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Digital Seminar

Treating Childhood OCD

Using ERP and ACT to Help Kids Move from Fear to Freedom

Speaker:
Ashley Smith, PhD
Duration:
3 Hours 04 Minutes
Language:
Presented in EN, subtitles in EN and FR, handouts in EN and FR
Format:
Audio and Video
Copyright:
Feb 03, 2026
Product Code:
POS150595
Media Type:
Digital Seminar


Description

OCD in kids doesn’t just look like handwashing or checking – and if you’re not looking for it, you might miss it entirely.

In this fast-moving, high-impact 3-hour training by sought-after presenter Dr. Ashley Smith, you’ll learn how to confidently identify, assess, and treat OCD in children and teens – including the sneaky subtypes and taboo thoughts most clinicians overlook.

Get step-by-step guidance in designing and delivering developmentally appropriate Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) protocols, and discover how ACT, mindfulness, and parental support strategies can boost motivation, reduce accommodation, and lead to lasting change.

Walk away with the tools to accurately diagnose, break obsessive-compulsive cycles, and help young clients reclaim their lives – even when motivation is low or treatment gets stuck.

Credit

Program Information

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.



Canada Credit - *

NOTE: Tuition includes one free CE Certificate (participant will be able to print the certificate of completion after passing the online post-test (80% passing score) and completing the evaluation). Instructional methods will include PowerPoint, didactic lecture, and others.

Continuing Education Information:  Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Program content is reviewed periodically per accrediting board rules for currency and appropriateness for credit. Credit approvals are subject to change. Please note, your licensing board dictates whether self-study is an acceptable form of continuing education, as well as which credit types are acceptable for continuing education hours. Please refer to your licensing board's rules and regulations. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval. 
For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact info@pesi.com or 800-844-8260 before purchase.

Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession.  As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession's standards.  

For Planning Committee disclosures, please see the statement above.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

 


Canada Credit - ---

Earn up to 3.0 CE hours. Please see below, for more details, as credit amounts vary by jurisdiction and profession. 


Canada Credit - Canadian Counsellors and Psychotherapists

PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association to offer continuing education for counsellors and psychotherapists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This self-study activity is approved for 3.0 credit hours.


Canada Credit - Social Workers - National ASWB ACE

PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2026 - January 27, 2029. Social workers completing this course receive 3.0 Clinical continuing education credits.

Course Level: Intermediate Format: Recorded asynchronous distance. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.

 

Canadian Social Workers: Canadian provinces may accept activities offered by providers approved by the ASWB ACE program for ongoing professional development.


Canada Credit - Other Professions

This self-study activity qualifies for 3.0 continuing education clock hours as required by many national and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your activity advertisement and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.


US National Boards - Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants

 

PESI, Inc.  is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Approved provider # 3322. This Distance-Learning Independent activity is offered at .3  CEUs Intermediate , OT Service Delivery; Foundational Knowledge. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

 

Full attendance at this live activity qualifies for 3.0 contact hours.

 



Handouts

Speaker

Ashley Smith, PhD's Profile

Ashley Smith, PhD Related seminars and products


Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist and recognized expert in anxiety and related disorders. She has worked in children’s hospitals, an anxiety specialty clinic, and private practice, providing evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD.

An adjunct faculty member at Kansas City University, Dr. Ashley has extensive experience training and supervising mental health professionals. She has authored peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and two books, including Childhood Anxiety Disorders. A long-time member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, she was honored with their Special Recognition Award in 2023.

She regularly presents workshops and trainings at local and national levels, focusing on the practical application of cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and applied neuroscience to improve clinical outcomes. She is also the co-founder of Peak Mind. The Center for Psychological Strength, an organization dedicated to making psychological tools more widely accessible.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ashley Smith is the co-founder of Peak Mind, has an employment relationship with Kansas City University, and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Ashley Smith receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ashley Smith is a member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.


Additional Info

Program Information

Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)

Access never expires for this product.

For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.


Questions?

Visit our FAQ page at https://www.pesicanada.ca/faq or contact us at https://www.pesicanada.ca/contact-us.


Objectives

  1. Differentiate pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder from anxiety and related conditions to improve accuracy in screening and assessment.
  2. Choose developmentally appropriate Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) interventions that support regulation, participation, and functional performance in children and adolescents.
  3. Utilize family-centered strategies that reduce accommodation and strengthen treatment adherence across home, school, and community settings.

Outline

Spot It When Others Miss It

  • Lesser-known OCD subtypes, including taboo intrusive thoughts
  • The obsession-compulsion loop and the role of uncertainty
  • Diagnostic pitfalls and how to avoid them

Assessment Tools That Work

  • CY-BOCs tips, demos, and clinical applications
  • Free self-report tools for efficient screening
  • Suicidal thoughts vs. OCD obsessions – key differences

Master ERP – The Gold Standard, Done Right

  • Exposure protocol design for different ages and stages
  • Fear ladders vs. all-in approaches – how to choose
  • In-session exposure tips and troubleshooting guidance

ACT, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Boosters

  • Values, defusion, and scripting for obsessive thoughts
  • Cognitive work without reinforcing compulsions
  • Kid-friendly mindfulness techniques that work

Motivation and Adherence Solutions

  • Buy-in and follow-through strategies that stick
  • Parental involvement through SPACE and strategic pressure
  • Behavior plans that support – not sabotage - treatment

Referral and Medication Guidance

  • Indicators for higher levels of care
  • Framing the referral conversation with families
  • Medication basics, consult timing, and collaboration tips

Target Audience

  • Counselors
  • Marriage and Family Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Social Workers
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Physicians

Reviews

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