Show-Me State Times

Alec Pollard, Ph.D., professor emeritus at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, has been honored with the International OCD Foundation's 2024 Outstanding Career Achievement Award. The award was presented during the IOCDF’s 29th Annual OCD Conference, which is a gathering for individuals with OCD, their families, treatment providers, and researchers.

Pollard has dedicated over 40 years to treating OCD and related disorders. He has focused on overcoming obstacles that hinder recovery or interfere with effective treatment participation. Throughout his career, he has trained more than 450 mental health professionals in treating OCD.

“Our goal is decreasing that gap, so all OCD sufferers have a chance to learn how to manage their OCD symptoms. That starts with the doctors who treat them,” Pollard stated. “It’s an honor to work with people who are so dynamic and hungry for information.”

In 1982, Pollard founded the Center for OCD and Anxiety-Related Disorders (COARD) at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Later in 1995, he established the Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute (SLBMI), where he serves as founding director.

Pollard's contributions include developing Treatment Readiness Therapy (TRT) at SLBMI. Despite OCD affecting up to four million people in the United States, there remains a shortage of therapists trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Research indicates it takes an average of 14 to 17 years from symptom onset for effective treatment due to treatment-interfering behavior.

Pollard completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology-San Diego in 1981 and received postdoctoral training at Temple University Health Sciences Center. He was mentored by Edna Foa and Joseph Wolpe, both recognized experts in behavior therapy.