Service Description

Join Carl Robbins, Director of Training and Senior Clinician at the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland, for a 1.5-hour training focused on the role of anxiety sensitivity in the development and treatment of anxiety disorders and OCD. Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of anxiety-related sensations themselves. It is a trait-like vulnerability factor that contributes to the onset and maintenance of a wide range of psychological disorders. Elevated anxiety sensitivity can amplify distress and perpetuate cycles of avoidance, reinforcing functional impairment over time. Despite its central role, it is often under-assessed or insufficiently targeted in treatment. This training will provide a clear conceptual framework for understanding how anxiety sensitivity operates and manifests across clinical presentations. Participants will learn practical strategies for assessment, as well as the four core components of a cognitive-behavioral approach to reducing anxiety sensitivity. The session will include a demonstration of interoceptive exposure techniques designed to modify catastrophic misinterpretations of anxious arousal.