Friday, May 1, 2026 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Zoom | 1 CE
Program Description:
This presentation will provide an overview of anxiety disorders and OCD in youth and the role of parents in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of these common and impairing conditions. It will begin with an overview of current scientific data on the efficacy and limitations of psychosocial treatments for pediatric anxiety disorders and OCD that are primarily or exclusively child-focused. Next, we will describe the core processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as well as why and how it has been adapted as an intervention for parents of youth with a variety of physical and mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders and OCD. A particular focus of this presentation will be on the bi-directional relationship of parent and child responses to uncomfortable emotions and ways to address these responses when working with parents. Experiential exercises will be conducted to demonstrate the application of ACT to promote behavioral flexibility, distress tolerance, and autonomy support in parents of anxious youth to enhance outcomes of traditional CBT protocols.
Level of Instruction:
Intermediate
Learning Objectives:
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Describe how parent involvement impacts the treatment of youth anxiety disorders.
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Demonstrate their ability to implement two ACT-consistent experiential exercises with parents.
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Describe the six core ACT processes and how they are related to and can enhance treatment of youth anxiety disorders when working with parents.
About the Presenters:
Dr. Alyssa Faro is a licensed psychologist in private practice at True North Health, PLLC in addition to serving on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and as a clinical supervisor and researcher at the OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents (OCDI Jr.). She has extensive experience treating OCD and related disorders across the lifespan with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and other evidence-based treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), ACT, and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). She previously served as the Director of Clinical Services at McLean Hospital’s OCDI Jr. where she oversaw clinical training and programming, admissions, and supervision. Dr. Faro has presented and written on treating OCD and has been featured in the press as an expert. She is the co-founder of Anchored Approach, PLLC, which provides clinical consultation, training, and educational programming on evidence-based assessment and psychosocial treatment for anxiety disorders and OCD.
Dr. Ashley Hart is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA, where she serves as a staff psychologist and the Training Director in Student Counseling Services. Dr. Hart specializes in treating and training others in evidence-based psychotherapy approaches for anxiety, OCD, and related disorders in youth and adults, especially exposure therapy-based interventions. She maintains a private practice (Willow Tree Psychology, PLLC) that serves individuals and families in the greater Worcester community. She is the co-founder of Anchored Approach, PLLC, which provides clinical consultation, training, and educational programming on evidence-based assessment and psychosocial treatment approaches for anxiety disorders and OCD.
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NHPA prices workshops by CE credit hour:
$25.00 per CE for members; $35.00 per CE for non-members
Paying with a check:
Checks must be received within one week of the event. If payment has not been received, registrant will still have option to pay online with a credit card up until the day before the program. If an invoice remains open on the day of the event, the registrant will not be allowed to attend.
Cancellation policy:
Refunds, minus a 10% cancellation fee, will be issued for all cancellations received two weeks prior to the start of the course. No refunds or vouchers will be made thereafter. No-shows are not refunded.
Attendance policy:
Full attendance is required to obtain CEs per NHPA policy. No partial credit will be given. Those who attend the workshop and complete the evaluation form will receive 1 continuing education credit. Please note that APA CE rules require that we only give credit to those who attend the entire workshop. Those arriving after the scheduled start time or leaving before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credits.
Registrations are Transferable:
Registrants can transfer an event confirmation to another individual. The NHPA office must be notified of the transfer at least 24 hours prior to the event.
This program is sponsored by the New Hampshire Psychological Association. NHPA is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. NHPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
