The ART & Science of Anxiety

2 CE Credits

Alissa Jerud, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, The ART and Science of Emotions, LLC, www.alissajerud.com

Anxiety is something that all of us experience at times, though the way in which it manifests and the situations that trigger it varies greatly from person to person. Given that the dental office is a place where anxiety can often run high, this talk will consist of a discussion of the different ways in which anxiety may present in the office, including the unique fears that may lead patients to feel anxious while sitting in your chair. In addition, the lecture will cover evidenced-based strategies for working effectively with anxious patients and staff, as well as tips for managing your own anxiety when it does not seem to be serving you well. The presentation will conclude with an informal discussion of cases where anxiety has gotten in the way of a patient receiving needed treatment, followed by empirically based suggestions for navigating these types of cases in the future in order to increase patient adherence in the context of dental treatment.

Dr. Jerud completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cornell University and her Master's and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from The University of Washington. Clinically, Dr. Jerud specializes in Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) for PTSD, Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention for OCD, and cognitive-behavioral treatments for social anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety