Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is an evidence-based treatment approach most commonly used for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related anxiety conditions, including emtophobia and other phobias. ERP works by helping individuals gradually face the situations, thoughts, or sensations that provoke anxiety (the “exposure”) while resisting the urges to engage in unhelpful behaviors or rituals intended to reduce that anxiety (the “response prevention”).

In ERP, clients learn to confront triggers in a structured and supportive way, beginning with lower-intensity situations and progressing toward more challenging ones at a manageable pace. Throughout the process, the therapist guides clients in practicing new responses that allow distress to rise and fall naturally, rather than relying on compulsions or avoidance. Over time, this retrains the brain to interpret those triggers as less threatening, reduces the intensity of anxiety, and increases confidence in daily functioning.

ERP is collaborative, paced according to the client’s readiness, and highly effective. It empowers individuals to break long-standing cycles of fear and avoidance, reclaim control over their thoughts and behaviors, and build long-term resilience.

As a licensed mental health professional, I have extensive training in helping patients overcome and grow from their Emetophobia and OCD. And together, we’ll create a strategy that works explicitly for you. Contact me today for a free consultation.