Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for OCD, in which you gradually face feared thoughts and situations while resisting the rituals and reassurance that keep the fear alive.

Review Service Fit Book a Session

What is Exposure & Response Prevention?

ERP is a specialized form of exposure therapy and the first-line psychological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It pairs deliberate, gradual exposure to feared triggers with response prevention — choosing not to perform the compulsion, ritual or reassurance-seeking that usually follows.

How does ERP work?

OCD is kept alive by a cycle: an intrusive thought sparks anxiety, a compulsion brings short-term relief, and that relief teaches the brain the threat was real. ERP gently breaks the cycle by letting you stay with the discomfort without the compulsion, so your brain learns first-hand that the feared outcome doesn’t happen and the anxiety subsides on its own.

What does ERP help with?

ERP is highly effective for all OCD subtypes — contamination, harm, "just right", relationship, religious and taboo intrusive thoughts — as well as related conditions like panic and specific phobias. We build a personalized hierarchy and work up it together, at a pace you control.

What it feels like in session

You stay in the driver’s seat throughout — exposures are planned with you, never sprung on you, and start small. It is challenging but collaborative work, and the confidence it builds tends to generalize quickly to everyday life.

What ERP can help with

  • OCD and intrusive thoughts
  • Compulsions, rituals and reassurance-seeking
  • Contamination, harm and "taboo" obsessions
  • Specific phobias and panic

Watch: ERP

Panic Attacks & Exposure

Frequently asked questions

Is ERP the best treatment for OCD?

Exposure and Response Prevention is considered the gold-standard, first-line psychological treatment for OCD and is recommended by leading clinical guidelines. It has decades of strong research evidence behind it.

Is ERP dangerous or overwhelming?

No. ERP is gradual and collaborative — you and I build a step-by-step hierarchy and you control the pace. The aim is to stretch you, not flood you.

Can ERP be done online?

Yes. ERP is delivered effectively through secure virtual sessions, and home-based exposures can actually make treatment more relevant to your real-life triggers.

Selected clinical references

This approach is informed by established clinical research and treatment guidelines, including:

  1. Foa, E. B., & Kozak, M. J. (1986). Emotional processing of fear: Exposure to corrective information.
  2. Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). The psychological treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder.
  3. NICE (2005). Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder (CG31).