Exposure and Response Prevention therapy or E/RP is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps people change their relationship to their obsessive thoughts, cope with the fear and anxiety they bring and free them from unhelpful patterns of compulsive behavior.
E/RP helps clients by collaboratively creating a treatment plan that exposes clients to distressing stimuli while limiting their compulsive response. Exposure may involve being in situations, experiencing objects, mental images, or other stimuli related to worry or obsessional thinking. Preventing compulsive responses may include ending specific behaviors, thought processes or avoidance done to prevent distress. E/RP is often used as a “gold-standard” treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder.
E/RP can help with the following mental health issues:
Many people with OCD, anxiety, panic and phobia benefit from E/RP. If any of the above issues relate to you, we encourage you to try exposure and response prevention.
Research shows that E/RP is effective in reducing anxiety and problematic response to distress that affects people’s functioning in daily life.
E/RP works to improve clients lives in the following ways:
- Relating to worry or obsessional thinking in a more supportive way
- Learning to tolerate distress
- Reducing time spent on compulsive behaviors
- Returning to meaningful activities and important life goals
Like other forms of cognitive behavioral therapy, E/RP is more than just talking about problems. E/RP sessions are structured and goal oriented to promote client change and growth.
If you or someone you know would benefit from exposure and response prevention therapy, please contact us today. We would be happy to speak with you about how we may be able to help.
