Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder Research

Advancing equity and access.

Closing the Health Equity Gap

Despite the existence of effective therapies, not all segments of society have been able to access effective care for OCD. Dr. Williams' research into this issue found widespread and ongoing exclusion of racialized groups from specialized treatment facilities and treatment outcome studies. Her research has been focused on improving access for all.

Taboo Symptoms

Dr. Williams has been a leader in raising awareness about frequently misdiagnosed OCD symptoms. She published the first research articles on sexual obsessions in OCD. She developed a new measure (the SORT) to help clinicians distinguish between sexual orientation fears in OCD and a sexual identity crisis in sexual minority individuals. As such, she has been recognized as the leading expert on this topic and was commissioned by Oxford University Press, to complete a treatment manual for sexual worries in OCD, published in 2019, entitled Sexual Obsessions in OCD: Definitive Guide to Understanding, Diagnosis, & Treatment.

Recent OCD Publications

George, J. R., Taylor, R. J., Rouleau, T. M., Turner, E. D., & Williams, M. T. (in press). Seeking care for obsessive-compulsive symptoms among African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life. Behavior Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2024.08.002

Pinciotti, C. M., Feinstein, B. A., & Williams, M. T. (in press). Symptom profiles and intensive treatment outcomes in sexual minority and heterosexual patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavior Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2024.06.006

Lee, E. B., Wetterneck, C. T., McIngvale, E., Williams, M. T., & Björgvinsson, T. (2024). Rethinking unacceptable thoughts: Validation of an expanded version of the dimensional obsessive-compulsive scale (DOCS). Behavior Therapy 55(4), 786-800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2023.11.003

Williams, M., La Torre, J., & MacIntyre, M., M. (2023). Culture, race, religion and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In C. Lack (Ed.), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Etiology, Phenomenology, and Treatment, 2nd ed. (pp. 105-133). United Kingdom: Onus Books. ISBN: 978-1-8382391-6-9

Williams, M., Whittal, M., & La Torre, J. (2022). Best practices for CBT treatment of taboo and unacceptable thoughts in OCD. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 15 (e15), 1-25. https://10.1017/S1754470X22000113

Pinciotti, C. M., Smith, Z., Singh, S., Wetterneck, C. T., & Williams, M. T. (2022). Call to action: Recommendations for justice-based treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder with sexual orientation and gender themes. Behavior Therapy, 53(2), 153-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2021.11.001

All Publications

Professional Memberships

Dr. Williams has served important roles in many OCD-related organizations, including the OC Foundation of California where she servered on the Board of Directors for Community Education.

She is currently a member of the International OCD Foundation where she serves on the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board. She co-founded their Diversity Council, where she serves in an emeritus role. She also conducts annual trainings for their Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) for therapists of color.