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3/18/2025 - SIS Virtual Event - OT for OCD and Anxiety
Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Category: Events

3/18/2025 - SIS Virtual Event - OT for OCD and Anxiety

Members - FREE
Non-Members - $20

 

Date & Time: March 18th, 2025, 7:00pm-8:00pm EST

Location: Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Number of Contact Hours: 1.0

REGISTER HERE

  

Summary of Event: 

Title: OT for OCD and Anxiety

In this session, Zack will provide an overview of Occupational Therapy’s (OT) unique role in supporting those with severe anxiety and related disorders, such as OCD. The session will begin with a review of the signs, symptoms, and functional impairments that can result from various subtypes of anxiety and OCD. Zack will then review the best evidence-based protocols for treating anxiety and related disorders, with a focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions, such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (S.P.A.C.E). The session will conclude with a discussion around the vital role that OT’s can play in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders. This will include a discussion around sensory processing in those with anxiety, OCD, and related disorders, the importance of skill buildings for individuals with anxiety, and “occupation based” nature of CBT interventions such as ERP.

 

Presenter: 
Zachary Schafer, MS OTR/L
Executive Director
Mountain Valley Treatment Center
  

Bio/Background of the Speaker:  

Zack is a licensed Occupational Therapist (OT) currently serving as Executive Director of Mountain Valley Treatment Center, a leading residential treatment program for adolescents and young adults with anxiety and related disorders. Zack graduated from Sacred Heart University’s Master’s in Occupational Therapy Program in 2018. After graduating, he went on to complete the University of North Carolina’s OT Mental Health Fellowship program, where he worked as an OT on their inpatient psychiatry units, taught at the university, and conducted and published research. Zack stayed with UNC for a few more years before transitioning to Mountain Valley where he spearheaded their integration of OT into their treatment model. Since joining Mountain Valley in 2021, Zack has progressed through various leadership positions and now leads the organization as the Executive Director. He is also the host of the Fear Less podcast, a show dedicated to discussing topics related to anxiety, fear, and general mental well-being.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding the symptoms and functional impairments associated with the various subtypes of anxiety and OCD.

2. Understanding how to apply evidence-based treatment protocols for anxiety and OCD with a focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

3. Understanding the unique perspective and clinical expertise that Occupational Therapist can provide those suffering from anxiety and related disorders.