Exposure Response Prevention
“You cannot learn that something is safe if you always avoid it. To heal, you must walk into the fear—and stay long enough to discover it can’t hurt you.” — Dr. Edna Foa
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a gold-standard, evidence-based approach for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety-related conditions. Rather than avoiding the thoughts, feelings, or situations that cause distress, ERP helps you gradually face them—at a pace that feels safe and supported. This process gently retrains the brain and nervous system, reducing the urge to engage in rituals, checking, or avoidance. The goal isn't to eliminate fear completely, but to shift how you respond to it—so it no longer dictates your choices, limits your life, or disconnects you from what matters most.
Anxiety and OCD often operate in a loop: a triggering thought or sensation appears, and the mind scrambles for relief—through compulsions, reassurance-seeking, or mental rituals. While these responses might offer temporary relief, they reinforce the idea that discomfort is dangerous. ERP interrupts this cycle by helping you stay present with the discomfort without responding to it in the usual ways. Over time, what once felt overwhelming becomes something you can tolerate—even move through with confidence. Healing through ERP isn’t about becoming someone different—it’s about coming home to yourself with more freedom, resilience, and trust. You don’t have to face it alone—and you don’t have to be fearless to take the first step.
How Does ERP Work?
Assessment
We begin by understanding your symptoms, history, and how anxiety or OCD is showing up in your life. This helps guide a personalized treatment plan that meets you where you are.
Motivation
Before jumping into exposures, we clarify why this work matters to you—what values, goals, or parts of life have been held back by fear. This step helps anchor you in purpose when the work gets hard.
Preparation
In this phase, you’ll learn how the anxiety and OCD cycle works, and why avoidance and compulsions keep you stuck. We focus on building understanding, increasing emotional readiness, and equipping you with tools for navigating discomfort.
Hierarchy
We identify the thoughts, situations, or sensations that trigger anxiety or compulsions, then organize them from least to most distressing. This hierarchy gives us a clear, step-by-step path for exposure work.
7 Step ERP Process
Exposure
You’ll gradually begin to face the fears you’ve been avoiding—gently and intentionally, with support. These exercises are designed to teach your brain that anxiety can rise and fall without needing to control or escape it.
Response Prevention
Instead of engaging in compulsions, safety behaviors, or avoidance, you practice staying present with the discomfort. This helps retrain your nervous system and weakens the grip of fear over time.
Repeat & Reinforce
Healing through ERP is not always a one-time process—it’s a practice. As you discover what works, you’ll continue to apply these tools across different fears, situations, or stages of life. Sometimes new triggers arise, or familiar ones return. In those moments, revisiting exposures can be empowering—not a setback, but a reminder of your strength. For some, especially when fears are rooted in deeper trauma or long-standing shame, healing takes time. We honor that pace while continuing to build resilience, flexibility, and self-trust.
