Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy
Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety, and Phobias
ERP therapy services are available to clients located in Washington, Arizona, Montana, and Idaho.
Obsessive Thoughts
Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that feel distressing, sticky, and difficult to dismiss. They often center around themes like harm, contamination, relationships, morality, or making mistakes. Although these thoughts can feel meaningful or urgent, they are a common part of how anxiety and OCD show up—not reflections of character or intent.
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental rituals performed to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared outcome. They can include visible actions—like checking, washing, or seeking reassurance—or internal rituals such as reviewing, counting, or mentally “fixing” thoughts. While compulsions may bring temporary relief, they ultimately reinforce the cycle of anxiety and keep it going.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety is a persistent fear of being judged, embarrassed, or negatively evaluated in social or performance situations. It often shows up as intense worry before events, overanalyzing interactions afterward, and avoiding conversations, meetings, dating, or speaking up. While avoidance may reduce anxiety in the moment, it strengthens fear over time.
Phobias
Phobias are intense, persistent fears of specific objects, situations, or experiences (such as flying, driving, medical procedures, or certain animals) that feel overwhelming and out of proportion to the actual risk. They often lead to avoidance behaviors that provide short-term relief but reinforce anxiety over time.
Treatment
ERP is a type of behavioral therapy that helps people with OCD and anxiety to become more in control of their anxiety and obsessions. It's a component of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). We will work together to
gradually and carefully confront your obsessions, sit with the discomfort you feel, and resist the urge to perform
compulsions. This might sound scary, but you’ll start small— and will have support every step of the way.
Treatment Process:
Identifying obsessions,
triggers, and compulsionsCreate a hierarchy based
on how much distress they
causeBuild skills that help you
resist compulsions and
make steady progress over
time.