Exposure & Response Prevention therapy
ERP gently and intentionally helps clients face feared thoughts, sensations, or situations without relying on compulsions, avoidance, or reassurance. Over time, the nervous system learns a new truth: anxiety is uncomfortable, but it is not dangerous. Our approach to ERP is collaborative, compassionate, and deeply respectful of your pace. This work isn’t about forcing fear away or “thinking positively.” It’s about building tolerance for uncertainty, loosening anxiety’s grip, and helping you reconnect with the life you want to live even while discomfort is present. ERP is especially effective for intrusive thoughts, panic, health anxiety, perfectionism, OCD and phobias like fear of flying, pubic speaking or enclosed spaces, and for those ready to stop talking about what’s wrong and start making measurable change.
Everything you need to know about Exposure & Response Prevention Therapy:
-
ERP works by gently and gradually reducing the urges, sensations, and anxiety that arise after a trigger. This process involves thoughtfully constructing an exposure hierarchy and then methodically, safely, and intentionally facing feared thoughts, sensations, or situations over time. ERP is not about flooding, force, or pushing someone beyond their capacity.
Because ERP directly engages the nervous system and core fear responses, it requires specialized training and clinical skill to do well. When practiced with care, this compassionate and collaborative approach helps clients step out of anxiety and back into the driver’s seat of their fears and their lives.
-
ERP is best suited for people with:
-Avoidance patterns that makes life feel small
- Fears of flying, driving, elevators, crowds or other phobias around germs, needles, animals and more.
- Intrusive thinking patterns that feel trapped inside their minds
- Diagnosed anxiety that other therapies haven’t helped much with
- Diagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Not sure if it’s OCD? Our specialist Tori help with an assessment)
-
The first step is to schedule an intake with Tori to complete an in-depth assessment. This way we know if you’re a good candidate for ERP based on the assessment results.
-
Absolutely. Tori is trained in Cognitive-Behavioral and Person-Centered Therapy and is happy to pivot to these approaches should ERP not be the best fit or be better suited later down the road.