Treating OCD in Children and Adolescents: Developmentally Informed Care

OCD rarely shows up in young people the way textbooks describe it. It hides in reassurance-seeking at bedtime, avoidance masked as defiance, emotional outbursts that look like “behavioural issues,” and families who are exhausted from doing everything they can to keep the peace. When OCD presents in childhood or adolescence, treatment is never individual-only. What happens at home, at school, and in moments of distress can quietly undo even well-planned therapy. Without specialised training, clinicians may:

• Over-soften ERP to avoid distress

• Rely heavily on psychoeducation without meaningful behavioural change

• Struggle to align parents, schools, and treatment goals

• Feel stuck between protecting the child and treating the disorder

This workshop exists to close that gap. Clinicians often know the principles of OCD treatment — yet feel far less confident applying them when the client is distressed, developmentally young, or resistant, parents are understandably anxious, protective, or accommodating, school, family systems, and daily routines are shaping symptoms in powerful ways This training is designed for that complexity and explores:

• Developmental differences in OCD presentation

• Engaging children and adolescents in ERP meaningfully

• Working with schools and caregivers

• Managing comorbid anxiety, neurodiversity, or emotional regulation challenges

OCD in young people often sets the trajectory for the next decade. Early missteps — however well-intentioned — can entrench avoidance, family accommodation, and fear-based narratives that take years to undo. Clinicians who understand how to adapt OCD treatment developmentally and systemically are able to intervene earlier, reduce family burnout, build treatment momentum more quickly, and support young people toward long-term recovery.

Treating OCD in young people requires more than applying adult models to smaller bodies. This workshop helps you translate evidence-based OCD treatment into developmentally informed, family-aligned care — so therapy works not just in session, but at home, at school, and in real life.

WHO THIS TRAINING IS FOR

This workshop is suitable for:

• Mental health clinicians working with OCD across the lifespan

• Clinicians seeking greater confidence in complex or family-involved presentations

• Healthcare professionals wanting targeted, practical skill development

• Clinicians who have completed foundational OCD training and want to specialise

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE

• Training video on how to work with young people with OCD

• Client ready handouts

• Readings on how to work with young people and families and reduce family accommodation

• Case formulation hints

• A copy of the slides