The Most Intensive Therapy for OCD: The Bergen Treatment

My son Dan suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder so severe he could not even eat. He spent nine weeks at an intensive world-renowned residential program where he learned techniques through the use of exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. These skills have allowed him to live a happy and productive life. Well, at least I thought it was an intensive program. At Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, there is a treatment program for OCD that is truly intensive. And short. Four full days. There are many people who spend years of their lives suffering with OCD; it can be a cruel, insidious disorder. How much can four full days of intensive therapy help them? Apparently, a lot. More than 1,200 people have received the Bergen four-day treatment for OCD which is a concentrated form of exposure therapy designed by two Norwegian psychologists, Gerd Kvale and Bjarne Hansen. The results have been impressive and the program has gained international attention for its effectiveness and efficiency. In fact, the psychologists were named by Time as two of 2018’s 50 most influential people in healthcare. Avital Falk, a clinical psychologist who directs an intensive treatment program for OCD and anxiety at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian says:   “It’s amazing that you can so get much done in such a small amount of time. OCD treatment regimens typically involve weekly hour-long sessions spread out across several months, but more clinicians are ad...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Caregivers OCD Personal Research Treatment Source Type: blogs