North Star Conversations Transcript: Finding ERP—A Personal Entry into Exposure Therapy—Melanie Santos, PsyD
Melanie Santos, PsyD, describes how her exposure therapy work began with a personal connection: helping a friend with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). She explains what drew her to CBT and ERP—both for their evidence base and their practical, tools-based structure.
Brandon Gimbel (00:00)
What was it about ERP that really clicked for you personally?
Melanie Santos (00:02)
That's a great question. So during my undergrad years, and at that point, I already decided that I wanted to go into psychology. I read about a condition called body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. And BDD is an obsessive compulsive related disorder where a person's preoccupied with how they look, which is different than eating disorders. It in particular piqued my interest because I had a dear friend who was suffering from it. So I began reading voraciously about how to help them and to find the best treatments. And from a psychotherapeutic standpoint, that was CBT. And that CBT for BDD also includes exposure and response prevention. And not only does it resonate with me because it's evidence-based, but it's very solution-focused and it gives people tools to better manage their distress.