Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Patients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) have a perceived or imagined defect in their physical appearance and engage in compulsive behaviors. Though there has been a surge of effective treatments in the past ten years, BDD is still under recognized and misdiagnosed. In this seminar, we will review the theoretical and empirical models of the psychopathology of and treatment for BDD, as well as discuss and instruct on strategies to mitigate symptoms (i.e., image rescripting, attentional training, habit reversal, and exposure and response prevention). This seminar will emphasize recent improvements in BDD treatment and new treatment strategies.

• Describe and identify key symptoms and diagnostic criteria of body dysmorphic disorder.
• Gain an understanding of what treatments are most effective for BDD, and how these treatments are conducted.
• Apply treatment knowledge from this presentation to your current caseload.

Fugen Neziroglu, PhD