Table Of Content“The authors have succeeded in providing a practical roadmap for people struggling with
OCD to incorporate mindfulness into their CBT treatment. For many, this will be the
addition that makes all the difference.”
— Diane Davey, RN, MBA, program director, OCD Institute
“The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD is a unique must- have companion to enhance the
standard application of ERP treatment for both therapists and individuals living with
OCD. The authors’ compassion is evident throughout, and reflects a deep understanding
of the suffering that OCD imposes every day. Chapter by chapter, the authors demystify
the concepts of mindfulness in a very user- friendly manner. The workbook- style approach
allows the reader to mindfully examine the ways in which OCD has formed its hold, and
provides concrete exercises for loosening that hold and regaining a life and identity free
from OCD. I am excited to recommend this book to my clients and colleagues alike.”
—K athleen M. Rupertus, PsyD, clinician, The Anxiety and OCD Treatment
Center, Delaware
“As someone who has benefitted greatly from both cognitive behavioral therapy and mind-
fulness practice, I am thrilled to see a book showcasing how powerful their pairing can be
for those of us with OCD. The practical roadmap Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy provide
here offers turn- by- turn directions to the one place OCD simply can’t survive: the present
moment!”
—J eff Bell, author of Rewind, Replay, Repeat: A Memoir of OCD
“A valuable addition to the self- help library of all OCD sufferers, as well as those who treat
OCD! The book presents state- of- the art information for incorporating very effective
mindfulness techniques into effective OCD treatment.”
— Lee Baer, PhD, author of Getting Control and The Imp of the Mind, and clinical
professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School
“The concept of mindfulness is proving to be an increasingly important concept in dealing
with a number of disorders, and this book ably extends it to OCD. It presents a concise and
practical approach to this topic, with straightforward easy- to- follow instructions. The skills
readers will gain from learning to be fully in the present moment and accepting what is
occurring there will surely add a great deal to their efforts at overcoming what is a confus-
ing and painful disorder.”
—Fred Penzel, PhD, psychologist and executive director at Western Suffolk
Psychological Services, Huntington, NY
“Although mindfulness plays a critical role in coping with the uncertainties of OCD, prac-
tical how- to help for sufferers and clinicians wasn’t there. Hershfield and Corboy’s work-
book masterfully fills this void with details of how to employ mindfulness techniques for all
the different ways OCD manifests itself.”
—J onathan Grayson, PhD, director of the Anxiety and OCD Treatment Center
of Philadelphia
“This is a wonderful and very well- written book, full of lively and helpful examples. It will
be a huge help to those with OCD and related illnesses. The book gives very useful and
practical tools to manage the symptoms of OCD. This is a major contribution that will
help patients immensely.”
— Michael A. Jenike, MD, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
“This is the most comprehensive, straight forward, easy- to- follow treatment manual com-
bining CBT and mindfulness- based techniques. For those who may not have access to
treatment providers, The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD will be an excellent resource to
help guide and navigate how to overcome their obsessions and compulsions in a succinct,
clear manner. By far, the best addition to my resource library and referral list.”
—Robin Zasio, PsyD, LCSW, author of The Hoarder in You and featured doctor
on the television show, Hoarders
The
Mindfulness
Workbook
O C D
for
A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions
and
Compulsions Using Mindfulness
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
and
JON HERSHFIELD, MFT • TOM CORBOY, MFT
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the
understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assis-
tance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2013 by Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup
Acquired by Jess O’Brien
Edited by Nelda Street
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file
To Shannon, Emma, and Sadie: thanks for making the present so worthwhile.
And to OCD sufferers everywhere: you are stronger than you think.
—Jon Hershfield, MFT
For Shanti: thank you for being the best thing that ever happened to me.
—Tom Corboy, MFT
Contents
Foreword vii
Introduction 1
PART 1
Mindfulness and OCD
1 The Brain, the Mind, and You 7
2 Mindfulness and Cognitive Therapy 25
3 Mindfulness and Behavioral Therapy 41
4 Mindfulness and Compulsions 59
PART 2
Mindfulness and CBT for Specific Obsessions
5 Acceptance, Assessment, Action 81
6 Contamination OCD 85
7 Responsibility/Checking OCD 99
8 Just Right OCD 109
9 Harm OCD 117
10 Sexual Orientation OCD (HOCD) 129
11 Pedophile OCD (POCD) 141
12 Relationship OCD (ROCD) 153
13 Scrupulosity OCD 165
14 Hyperawareness OCD 177
The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD
PART 3
Mindfulness, OCD, and You
15 Sharing Your OCD Experience 189
16 Mindfulness and Staying on Track 197
17 Getting Help 207
Resources 211
References 215
vi
Foreword
The history of mindfulness and its inclusion in cognitive behavioral practice is long
and complicated. As a concept and practice, mindfulness is most closely associated
with Buddhism; but it actually has roots in many traditions, and a place in every-
one’s experience. As a component of treatment, mindfulness first showed up in stress man-
agement and, later, pain management, pioneered by Jon Kabat- Zinn. Marsha Linehan
incorporated mindfulness into the treatment of borderline personality disorder in her
groundbreaking development of dialectical behavior therapy. Mindfulness became an
important part of work with recurrent depression in mindfulness- based cognitive therapy
for depression by Zindel Segal and other therapists in the field.
I first learned the potential importance of mindfulness in CBT while learning about
DBT and MBCT. However, when I first discussed it with some highly respected experts on
OCD, I was met with some dismissive responses and strange looks. My intention to broach
the subject of mindfulness in a self- help book I was cowriting led to a conflict with coau-
thors that threatened the project. Some of the early attempts to usher the benefits of mind-
fulness into working with OCD were awkward, which may have fed resistance. The best
thinking in science comes from people who are open to new ideas and, while skeptical, are
simultaneously willing to look at the data. We have arrived at a point where it’s generally
recognized that mindfulness is an important component of well- conceptualized CBT for
OCD.
I have known Jon Hershfield for a number of years, primarily from his participation in
an Internet support group for people with OCD. He could tell his story of how OCD has
affected his life and led him to become a therapist, focusing on helping others with this
