Functional analytic psychotherapy and the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder

This paper argues that Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) can contribute to the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). FAP is a behavior analytically informed approach to talk-therapy, developed by Kohlenberg and Tsai. It uses natural occurrences of clinically relevant behavior in the client-therapist relationship to promote therapeutic change. A selection of vignettes of client-therapist dialogues involving two clients with OCD is discussed. The examples show how natural interactions between therapist and client can be used to bring therapeutic technique closer to the natural occurrences of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Furthermore, the fragments illustrate that FAP can encompass exposure and response prevention. Therefore, the in vivo learning during the session as promoted in FAP can be an asset in the treatment of clients with OCD, and it deserves attention in future treatment research.