Treatment Approaches
Therapy for unwanted thoughts and compulsive behavior with evidence-based ERP for obsessions, rituals, and avoidance—helping you face triggers with mastery.
Face-to-face connection in a comfortable Ventura office. A good fit for clients who live locally and prefer in-person therapy for OCD and anxiety conditions.
Online therapy with HIPAA-compliant Telehealth from anywhere in California. Great for busy schedules and people who live outside Ventura County. Hybrid options are available.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
The International OCD Foundation recommends Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) as the first-line treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
The primary goal of ERP is to stop compulsions and avoidance while learning more adaptive ways to manage obsessions and anxiety.
ERP is an exposure-based cognitive-behavioral protocol that helps OCD sufferers develop the courage to face triggers without engaging in any type of compulsion. Over time and with consistent practice, a healthier relationship with thoughts and feelings is developed and sufferers can break free from compulsive rituals and avoidance.
ERP is an experiential therapy with in-session exercises in exposure and response prevention, followed by post-exposure processing to reinforce new learning and explore feelings that are typically avoided. ERP is an active therapy that can produce concrete change in ways simply talking about a problem can fall short.
Similar to learning a new language, it's not enough to read about the language or talk about learning the language, one has to actually practice speaking, repeatedly. It is the same with OCD recovery. To learn new ways of managing anxiety without compulsions, we practice exposures and response prevention repeatedly. In ERP treatment we practice in session and clients practice between sessions.
Exposure encourages you to purposefully face situations, thoughts, or objects that trigger you, beginning with less challenging scenarios and gradually progressing with therapeutic support. Exposures are collaboratively planned and consent-based; you are never forced into an exposure you have not agreed to or that goes against your values.
Response prevention means refraining from compulsive behaviors, including avoidance, rumination, and other rituals, when exposed to triggers. By preventing rituals (aka "responses"), you learn to change behavior patterns that worsen anxiety. Request a consultation to discuss whether ERP is a fit.
Common OCD struggles | Ventura, CA
Thoughts that feel upsetting and intrusive replay on a loop convincing you of the story that if you just keep thinking you will finally find peace.
Evidence-based ERP | Ventura, CA
With continued practice in not running away from triggers, you can learn to feel whatever comes up and to act with courage. In time, you gain mastery over your feelings and behavior.
Tailored to your individual needs, therapy sessions are offered in-person in Ventura or via telehealth across California.
We will work on healthy strategies to change the role anxiety plays in your life and daily choices. My style is clear and encouraging as you practice making necessary changes to support your values and goals.
“The first step of healing is not a step away from the pain, but a step toward it.”
Practicing ERP outside of the therapy office or away from the comfort of your home may amplify success for lasting change. Engaging in exposures with response prevention in diverse settings helps the brain integrate new learning better than practicing in only one or two settings.
Ventura County offers numerous opportunities for community-based exposures relevant to your obsessional themes. Locations are chosen based on your clinical needs, privacy, and appropriateness of setting.
Rumination-Focused ERP (RF-ERP) is a type of Exposure and Response Prevention treatment for OCD. RF-ERP emphasizes learning to stop compulsive behavior including mental rumination (eg. overthinking), while developing insight into emotional and relational dynamics that may contribute to distress.
Rumination-Focused ERP combines Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic principles that recognize how developmental tasks, family dynamics, trauma, and psychological conflicts may contribute to the anxious distress felt in people with OCD. As in traditional ERP, in RF-ERP compulsions and avoidance are conceptualized as maladaptive coping strategies to escape emotional distress.
RF-ERP emphasizes teaching OCD sufferers how to stop ruminating as an intervention to lower anxiety and stop all compulsions: mental, physical, and avoidance, within the context of a secure therapeutic relationship.
With both an emotional and behavioral focus, RF-ERP helps with intense feelings triggered by obsessive thoughts, while at the same time teaching you to stop compulsive behavior and avoidance of triggers. OCD sufferers commonly feel they are stuck on a mental loop of obsessions, as if they are on a roller coaster and can't get off. RF-ERP works by helping you get off the roller coaster with a restored sense of agency. Rumination-Focused ERP is a gentle integrative approach to OCD recovery.
Licensed Therapist
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist specializing in obsessive-compulsive conditions. I provide individual therapy for OCD, anxiety, binge eating, and related concerns. In-person therapy in Ventura County and online throughout California.
Exposure Therapy FAQs
Rumination-Focused ERP FAQs
Articles and News
Exposure therapy can seem kind of mysterious and edgy, but the approach is actually very straightforward and does not have to be scary, extreme, or complicated. Since therapy is an art and a science, each experience will be unique based on the training and style of the therapist and the relational dynamic between client and…
Pure O OCD, sometimes called Pure Obsessional OCD, can feel like you can’t get out of your head. Intrusive thoughts make you feel stuck in a negative thought loop. When people refer to “Pure O,” they are describing an OCD presentation in which physical compulsions (e.g., excessive hand washing or repeated checking) are not present…
Seeking reassurance is a normal part of being human. Checking in with a friend about how we handled something can reflect good self-awareness and a desire for growth. Like most aspects of human psychology, reassurance seeking exists on a continuum. In some situations it is healthy and adaptive. In others, it can be problematic. The…
