Symposium 37 - Broadening the Reach of CBT for Hoarding and OCD: Engagement, Equity, and Sustainable Care

Chair(s)

• RM

  Richard Moulding, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

  Professor
  Cairnmillar Institute
  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Discussant(s)

• GD

  Guy Doron, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

  Reichman University
  Tel-Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel

Presenter(s)

• BG

  Bidhu Ghosh, Other (he/him/his)

  PhD/Master of Psychology (Clinical) Candidate
  UNSW
  bexley, New South Wales, Australia
• JG

  Jessica Grisham, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

  Professor
  UNSW Sydney
  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• RM

  Richard Moulding, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

  Professor
  Cairnmillar Institute
  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• MN

  Maja Nedeljkovic, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

  Professor in Clinical Psychology
  Swinburne University of Technology
  Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

Hoarding disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are chronic, disabling conditions associated with substantial functional impairment, safety risks, and reduced quality of life. Although cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is the most empirically supported treatment for these conditions, access, engagement, and sustainability remain major barriers to care. This symposium brings together a coordinated program of research that advances more affirming, equitable, and sustainable CBT approaches across hoarding- and OCD-related presentations.
Presentations will showcase innovative interventions designed to address key obstacles to treatment engagement and delivery. First, imagery-based approaches are examined, including telehealth-delivered process imagery to enhance motivation for discarding in individuals with elevated hoarding tendencies, and audio-guided imagery rescripting as a scalable adjunct to internet-delivered CBT for OCD. These studies demonstrate how brief, technology-enabled interventions can reduce ambivalence, target fear-of-self cognitions, and extend the reach of evidence-based CBT beyond traditional therapist-led formats.
Second, the symposium highlights group-based and family-focused CBT interventions aimed at improving real-world implementation. Findings from a group CBT program for hoarding disorder demonstrate that integrating harm-minimisation strategies can meaningfully reduce hoarding severity while addressing safety concerns and supporting delivery within publicly funded health-care systems. Complementing this work, a co-designed psychoeducation group for relatives and carers of individuals with hoarding disorder illustrates how incorporating lived-experience perspectives—including those of adult children—can inform affirming interventions that reduce burden, improve confidence, and address family accommodation.
Collectively, these presentations emphasise CBT models that are accessible, scalable, and responsive to lived experience. By integrating digital delivery, group-based care, harm-minimisation, and co-design methodologies, this symposium demonstrates how CBT can be adapted to broaden access, enhance engagement, and support sustainable care for individuals and families affected by hoarding disorder and OCD.

Presentations:

• 11:06 AM - 11:27 AM PDT

  (SYM 37) Does Process Imagery Promote Discarding?
  

  Speaker: Bidhu Ghosh, Other (he/him/his) – UNSW

  Co-Author: Kirsten Hertog, None – UNSW

  Co-Author: Justin Thomas Tan, None – UNDE

  Co-Author: Jessica Grisham, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – UNSW Sydney
• 11:27 AM - 11:48 AM PDT

  (SYM 37) Audio-guided Imagery Rescripting for OCD
  

  Speaker: Jessica Grisham, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – UNSW Sydney

  Co-Author: Natalie Winiarski, student (she/her/hers) – University of new south wales

  Co-Author: David Cooper, dr (he/him/his) – University of new south wales

  Co-Author: Dua Kashany, student (she/her/hers) – University of new south wales

  Co-Author: Alison Mahoney, Ph.D. – Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, St Vincents Hospital

  Co-Author: Jenny Le, Dr (she/her/hers) – Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD)

  Co-Author: Shyn Phua, , UNSW, Female, student (she/her/hers) – University of new south wales
• 11:48 AM - 12:09 PM PDT

  (SYM 37) Acceptability and Effectiveness of a Group-based CBT and Harm-minimisation Program for Hoarding Disorder
  

  Speaker: Richard Moulding, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Cairnmillar Institute

  Co-Author: Steven Tsolakis, Mr (he/him/his) – Swinburne University of Technology

  Co-Author: Maja Nedeljkovic, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Swinburne University of Technology

  Co-Author: Jennifer Stargatt, Dr (she/her/hers) – Swinburne University of Technology

  Co-Author: Imogen Rehm, Dr (she/her/hers) – Victoria university
• 12:09 PM - 12:30 PM PDT

  (SYM 37) Co-designing a Family Accommodation Support Program for Hoarding Disorder: Development, Acceptability, and Clinical Outcomes
  

  Speaker: Maja Nedeljkovic, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Swinburne University of Technology

  Co-Author: Glenn Little, Psychologist (he/him/his) – Healthyside Clinical Psychology

  Co-Author: Nina Puren, Dr (she/her/hers) – Bluff road Psychology

  Co-Author: Richard Moulding, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Cairnmillar Institute