An audio-tape technique was used in the treatment of a 35-year-old male with a 13 year history of obsessional rituals and ruminations. His rituals responded to exposure and self-imposed response prevention but the ruminations remained as before.
The audio-tape treatment, which involved him listening to his own voice reciting his ruminative content, resulted in a rapid and substantial reduction in frequency of ruminations and this was maintained to one month follow-up.
The clinical and theoretical implications of this treatment approach are discussed.