APN Clinical Focus Webinar Monday 16th November 7:30-9pm

WEBINAR PRESENTATION - recording will be available to those who register

Optimising Exposure Therapy for Anxiety

A/Prof Carly Johnco, Lifespan Health & Wellbeing Research Centre, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University

About this webinar: Exposure-focused CBT is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety, but clinicians often don’t feel confident using it. There are also different ways of implementing exposure in clinical practice, and questions remain about the best way to maximise its clinical efficacy. This webinar will explore the inhibitory retrieval model of exposure, which emphasises changes in threat expectancies, rather than anxiety reduction. It will also be drawing on recent research about different ways of implanting exposure, including whether we should use cognitive restructuring before exposure, and we will consider what these findings mean for clinical practice. The webinar will translate theory into practical strategies for delivering exposure therapy, strengthening new learning, and deciding when and how to challenge clients’ threat predictions. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the mechanisms targeted by exposure therapy, common therapeutic pitfalls, and ways to optimise treatment outcomes

Recommended (open access) reading: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40354272/

About the presenter: Carly Johnco is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychological Science at Macquarie University and currently holds an NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellowship. She is the National Convenor of the Australian Psychological Society Psychology and Ageing Interest Group, and the Deputy Director of the Macquarie University Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre. Her research investigates the cognitive and learning mechanisms underlying anxiety and how these can be leveraged to optimise psychological and exposure-focused treatments. She has a particular interest in developmental differences across the lifespan, especially in children and older adults.