no other recent volume that weaves together so well the latest advances in understanding and treatment of this disorder. The expansion of the previous edition to include new CBT theories as well as different OCD subtypes is a major strength. This book will be helpful to both new and established clinicians and researchers.”

—Adam S. Radomsky, PhD, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada