Specialized OCD & Anxiety Treatment
Exposure & Response Prevention
ERP is the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders — helping you face fears directly and break free from the cycle of compulsions.
What Is Exposure & Response Prevention?
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the most effective treatment available for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It works by gradually exposing you to the thoughts, images, objects, or situations that trigger your anxiety — while helping you resist the urge to engage in compulsive behaviors that temporarily relieve distress.
The core insight behind ERP is that compulsions — whether physical rituals, mental reviewing, or reassurance-seeking — actually maintain and strengthen OCD over time. By learning to tolerate uncertainty and discomfort without performing compulsions, your brain gradually learns that the feared outcomes are unlikely, and that anxiety naturally decreases on its own.
ERP is endorsed by the American Psychological Association, the International OCD Foundation, and the National Institute of Mental Health as the first-line psychological treatment for OCD. Research consistently shows that 60–80% of people with OCD experience significant symptom reduction with ERP.
How ERP Works
ERP is a structured, collaborative process that moves at your pace — building confidence and tolerance step by step.
Assessment & Psychoeducation
Your therapist conducts a thorough assessment of your OCD symptoms, triggers, and compulsions, and explains the ERP model so you understand exactly how and why it works.
Building Your Fear Hierarchy
Together you create a personalized list of feared situations ranked from least to most distressing — your roadmap for the exposure work ahead.
Learning Distress Tolerance
Before exposures begin, you develop skills for sitting with anxiety and uncertainty without acting on compulsions — the foundation of successful ERP.
Graduated Exposures
Starting with lower-anxiety items on your hierarchy, you practice confronting feared triggers in session and between sessions — always with your therapist's guidance and support.
Response Prevention
The critical second half: resisting compulsions during and after exposures, allowing anxiety to naturally subside and teaching your brain a new, healthier response.
Relapse Prevention & Maintenance
As treatment concludes, you build a personalized plan for maintaining gains, handling setbacks, and continuing to apply ERP skills independently.
What ERP Can Help With
ERP is most known for OCD, but its principles are effective across a wide range of anxiety and related conditions.
ERP at Healing Rhode
ERP requires specialized training to deliver effectively and safely — not all therapists are trained in this approach. At Healing Rhode, our ERP-trained clinician brings both the clinical expertise and the compassionate presence needed to guide you through this work.
We know that ERP can feel daunting before you begin. Our approach is collaborative, transparent, and paced to your readiness — we never push you into exposures before you feel prepared. Whether you are newly diagnosed with OCD or have struggled for years, ERP can offer a path to meaningful, lasting relief.
Clinicians offering this service
ERP is currently offered exclusively by Rachael Crowley. Contact us to schedule your first appointment.
Common Questions About ERP
Ready to Break Free from OCD?
You don't have to keep managing OCD on your own. Our ERP-trained clinician is here to help you reclaim your life.