Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Model and Treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is classified under obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders due to its many shared similarities with OCD, including preoccupations associated with engagement in safety behaviors. Patients with BDD have a perceived or imagined defect in their physical appearance, and may engage in behaviors such as mirror gazing, camouflaging, ruminating, skin picking, intense social comparison, and needless dermatological treatment or cosmetic surgery. Though there has been a surge of effective
pharmacological and cognitive behavioral treatments in the past ten years, BDD is still under recognized and often misdiagnosed. This webinar will begin with a review of the theoretical and empirical models of the psychopathology of and treatment for BDD. Although there are some similarities to obsessive compulsive disorder treatment there are also many distinct approaches. This webinar will describe the symptoms of BDD, explain cognitive behavioral models of BDD, and teach assessment and treatment strategies. These strategies include the process of engagement and developing a formulation; imagery rescripting; attentional training; ceasing ruminating; habit reversal, exposure and response prevention; and behavioral experiments.