High Standards vs. High Stakes in Sport: How OCD Hijacks Performance and How Treatment Restores it OCD vs. Addiction Webinar for Clinicians

High standards can fuel excellence in sport, but when performance routines become rigid, fear-driven, and compulsive, they may signal something far different than healthy perfectionism.

This workshop explores how OCD can masquerade as discipline in athletes, distinguishing adaptive high performance standards from clinically impairing rituals that hijack focus, flexibility, and execution. Attendees will examine key differences between OCD, perfectionism, and sport culture, learn how compulsions interfere with performance and identity, and gain evidence-based strategies for restoring freedom through ethical, sport-informed Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and contemporary OCD treatment principles.

CE credit(s) available for clinical professionals, psychologists, therapists, counselors, and social workers. See below for details.

Learning Objectives

Differentiate OCD symptoms from adaptive perfectionism and high-performance standards within athletic environments.
Identify how compulsive rituals and obsessional thinking can impair athletic performance, psychological flexibility, and identity development.
Apply evidence-based treatment principles, including sport-informed ERP and contemporary OCD interventions, to support athletes experiencing OCD-related performance interference.

1.5 CE credits will be provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare.

Please note:
CE credits are only awarded to attendees who participate in the live session. Watching a recording of the previously recorded webinar does not qualify for credit.

Learn more

Presenters

Cali Werner, PhD

Behavior Therapist, OCDI Texas

Cali Werner, Ph.D., LCSW, CMPC is the Director of Business Development and a behavior therapist at the OCD Institute of Texas and founder of Athlete Rising, LLC, where she specializes in treating anxiety, OCD, and performance-related concerns in high-achieving athletes. A former Rice University Division I distance runner, Cali earned nine conference titles and Honorable Mention All-American honors in the 10K while navigating her own experience with OCD. She later competed in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon and was the top-placing female Houstonian at the 2023 Houston Marathon. Her doctoral research at Baylor University culminated in the full dissertation Where Do We Go From Here? Mental Health in the World of Elite Sport, based on in-depth interviews with 20 Olympians examining mental health before, during, and after elite competition. Cali is also the author of the children’s book Anxious Annie and is dedicated to advancing public education, advocacy, and access to evidence-based treatment for athletes and families.

Dina Nunziato, PhD

Chief Clinical Officer, Anxiety Institute

BA, University of Virginia // MSW, New York University // PhD, University of Buffalo

Dr. Dina Nunziato serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at Anxiety Institute, overseeing clinical operations in our Greenwich, CT; Madison, NJ; and McLean, VA locations. She has spent over two decades working with young adults in anxiety-related clinical and educational settings and enjoys working with her Anxiety Institute colleagues to provide excellent clinical care for our clients and families. Dr. Nunziato’s Anxiety Institute training courses include The Impact of Chronic Mis-attunement: A Psychobiological Approach to Understanding Anxiety in Adolescents; Using Positive Psychology Techniques to Address Anxiety Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults; and Under the CBT Umbrella: Exploring ERP and DBT Treatment Options and Choosing the Right Approach for Your Clients.

Prior to joining the Anxiety Institute, Dr. Nunziato was the Director of Counseling & Psychological Services at Sarah Lawrence College and was an adjunct professor of Integrated Clinical Practice at New York University. Her research and publications focus on the use of evidence-based mindfulness techniques to support anxiety management, academic success, and emotional well-being.

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Co-Hosted By

Questions regarding this course?

Birgitta Johnson

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (612) 280-4503

Training Refund, Cancellation & Certification

Virtual Courses and Webinars

If you are unable to attend an online course or webinar, Anxiety Institute offers a 100% money-back guarantee, if you notify us at least 24-hours prior to the scheduled start date. For a multi-session course, cancellation must be received 24-hours prior to the first session.
If you are unable to attend a course session/webinar due to extenuating circumstances, a recording of the session will be available for viewing for two weeks after the live session date.
If Anxiety Institute cancels the availability of a course or webinar for any reason, participants will be notified via email. Though we would not do so without good reason, we reserve this right, as well as the right to reschedule courses and webinars and/or substitute presenters. In the case of a cancelled or rescheduled course, you may request a full refund of course/webinar fees paid.
If you wish to cancel your course registration, notification must be sent to [email protected] at least 24-hours prior to the scheduled start date.

Anxiety Institute, LLC disclaims any liability for any losses or damages, direct or indirect, arising from a training cancellation.

Certification
To receive CE credits, clinicians must attend the course sessions in real time, not via recorded sessions. All CE Certification fees are non-refundable.

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