Case Presentation – Teaching clients to fail: How making mistakes can remove a barrier to treatment & improve outcome in the anxiety disorders

About this topic: Fear of failure is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor for development of psychological disorders. It is commonly seen in anxiety and depressive disorders, and can either present as a target of treatment, or as an impediment to change. This presentation will discuss the role that fear of failure plays in the maintenance of anxiety disorders, and highlight ways in which this fear can interfere with both the therapeutic process and treatment outcome. Evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders (such as cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness approaches) can be task-oriented and demanding, necessitating either high levels of distress, regular practice, or both. Clients who fear failure may struggle to engage with or complete such tasks. The presentation will draw on case studies to illustrate the myriad ways in which treatment can be adversely affected by a client’s fear of failure. The presenter will suggest a number of adaptations that can be made to existing treatment techniques to maximise the chance of therapeutic engagement and positive treatment outcomes in this group.

About the presenter: Dr Tamsen St Clare is a clinical psychologist who is experienced in the treatment of anxiety disorders and OCD. She has worked as a Clinical Psychologist / Senior Clinical Psychologist across a range of different settings including: inpatient psychiatry; outpatient community mental health; outpatient eating disorders clinics; student counselling centres, and; outpatient anxiety disorders clinics. Tamsen is the former Head of the Anxiety Treatment and Research Unit at Westmead Hospital, where she combined clinical work with research and student training. Tamsen is also the former Clinical Director of the University of Sydney Anxiety Disorders Clinic. During her time at the clinic she undertook research into OCD, completing a PhD on sexual functioning in OCD. She has also worked with the Australian Stuttering Research Centre and La Trobe University to develop and evaluate treatment programs for speech-related anxiety in adults who stutter.  Tamsen has a strong interest in research and has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals. She is the co-author of two treatment manuals for obsessive compulsive disorder, and trains clinicians in the use of Danger Ideation Reduction Therapy (DIRT) for OCD.  Tamsen now works exclusively in private practice, where she treats mainly clients with anxiety disorders or OCD.

Registration: http://www.trybooking.com/JEJZ