Dr. Christine Purdon: A Deep Dive on OCD

04/17/23 • 91 min

Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

While OCD is a generally a very recognizable form of mental disorder, there are many nuances and complexities with respect to both its treatment and diagnosis. Psychologist, professor & author, Dr. Christine Purdon, joins us for a deep dive on OCD in which we cover:

what OCD is and how it affects the individual and family members
how is OCD usually conceptualized from a cognitive behavioural perspective
the developmental experiences that might predispose someone towards OCD
genetic and temperament based risks associated with OCD
the trajectory of OCD symptoms over the lifespan
features of OCD to be aware of that don’t necessarily fall within the diagnostic framework but that would nonetheless be useful for clinicians to keep in mind
the common types of OCD
uncertainty as being a key challenge within the context of OCD
differential diagnoses in the context of OCD
OCD as a response to trauma
the current gold standard psychotherapeutic treatment for OCD
the role medication can and should play in treatment
shortcomings of the CBT ERP model
why individuals with OCD are unable/willing to trust their own judgment
assessing and addressing attachment issues that are internalized in the OCD “voice”

Dr. Purdon is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and has expertise in the assessment and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in adults. She has practiced and taught cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) for over 20 years, has over 80 publications on OCD, anxiety & intrusive thoughts and, is certified by the Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CABCT). She provides psychological services through the University of Waterloo Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment Unsubsidized Psychological Services stream. She is also Director of Clinical Training for the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Purdon’s research interests include the persistence of anxiety and its cognitive manifestations, such as obsessions, worry, rumination, doubt, and behavioural manifestations, such as compulsions and escape/avoidance behaviours. She is also interested in how anxiety influences attentional and memory and is co-atuhor of the self-help book Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts: How to Gain Control of Your OCD.
https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/people-profiles/christine-purdon

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what OCD is and how it affects the individual and family members
how is OCD usually conceptualized from a cognitive behavioural perspective
the developmental experiences that might predispose someone towards OCD
genetic and temperament based risks associated with OCD
the trajectory of OCD symptoms over the lifespan
features of OCD to be aware of that don’t necessarily fall within the diagnostic framework but that would nonetheless be useful for clinicians to keep in mind
the common types of OCD
uncertainty as being a key challenge within the context of OCD
differential diagnoses in the context of OCD
OCD as a response to trauma
the current gold standard psychotherapeutic treatment for OCD
the role medication can and should play in treatment
shortcomings of the CBT ERP model
why individuals with OCD are unable/willing to trust their own judgment
assessing and addressing attachment issues that are internalized in the OCD “voice”

Previous Episode

Dr. Bernard Beitman: Meaningful Coincidences - Synchronicity & Serendipity

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Despite typically being scientifically-minded individuals, many clinicians have often wondered about aspects of the human experience that defy rationale explanation, but yet feel profoundly meaningful. Psychiatrist and author, Dr. Bernard Beitman, joins us for a discussion of many of the core themes in his book Meaningful Coincidences: How & Why Synchronicity and Serendipity Happen. In this conversation we cover:

what has driven Dr. Beitman's interest in researching coincidence
the necessary and sufficient conditions or characteristics to call an experience a formal coincidence
the challenge and opportunity of determining "meaning" in the context of coincidences given the subjective nature of meaning as well as the observation that meaning that change or emerge over time
a framework for determining meaning in the context of synchronicity & coincidences
how to navigate the challenge of the potential presence of symptoms of psychosis (e.g., delusions of reference, mania) in the context of appropriately evaluating and integrating meaningful coincidences into clinical work
how we can sit with the distress & uncertainty that typically comes with powerful experiences of coincidence and synchronicity
Dr. Beitman's response to those who take a purely “actuarial” or statistical approach to coincidences
the importance of attuning to the emotional valence of an experience to determine it's form, function & meaning
how therapists can help their clients leverage coincidences in their day-to-day lives/therapeutic journey
thoughts on the yet undiscovered psychological substrate or plane/dimension of existence (e.g., field of consciousness) that would need to be in place for coincidences to have maximum meaning
the potential for psychedelics to be able to expand our capacity to expand our ability to connect seeming unrelated objects or event

