Who is ERP for?
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment is best for individuals with obsessive and compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, panic disorder, and other fear-avoidant disorders or temperaments. ERP is best in supporting both individuals and their families in developing specific and adaptive strategies to integrate into their daily lives to reduce emotionally disruptive behaviors and increase value-driven behaviors.
What is ERP?
ERP is a therapeutic intervention aimed at the modification of behaviors that are continuously disruptive of one’s day-to-day experiences and functioning. ERP is different than other forms of behavior modification practices as its primary focus is on the development of habituation or generalizing. Through the repetitive process of exposing one to their feared experience and then delaying the preferred neutralizing action, often avoidance or compulsion, the individual begins to rewire the ways in which the brain responds and can reduce anxiety over time.
Why would someone want to do ERP?
ERP’s primary philosophy is to begin “leaning” into fear to develop greater self-actualization, one’s ability to feel confident in their ability to manage unwanted, unexpected, and distressing situations. Fear and anxiety can become consuming to the mind and body, making it increasingly difficult to feel capable in making choices that are in alignment with our goals and values, and generally disruptive in feeling well on a day-to-day basis. When we give our power away to fear, and we make choices rooted in doubt or worry, we then become more disconnected from ourselves, and our engagement with the world around us gets smaller. If you or someone you know is ready to take back their power and learn how to fight against fear, then ERP is the first line of defense.
How does ERP work?
ERP is meant to be simple and straightforward, and as a therapist, my goal is to develop a level of confidence that inspires the client to lean into an “ERP lifestyle”. What I, other therapists, and clients participating in ERP treatment have appreciated the most is that it is individualized and client-driven. ERP treatment is provided by a trained professional, guiding the client through the process of psychoeducation, identifying and developing a fear hierarchy, collaborating on the creation of potential exposure ideas and figuring out what varying “levels” of intensity mean to that client, but the pace and practice of completing an exposure is up to the client. The goal in completing exposures is to find the “sweet spot”, where you can push yourself just past the line of discomfort, but not so far past the point where you feel horrible and never want to try again.
