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IN PERSON TRAINING! Dive deep into Exposure Response Prevention techniques
Presented by Dr. Peter Aston
3 CEs available
This training will not be recorded. If you are interested in this learning opportunity, please plan to attend this in-person event. Please read the full event description for all registration terms including refund policy.
Workshop Description
This three-hour clinical training presents a structured, recovery-oriented approach to Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD and related anxiety disorders. While grounded in traditional ERP, the model expands into a transdiagnostic framework applicable to generalized anxiety, panic, health anxiety, social anxiety, and related presentations. The training integrates principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, self-compassion research, and inhibitory learning theory to create a cohesive and clinically actionable treatment system.
Participants will first learn a clear maintenance model of clinical anxiety and OCD, including the roles of triggers, beliefs, mental and behavioral compulsions (components), classical conditioning, inference of danger, and threat bias (mechanisms). The training then introduces a recovery model that targets reduction in the brain’s tendency to generate false alarms, rather than focusing solely on coping after anxiety appears. A core recovery skill, distilled into a practical acronym, will be taught and applied across clinical examples.
The second half of the training focuses on integrating self-compassion and humor into exposure-based treatment. Participants will observe a live demonstration of a three-chair self-compassion exercise adapted from Kristin Neff’s work, and will learn how compassionate dialogue enhances willingness and reduces shame. The therapeutic function of humor will also be explored through a false alarm theory framework, linking humor to inhibitory learning processes.
This is an intermediate to advanced level training appropriate for licensed therapists familiar with basic CBT concepts who want to deepen and refine their exposure-based work.
Educational Goals
Participants will gain a clinically actionable framework for conceptualizing and treating anxiety and OCD using a transdiagnostic exposure-based recovery model. The training will clarify how maintenance processes differ from recovery processes and demonstrate how structured homework, self-compassion, and humor can be integrated into ERP to enhance long term outcomes.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:
- Describe at least three mechanisms that maintain anxiety and OCD.
- Diagram a maintenance model of anxiety.
- Apply a structured recovery skill to a clinical case example and identify at least three corresponding homework interventions.
- Organize at least three exposure based homework assignments that align with specific aspects of the recovery model/process.
- Demonstrate how to integrate at least two self compassion interventions into exposure based treatment.
- Explain at least two mechanisms through which humor enhances inhibitory learning in exposure therapy.
- Describe and assess the ways perceived threat can vary across clients based on their membership in different identity groups, using a clinical case.
- Collaboratively evaluate threat with clients, ensuring that exposure work remains both culturally responsive and clinically appropriate.
Presenter Dr. Peter Aston
Dr. Peter Aston is a licensed clinical psychologist (PSY32050) and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He specializes in cognitive behavioral and other evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, stress, and trauma, with particular expertise in exposure and response prevention (ERP). At Stanford, he provides psychotherapy for individuals with mood and anxiety disorders and leads OCD groups and health anxiety programming within the department. He is also Co-Associate Director of Training for the PAU–Stanford PsyD Consortium, where he has received multiple student-voted teaching awards for his course The Nature and Treatment of Clinical Anxiety.
Dr. Aston is the co-founder and co-director of California Psychology Center, a psychologist-led group practice with specialty clinics in anxiety and OCD. He regularly provides graduate-level and continuing education training on ERP, transdiagnostic treatment models, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and has developed structured recovery models that package and integrate evidence-based treatments to enhance inhibitory learning and long-term resilience. In addition to his clinical and academic work, he serves as the team psychologist for the San Jose Sharks (NHL), drawing on his background as a former professional hockey player to support individuals performing in high-pressure environments.
Attendance at the training in full and completion of the course evaluation afterwards qualifies for 3 hours of Continuing Education (3 CEs).
Date: Saturday, May 30
Time: Please arrive by 8:45am to register. Training begins at 9:00am and goes to 12:15pm (3 hours of training plus time for a break)
Cost: $40 for licensed Marin CAMFT members; $30 for pre-licensed members. Other rates including reciprocal rates for members of RECAMFT also available, see registration panel.
Location: IN PERSON
Additional Information about Marin CAMFT CE Programs
For more information about the Friday Continuing Education Series or about joining the Marin CAMFT Continuing Education Committee, please contact our Director of Programs Arianna Sifuentes.
- Continuing Education: This workshop meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LEPs and/or LPCCs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. These CEs will be provided by Marin CAMFT (CAMFT Provider # 56895), which is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs. We regret that at this time we are not able to provide CE credits for Licensed Psychologists. Participants must attend the full duration of the program (on Zoom, or in person, per event details above) and complete the course evaluation to receive the CE completion certificate. Marin CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program and its contents. Contact our Director of Programs for more information.
- Continuing Education Goal: Marin CAMFT is committed to offering continuing education courses to train LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs to treat any client in an ethically and clinically sound manner based upon current accepted standards of practice.
- Refund Policy: Our refund policy requires a $20 processing fee, and we must be notified in advance of the event if you would like to cancel. We do not provide refunds in case of non-attendance by the registrant. Please contact our Director of Programs with any questions.
- Request for Accommodations: If you need accommodations for this event, please contact the Director of Programs.
- Grievance Procedure: Marin CAMFT will respond to complaints in a reasonable, ethical and timely manner, when submitted by program attendees in writing to the Director of Programs.
- Anti-Discrimination Policy: Marin CAMFT shall not discriminate against any individual or group with respect to any service, program or activity based on gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, creed, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, ability, or other prohibited basis. Marin CAMFT does not require attendees to adhere to any particular religion or creed in order to participate in training. Marin CAMFT will not promote or advocate for a single modality of treatment that is discriminatory or likely to harm clients based on current accepted standards or practice.
Continuing education credits are available for attendance at the entirety of the training, including signing in and out on the attendance logs at the beginning and end of the training. The course evaluation will be provided by email to confirmed attendees after the training.
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