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OCD Treatment:
Exposure and Response Prevention

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Our clinicians have expertise in treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP is a specialized form of CBT developed specifically for OCD. It has been extensively researched and is considered the gold standard psychological treatment for OCD. ERP has been shown to significantly reduce OCD symptoms and improve overall quality of life. ERP works by helping you face the thoughts, images or situations that trigger your OCD while resisting the urge to perform compulsions. Over time, this practice teaches your brain that feared outcomes are unlikely to happen and that anxiety naturally rises and falls on its own. By breaking the cycle of obsessions and compulsions, ERP reduces the power of OCD has over you and helps you build confidence in handling uncertainty and discomfort without relying on rituals.

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Treatment: How ERP Works

Before starting ERP, you will meet with your therapist for an assessment to formulate an individualized treatment plan based on your symptoms and to ensure the treatment is a good fit for your needs.

During ERP, you will:

  • Learn how OCD works: understand the cycle of anxiety, obsessions and compulsions and how symptoms are maintained over time.
  • Identify triggers: learn to identify the specific triggers, thoughts and images that activate your OCD.
  • Learn how to plan and conduct exposures: learn about exposure principles and create a step-by-step plan to gradually confront feared situations at a manageable pace.
  • Gradually confront feared stimuli: complete exposure exercises, in which you gradually face feared situations at a manageable pace.
  • Engage in relapse prevention: build long-term strategies to maintain gains and handle future triggers.

It is common to feel apprehensive about starting ERP. Clients often find it reassuring to know that:

  • Exposure exercises are approached gradually. Treatment typically begins with practices that are moderately challenging but manageable. You repeat exposures until your anxiety decreases and confidence increases before moving on to more difficult situations.
  • You are always in control. While your therapist will guide and encourage you to challenge yourself, you always decide whether to proceed with a particular exposure. You will never be forced to do anything.
  • Exposures are never unsafe or unethical. Your therapist will not ask you to do anything harmful, objectively unsafe, or that violates your personal values. The goal of ERP is to help you re-engage in activities and experiences that your OCD has limited, while tolerating levels uncertainty and risk similar to most other people.
Click to Read More about OCD and ERP

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