Professional Help for People With OCD
CBT with ERP for OCD: Gold-Standard Treatment Recommendations
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is widely recognized as the gold-standard, first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The evidence base for this approach is substantial, with numerous clinical trials demonstrating its efficacy across both child and adult populations.
Evidence Base and Efficacy
ERP has been formally recognized by international treatment guidelines, including those from the American Psychiatric Association and NICE, as the most effective psychotherapeutic treatment for OCD. Meta-analyses consistently show that ERP produces significant improvements in obsessive, compulsive, depressive, and anxious symptoms. Research demonstrates that ERP is comparable or superior to pharmacological treatments with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are the primary medication option for OCD. Notably, while 45% to 89% of patients treated with SSRIs experience symptom recurrence after medication discontinuation, improvements after ERP tend to persist long-term.
Moderate to severe OCD patients may be referred to our Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program. Every patient is different, and as OCD treatment progresses, additional information gathered from OCD treatment informs the next phase. We will recommend inpatient or residential OCD treatment for some patients as a result of our initial evaluation.
If you or someone you know
may be suffering from OCD
Feel free to call (256) 883-3231 to arrange for a confidential meeting with one of our staff.
For more information on OCD treatment, support groups, research, and related issues,
visit the International OCD Foundation or click.
Click on the link below for a screening test for OCD.
A Screening Test for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Exposure and Response
Prevention (ERP)
Treatment Mechanism
“Empirically proven treatment of anxiety disorders, including OCD, where the individual is exposed to the anxiety-producing stimulus and asked to resist compulsive or safety behaviors. Exposure exercises help desensitize people to triggers, including intrusive thoughts, as the participant learns that thoughts are just thoughts. Clients are encouraged to practice exposure every day during treatment and to continue to practice after treatment to help inoculate against relapse.”[1]
ERP works by addressing the behavioral connection between obsessions and compulsions. The exposure component involves practicing confronting the thoughts, images, objects, and situations that trigger anxiety and obsessions. The response prevention component requires making a deliberate choice not to engage in compulsive behaviors once anxiety or obsessions are triggered. Over time, this process "retrains the brain" to no longer perceive the object of obsession as a threat.
1Barnhart, David; Bakke, Paul; Miller, Heidi; Scott, Summer; Callahan, Haley; Burggraf, Christine; 1Barnhart, Dave. WRITING AND LIVING YOUR FEARS AWAY: How writing your worst-case scenarios and facing your fears can reduce anxiety, depression, stress and emotional discomfort. Kindle Edition.