Exposure and
Response
Prevention
Therapy
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach widely recognized as the most effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It works by breaking the cycle of obsession and compulsion that fuels anxiety. Guided by a therapist, a person is gradually and systematically exposed to their fears—the situations, objects, or thoughts that trigger their anxiety—while at the same time being prevented from engaging in the compulsive behaviors they would normally use to relieve that distress.
Through repeated practice, the brain learns that the feared outcomes do not occur and that the anxiety naturally decreases on its own, a process known as habituation or inhibitory learning. This process teaches the person to tolerate uncertainty and distress, weakening the control that obsessions and compulsions have over their life.
