Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and several other anxiety disorders. It involves gradually exposing you to feared objects or thoughts (exposure) and preventing you from engaging in compulsive behaviors (response prevention) to reduce anxiety and improve your functioning. Dr. Denese is a member of the International OCD Foundation.
What does ERP help with?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): ERP is considered the gold standard treatment for OCD. It helps you gradually face your fears and reduce the compulsive behaviors you use to manage anxiety. This involves:
Exposure: Gradual exposure to thoughts, images, or situations that trigger obsessions in a controlled and systematic way.
Response Prevention: Resisting the urge to perform compulsive behaviors in response to the anxiety triggered by the exposure.
ERP can be used to treat other anxiety disorders, such as:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Facing worries and reducing reassurance-seeking behaviors.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Engaging in social situations that cause anxiety and refraining from avoiding them.
Panic Disorder: Exposure to physical sensations of anxiety and panic to reduce fear of those sensations.
Specific Phobias: Gradual exposure to the feared object or situation without engaging in avoidance behaviors.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify and challenge distorted thinking patterns and beliefs, and replace them with more realistic and functional thoughts. It focuses on the interaction between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, aiming to change negative thought patterns and maladaptive behaviors to improve emotional regulation and develop healthier coping strategies.
What does CBT help with?
Depression: Helps you identify and change harmful thought patterns linked to depression, such as those related to low self-esteem or self-worth.
Anxiety Disorders: Helps with anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, and specific phobias by teaching you coping skills to manage irrational fears.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Helps you face obsessional thoughts and lessen compulsive behaviors.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Helps you deal with thoughts and emotions from trauma while lessening avoidance.
Stress: Helps you handle stress and build healthier ways to cope.
Anger: Helps you identify what makes you angry and change any inappropriate behaviors you engage in when angry (yelling, mean statements, physical aggression, etc.)
Supportive Parenting for Childhood Anxious Emotions (SPACE)
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a parent-based treatment program designed to reduce your child’s anxiety by improving your responses. It focuses on decreasing accommodation of your child’s anxiety and increasing supportive, non-intrusive behaviors to foster your child’s independence and resilience.
What does SPACE help with?
Anxiety Disorders: Generalized anxiety disorder, selective mutism, separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Key Components:
Parental Accommodation:
Helps you identify and reduce behaviors that you engage in to help your child avoid anxiety-provoking situations (e.g., offering excessive reassurance, modifying routines, or allowing avoidance).
Supportive Responses:
Trains you to provide support in a way that encourages your child's autonomy and resilience.
Setting Goals:
Works with you to set realistic and achievable goals for reducing accommodation and increasing supportive responses.
Parental Self-Care:
Encourages you to take care of your own emotional and psychological well-being.
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