Dr. Bernard Beitman attended Yale Medical School graduating in 1964. He did his one-year general medicine internship at Mount Zion Medical Center in San Francisco and then completed the three-year psychiatric residency at Stanford in 1974 after working in the U.S Public Health Service Hospital in San Francisco from 1971-1973 as the hospital’s psychiatrist. He then joined the faculty of the department of psychiatry at the University of Washington in Seattle. After ten years there he then joined the faculty at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he became a world leader in the study of chest pain and panic disorder which led to his becoming chair of the psychiatry department. Building on his book The Structure of Individual Psychotherapy, he created the book Learning Psychotherapy which was taught to half the psychiatric residency training programs in the United States. In 2006 he started formal research into coincidences and then, in 2009, moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, to join the Division of Perceptual Studies of the University of Virginia, which supported his coincidence work as a non-paid faculty member. As a self-described “recovering academic,” he led the development of The Coincidence Project.
https://www.coincider.com

Next Episode

Anna Gabriel & Michael Hermann: Do Everything Better With Music

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While many of us regularly use music to enhance our well-being or increase performance, we are often unaware of the underlying science around music as tool to improve our lives. Reverberation Studio Co-founders, Michael Hermann (CEO) and Anna Gabriel join us for a discussion of Reverberation Studio, an undertaking they have started with legendary recording artist, Peter Gabriel. Reverberation’s mission is to do everything better with music. In this discussion we cover:

the ethos of Reverberation Studio & the types of projects that Reverberation plans to undertake
why it has been important to integrate an evidence-based perspective into Reveberation’s framework
why humans have the capacity to create and enjoy music
musical tools that Anna & Michael use in their personal, business and creative lives
the application of music to enhancing athletic performance
applications of music from a psychotherapeutic perspective
the impact of systems level changes in the way music is made & distributed (including the potential for AI-generate music) on using music to enhance well-being
how we can be more intentional about integrating music into our lives

Reverberation Co-Founder & CEO, Michael Hermann launched Wicked Cow (Reverberation’s managing partner) in 1995 as a TV production company, producing its inaugural project, Reverse Angle, a sports/entertainment show Michael hosted airing on Fox Sports. In the late 1990s into the 2000s, Michael consulted for the CEOs of two of the most pop-culture-shaping brands of their time—FUBU and Maxim Magazine. In 2004, he transformed Wicked Cow into a brand strategy/business development agency spending the next decade helping to oversee culturally iconic brands. In 2013, Michael co-founded with Derek Jeter, their content and media studio, Jeter Publishing, which featured a two-imprint joint venture with publishing giant, Simon & Schuster, and several best-sellers. Next for Michael was the creation of Wicked Cow Studios, and its children’s book sensation, Lulu Is A Rhinoceros, which it co-created and published. Now, Wicked Cow is engineering a world-class brain brand through its revolutionary neuroscience-driven media company, It’s All In Your Head. Michael was recently appointed to Fast Company’s Impact Council.

Reverberation Co-Founder: Born in London, England, Anna Gabriel moved to the US in 1992 to launch her career as a photographer and video director. Her fine art photography has been exhibited in galleries in Sundance, Boston, New York, and London. She has also worked as a portrait photographer, photographing musicians including Iggy Pop, Moby, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and PM Dawn. Anna has been directing music videos since 1997 and has worked with an array of global music stars including Joseph Arthur, Jesca Hoop, Emmanuel Jal, Adam Masterson, and Shelly Segal. She directed the documentary/live concert films Growing Up on Tour: A Family Portrait, Still Growing Up: Live & Unwrapped and Taking The Pulse: Live in Verona. Anna has also filmed and directed documentary work for non-profit organizations such as Happy Hearts Fund and Delete Blood Cancer. In November 2009, Anna and Hunter Heaney founded the non-profit organization, The Voice Project. More recently, Anna created the multimedia photographic portrait series, EyeD, featuring an unusual and intimate glimpse into the souls of Lou Reed, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Tom Petty, Paul Simon, Eddie Vedder, Susan Sarandon, and Johnny Depp by photographing only their eyes. It has been featured in the Morrison Galleries in NYC, LA, and at the Alaia Foundation in Paris.
Reverberation Studio