This article considers the possibilities of functional analytic psychotherapy in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder. Functional analytic psychotherapy is a form of behavioral psychotherapy, that differs from traditional behavioral treatments like social skills training or desensitization, because it focuses exclusively on the opportunities for profound change that occur within the confines of an intimate and intense interpersonal relationship. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by repetitive and severe obsessions and compulsions that cause subjective suffering and objective losses. Although, at first sight, it is not an interpersonal problem, we will show how Functional Analytic Psychotherapy can contribute to its treatment. Turning-points are discussed in the relationship between a therapist and a 47 year-old client with treatment-resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder since early adolescence. In-vivo learning opportunities, as conceptualized by Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, are identified in the therapist-client relationship, and the reasons for the therapeutic effects are discussed.
Obsessive compulsive disorder; Functional analytic psychotherapy; Behavior therapy