Treating Contamination OCD Using the Mastery Approach

This presentation was last reviewed on April 3, 2025, and live streamed online on April 11, 2025, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET.

The views and opinions expressed by this presenter in this lecture are their own, and do not represent the views of Sheppard Pratt.

Contamination OCD is a common but challenging-to-treat form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that represents roughly half of its cases. This program teaches clinicians how to treat contamination OCD using the functional-based Mastery treatment approach, a synthesis of exposure and response prevention (ERP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and emerging literature on the use of judicious safety behaviors to improve functioning in cases where triggers do not directly habituate. This is a humane and well-tolerated approach that is well suited to contamination OCD cases such as disgust, neurodiversity and more, and has now been taught and implemented at major clinics nationwide. This presentation will teach clinicians how to use the Mastery approach, a functional approach to ERP designed for cases that do not respond to traditional ERP, such as disgust or other non-habituating triggers, neurodiversity, co-morbidities and more.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, counselors and other mental health professionals. 

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees will be able to:

  1. Describe the limits of traditional ERP treatment for contamination OCD, including cases such as disgust and/or other non-habituating triggers, neurodiversity, co-morbidities, trauma, grief, life change and others
  2. Apply the Mastery approach in treating contamination OCD, a functional approach to ERP based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and practicing avoided situations
  3. Discuss how the principle of Readiness guides practice strategy and enhances treatment motivation in the Mastery approach
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACEP NBCC clock hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 Category II credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 MNA Contact Hours for Nurses
  • 1.00 Participation
Course opens: 
05/13/2025
Course expires: 
05/11/2027

There is no commercial support for this activity.

About the speaker

Rich Gallagher LMFT is a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety disorders and OCD treatment, based in Ithaca, NY. He is a 2014 graduate of the IOCDF’s intensive BTTI clinical training program for OCD treatment, has presented at multiple IOCDF conferences, and has taught CEU programs on anxiety and OCD treatment. Rich is the author of The Contamination OCD Workbook, the first-ever self-help workbook on contamination OCD, as well as numerous self-help books on anxiety disorders and communications skills, including an Amazon #1 book on Anxiety and Phobias as well as a finalist for 2008 Business Book of the Year.

Disclosure Statements

Sheppard Pratt holds the standard that its continuing medical education programs should be free of commercial bias and conflict of interest. In accord with Sheppard Pratt's Disclosure Policy, as well as standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Medical Association (AMA), all planners, reviewers, speakers and persons in control of content have been asked to disclose any relationship he /she has with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. All planners, reviewers and speakers have also been asked to disclose any payments accepted for this lecture from any entity besides Sheppard Pratt, and if there will be discussion of any products, services, or off-label uses of product(s) during this presentation.

Rich Gallagher, LMFT, reports receiving royalties from a self-published book. He will not discuss any products, services, or off-label uses in this presentation. All relationships have been mitigated through review.

Event Planners/Reviewers Disclosures: The following event planners and/or reviewers are reported as having no financial interest, arrangement or affiliation with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months: Jon Hershfield, LMFT, Todd Peters, MD, Elizabeth Ryznar, MD, MSc, Louis Marino, MD, Devi Bhuyan, PsyD, Faith Dickerson, PhD, Carrie Etheridge, LCSW-C, Tom Flis, LCPC, Paula Bostwick, MSN, RN, CENP, Alfredo Sagisi, DNP, MS, RN, FACHE, Maggie O'Neill MSN, RN, PMH-BC, Lisa Illum, MLIS, MEd, and Jennifer Tornabene.

Physician Statement: Sheppard Pratt is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.  Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity.  Sheppard Pratt designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurse Statement: Sheppard Pratt is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Maryland Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity. This activity provides 1.0 contact hour for nurses.

Psychologist Statement: Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as a sponsor of continuing education. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity.  Sheppard Pratt designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hour for Psychologists.

Social Worker Statement: Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners of Maryland to offer continuing education for Social Workers.  Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity. This activity is approved for 1.0 contact hour in Category II credits for Social Workers.

Counselor Statement:  Sheppard Pratt has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5098.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Sheppard Pratt is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.  This activity is available for 1.0 NBCC clock hour.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACEP NBCC clock hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 Category II credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 MNA Contact Hours for Nurses
  • 1.00 Participation
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ON DEMAND WEBINAR: FOR BEST RESULTS WATCH USING GOOGLE CHROME

Treating Contamination OCD Using the Mastery Approach

Rich Gallagher, LMFT

Psychotherapist, Private Practice

Ithaca, NY

Originally reviewed on April 3, 2025.
Originally broadcast live April 11, 2025, from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET.
Enduring Activity Credit Expiration Date: May 11, 2027.

Activity Time: One hour recorded webinar lecture with a 15-minute evaluation process. Total Time: 1:15.

TO EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE
On the OVERVIEW or REGISTER/TAKE COURSE tab, select the GREEN RECTANGLE, TAKE COURSE to begin.
Complete the Pretest and select NEXT in the bottom right corner of the screen. Use the NEXT button for best results.
The PowerPoint handout will be available for download.
After downloading the handout, select NEXT to begin and watch the video. 
You may need to select play for the video to begin.
After the video follow the prompts to complete the posttest, evaluation, and attestation of credit. 
Once you have completed all the components of the Course Progress bar, the certificate will be immediately downloadable.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
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Required Hardware/software

Optimal System Configuration

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Browser: Firefox 3+, Internet Explorer 8.0+, Safari 4.0+, or Google Chrome 7.0+
Operating System: Windows XP+ or Mac OS X 10.4+
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Windows PC: 500-MHz Pentium II; Windows XP or higher; 128 MB RAM; Video Card at least 64MB of video memory; Sound Card at least 16-bit; Macromedia Flash Player 10 or higher, audio playback with speakers for programs with video content; Firefox 1.1+, Internet Explorer 7.0+, Safari 1.0+, Google Chrome, or Opera
Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher with latest updates installed; 1.83MHz Intel Core Duo or faster; RAM: 128MB or more; Video Card: at least 64MB of video memory; Sound Card: at least 16-bit

Hardware/Software Specifications

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using Internet Explorer 8+, Mozilla Firefox 3+, Safari 4+. This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.