Exposure therapy for anxiety disorders: A beginner’s guide for occupational therapy (April 17, 2025)

Online workshop

Thursday, April 17, 2025

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

What time is this for me?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition (World Health Organization, 2023), with the Canadian prevalence significantly increasing over the past 10 years (Statistics Canada, 2023). Only 28% of Canadians with a mental health disorder felt that they received counselling or psychotherapy services that met their needs in the past year (Stephenson, 2023). OTs are well suited to deliver the gold standard treatment of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders (e.g., Chowdhury & Khandoker, 2022; McDermott et al., 2023); however, many OTs lack foundational knowledge and training that is specifically geared towards occupational therapy.

This one-day workshop will provide occupational therapy professionals the core skills needed to deliver exposure therapy confidently and effectively while incorporating the occupational therapy lens. The workshop will begin with an overview of clinical anxiety disorders and discussion of cognitive-behavioural conceptualizations and transdiagnostic maintenance factors. An overview of exposure therapy will be provided, including what it is and how it works (habituation, learning models, values-based models). The therapeutic process when delivering this intervention will be explained, including providing psychoeducation, self-monitoring of behavioural patterns, identifying core fears, cultivating an exposure mindset, developing an exposure menu, designing exposure plans, and implementing exposure exercises with coaching support from the therapist. Finally, common challenges will be explored. Lectures, demonstrations, as well as large and small group discussions will be utilized throughout the workshop to facilitate learning and applying concepts.

Preliminary workshop agenda

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

1. Identify core features of clinical anxiety disorders. 

2. Understand cognitive and behavioural maintenance factors and implications for exposure therapy. 

3. Develop session agendas and create an exposure therapy treatment plan for their clients. 

4. Explain different types of exposures (in vivo, interoceptive, imaginal). 

5. Leverage occupational therapy models and skills in the delivery of services. 

6. Develop practical exposure therapy coaching skills through observing demonstrations and small group experiential practice.

7. Identify common challenges encountered in the delivery of this intervention and troubleshoot accordingly.

Target audience

Occupational therapist clinicians, occupational therapist assistants, students in occupational therapy programs, and students in OTA/PTA programs who wish to help their clients face their fears and reclaim their lives by learning about the first line treatment for anxiety disorders - exposure therapy! Social workers, nurses, and psychotherapists are also welcome to attend.

Please note: Each participant is responsible to ensure they apply the information within the context of their licensure, provincial/territorial legislations, institution regulations, scope of practice, etc.

Areas of practice

Autism/Neurodiversity, Caregiver/Family Education, Case Management, Education & Fieldwork, Generalist, Mental Health, Occupational Therapist Assistant, Parental Health, Primary Care, Psychotherapy, Return to Work, Role-Emerging

Client age group

Adults (20-64 years old), Older adults (65+ years old)

Workshop level

Beginner (0-2 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Please note: Participants with more than this stated level of experience are welcome to attend the workshop. The workshop content will be geared towards those with 0-2 years of experience.

Presenters

Aliza Ladak, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Aliza Ladak (she/her) is an occupational therapist practicing in the area of psychotherapy. She currently provides assessment and treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders through her private practice. She has 12 years of mental health experience and has worked in several hospitals. Aliza currently works part-time at Sunnybrook's Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre in their intensive OCD program. Aliza is very passionate about exposure-based interventions and provides educational initiatives to build capacity in community clinicians in this area.

Nathania Lukman, OT Reg. (Ont.), Psychotherapist

Nathania Lukman (she/her) is an occupational therapist practicing in mental health. She is a clinician at the Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre working in their Intensive OCD Treatment Program as the occupational therapist and team lead. As part of her role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the intensive program, develops, and delivers individual treatment plans, and facilitates various groups within the program. In addition, Nathania continually engages in program evaluation and development efforts to improve client access to services and overall client outcome. Outside of the Thompson Centre, Nathania operates Valued Living Therapy Services, a private practice where she provides virtual and in-home/in-community occupational therapy and psychotherapy services. In her clinical practice, Nathania utilizes a variety of evidence-based treatments including CBT/ERP and Inference-based CBT (I-CBT) for OCD, ACT, CFT and Motivational Interviewing. Nathania has a special interest and passion in working with neurodivergent individuals and the perinatal population.

Registration fees

Early bird rates: Registration and payment completed by February 19, 2025

Regular rates: Registration and payment completed after February 19, 2025

Registration deadline: April 17, 2025 at 9:59 a.m. (Eastern Time)

Please note that CAOT does not offer group registration fees. Pending sufficient space, CAOT offers late registration for workshops at the regular rate plus a $50 administration fee.  *It may be more cost effective to become a CAOT Member or Associate rather than pay the non-member rate. See “Can a non-member register for a Workshop?” in our Professional Development FAQs to know which membership category you are eligible for.  

Included in your registration fee:

Online workshop, access to the recording for a period of 14 days following the workshop, electronic copy of presentation slide handouts, opportunity to network and make connections with other occupational therapists interested in this topic, electronic certificate of attendance.

Cancellation/refund policy

All cancellation/refund requests must be sent in writing to education@caot.ca. All cancellation requests received by April 2, 2025 will be given a full refund minus a $50.00 administrative fee. No refunds will be given after April 2, 2025. Substitutions and transfers requests received by April 2, 2025 are permitted and are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee.

If you are exceptionally unable to complete the workshop, please reach out to education@caot.ca by 25 days following the end of the workshop for extended access to the recording (up to one month after the end of the workshop) or a one-time transfer to another offering of the same workshop if currently open for registration.

CAOT reserves the right to modify the workshop title, description, registration dates and information on the workshop webpage. CAOT will notify participants on or before March 7, 2025 if there is insufficient registration by that date and reserves the right to cancel a Workshop due to insufficient registration up until March 21, 2025. CAOT reserves the right to modify the offering, interrupt Workshops, change the timing of a Workshop, cancel a Workshop or change the technology for the Workshop due to the presenter no longer being able to present the Workshop, severe weather, power failure, building closures or other special circumstances that are beyond the control of CAOT by notifying participants as soon as possible. If the Workshop is cancelled by CAOT, registrants will receive a full refund of the registration fee. CAOT will not be responsible for other costs or expenses incurred by registrants as a result of any such changes.

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The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is committed to accessibility as expressed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). We provide an electronic copy of the handouts approximately one week ahead of time in multiple slide layouts, auto-generated closed captioning through Zoom (excluding breakout rooms), as well as access to the recording for two weeks following the workshop. If you require additional special arrangements for accessibility, please contact education@caot.ca or 1-800-434-2268.    

Please note that workshop is offered in English.