Summer’s here! For many of us, that means longer days, maybe some much-needed time off, and a general shift in pace. But for our clients working through ERP, these seasonal shifts can bring challenges that can feel like throwing a wrench in the gears of progress.
These sudden changes in routine can throw off even the most committed and seasoned clients. Those carefully constructed exposure hierarchies, those meticulously planned response prevention strategies can suddenly feel like they’re on shaky ground when school’s out, vacations are looming, or social calendars explode.
So, let’s talk about it. How can we as ERP therapists anticipate and address these summer-specific hurdles to keep our clients moving forward?
The Summer Change-Up: What this Can Mean for Clients
- Routine Disruption is OCD’s Best Friend: Predictability is often a comforting anchor for those with OCD. Summer shatters that. Erratic sleep schedules, varied mealtimes, and a lack of daily structure can create more mental space for obsessions to creep in or make it harder to consistently implement exposures.
- Think: The client who usually has a strict morning routine for getting ready now has unstructured mornings, leading to more compulsions.
- Think: The client who usually has a strict morning routine for getting ready now has unstructured mornings, leading to more compulsions.
- Vacation Woes: Travel is fantastic for most, but can be a minefield for clients with OCD. New environments, public spaces, different food, unfamiliar beds, separation from familiar items or routines – these are all potential triggers. Clients might even avoid vacations entirely, reinforcing OCD’s power.
- Think: The client struggling with intrusive thoughts while away from home and around new or unfamiliar triggers.
- Think: The client struggling with intrusive thoughts while away from home and around new or unfamiliar triggers.
- Increased Social Pressures: Summer often means more social gatherings; barbecues, beach trips, family reunions. Finding time to do ERP work can feel more difficult or challenging, leading to lapses in HW. Clients can also feel overwhelmed by the pressure to “be normal” or hide their symptoms.
- Think: The client who now has more social engagements and a busier schedule leading to more difficulty in scheduling sessions or doing ERP homework.
- Think: The client who now has more social engagements and a busier schedule leading to more difficulty in scheduling sessions or doing ERP homework.
- The “Relaxation Paradox”: Sometimes, the very idea of “relaxing” can be an exposure in itself. For clients who use busyness or constant mental work as a subtle compulsion, unstructured downtime can ironically increase anxiety and obsessions.
- Think: The client who finds their intrusive thoughts escalating when they finally have downtime from work or school.
Proactive Strategies for Summer-Proofing ERP
So, how do we help our clients (and ourselves!) navigate this season successfully?
- Anticipatory Guidance: Before summer truly kicks into gear (or even mid-summer if you’re reading this now!), initiate conversations with your clients about their summer plans.
- Ask: “What does your summer look like? Any travel? Changes in work/school? Social events?”
- Then: Brainstorm potential triggers and discuss how ERP skills can be adapted and flexible to the change in routine.
- Make ERP Part of the “Vacation Plan”: For clients traveling, turn the trip itself into an opportunity to practice their skills.
- Consider: In what ways can your client challenge their OCD while they’re on vacation? What response prevention goals can they practice?
- Acknowledge: It’s okay if a vacation isn’t “perfect.” The goal is progress, not perfection. Help the client set realistic expectations in terms of feeling anxiety on vacation.
- Flexible Routines, Not No Routines: Encourage clients to build in some flexible structure. Maybe it’s consistent wake/sleep times, or dedicating 15 minutes a day to a “mini exposure” regardless of other plans.
- Tip: Suggest an “OCD check-in” routine at the beginning or end of the day, no matter what else is happening.
- Tip: Suggest an “OCD check-in” routine at the beginning or end of the day, no matter what else is happening.
- Target Social Exposures Deliberately: If social events are a trigger, work them into the hierarchy.
- Perhaps: Attending a small family gathering for 30 minutes, then increasing time as tolerance allows, or tolerating uncertainty at a BBQ without reassurance-seeking.
- Perhaps: Attending a small family gathering for 30 minutes, then increasing time as tolerance allows, or tolerating uncertainty at a BBQ without reassurance-seeking.
- Reframe “Downtime”: Help clients see unstructured time not as a threat, but as an opportunity for mindful non-engagement with obsessions. Introduce acceptance-based strategies for when obsessions spike in quiet moments.
Share Your Summer Survival Tips!
We’re all in this together. What unique challenges have you seen your OCD clients face during the summer? What are your go-to strategies for keeping ERP momentum going when the seasons change?
We’d love for you to share your insights with us! Let’s build a collective toolkit to ensure our clients can truly thrive this summer, free from OCD’s grip.
And speaking of helpful tools, don’t forget to grab your FREE Essential ERP Client Handout Pack! It’s packed with ready-to-use resources to empower your clients (and save you time!) throughout their ERP journey.