Exposure Response Prevention Therapy

  • At Abide Counseling, all our therapists have completed training in Exposure Response Prevention therapy (ERP), the gold standard in treating OCD and anxiety disorders. Traditional talk therapy can make OCD symptoms worse- which is why it’s extremely important that those diagnosed with OCD have a therapist who is trained in ERP. 

    ERP is exposure therapy combined with ACT, mindfulness and CBT. ERP helps clients face OCD fears gradually, showing the intrusive and obsessive thoughts/emotions that the client can handle OCD obsessions without giving into compulsive behaviors. Through exposure work, clients can take control again of their lives and live according to their own values and goals instead of according to the limits OCD sets. ERP brings clients freedom from OCD symptoms and can even help a client no longer qualify for the OCD diagnostic criteria.

  • Fact: While cleaning and organizing can be compulsions, they are only a fraction of the disorder. OCD can center on themes of extreme harm, religious or moral doubts, and unwanted sexual thoughts. Many people with OCD live in severely disorganized spaces because their mental energy is consumed by their obsessions.

  • Fact: Compulsions are performed to neutralize an intense, irrational fear or to reduce the anxiety caused by an intrusive thought. They are not done because the person wants to, but because they feel an overwhelming necessity to alleviate dread.

  • Fact: OCD is a neurobiological and genetic condition, not a personality flaw or a habit that can be broken by simply choosing to ignore it.

  • Fact: While there is no instant "cure," OCD is highly treatable. Evidence-based treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - specifically Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) - help individuals manage their symptoms and lead highly functional lives.