In episode 474 I chat with Catherine Goldhouse. Catherine is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) who specialises in anxiety, OCD, and relationships.
We discuss Catherine’s OCD story, inference-based CBT (I-CBT), exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), reality sensing, the idea that I-CBT cares about the why, this concept of the feared self, understanding the concept of inferential confusion, the question of whether you can combine ERP and I-CBT, and much more. Hope it helps.
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Website: https://www.catherinegoldhouse.com/
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I-CBT website – https://icbt.online/
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All the best,
Stuart
It seems like there are more similarities between ERP and I-CBT than there are differences, especially when ERP is coupled with with ACT. I think having a softer take on tolerating uncertainty in ERP is very similar to I-CBT’s focus on trusting yourself. ERP has taught me to focus on probability, not possibility. Many OCD fears are so unlikely to happen that it’s not worth our time compulsively trying to figure out the likelihood of something happening.
Catherine gives the example of well, we can’t prove that we’re not living in a simulation but we live our lives trusting our senses and not getting caught up in the what if’s. We live our lives in faith and trust. Essentially, ERP teaches the same thing. We have to accept that pure, true certainty doesn’t exist. There are so many things we can’t prove or disprove beyond the shadow of OCD’s doubt, and it’s not worth our time to try to compulsively do this. Instead, we move forward towards our values in faith and trust.
Also, the feared self in I-CBT seems very similar to core fears in ERP.
Beautifully said Liz. Thanks for listening.