Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP) Therapy

Specialized E/RP Treatment for OCD & Anxiety Throughout Long Island & New York

At Coast Psychology, our therapists provide specialized Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP) therapy that empowers clients to overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders through proven, evidence-based techniques. Based in Oyster Bay and serving clients throughout Long Island, New York City, and all of New York State, our E/RP approach offers effective solutions for breaking free from the cycle of obsessions, compulsions, and avoidance behaviors.

Break Free from OCD & Anxiety with E/RP Therapy in New York

Exposure and Response Prevention is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that has been extensively researched and proven highly effective for treating OCD and various anxiety disorders. E/RP works by gradually exposing you to feared situations, thoughts, or sensations while preventing the typical avoidance or compulsive behaviors that provide temporary relief but ultimately strengthen anxiety over time.

Our experienced New York E/RP therapists work collaboratively with you to:

  • Identify obsessions, compulsions, and avoidance patterns that maintain anxiety

  • Create a personalized hierarchy of anxiety-provoking situations

  • Develop effective exposure exercises tailored to your specific fears

  • Learn response prevention strategies to resist compulsive behaviors

  • Build tolerance for uncertainty and discomfort in a supported environment

Whether you're struggling with intrusive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, debilitating fears, or avoidance patterns, our methodical E/RP approach provides the structure and support you need to reclaim your life from anxiety and OCD.

Who Benefits from Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy?

E/RP for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

E/RP is considered the gold standard treatment for OCD, with decades of research supporting its effectiveness. Our specialized E/RP therapists help clients with various OCD subtypes, including:

  • Contamination OCD

  • Checking and harm OCD

  • Symmetry and ordering OCD

  • "Just right" OCD

  • Scrupulosity (religious/moral) OCD

  • Relationship OCD

  • Pure O (primarily obsessional OCD)

Through carefully structured E/RP, you'll learn to face feared situations without performing compulsions, gradually reducing OCD's power and reclaiming time and mental energy previously consumed by the disorder.

E/RP for Social Anxiety

Exposure and Response Prevention therapy is highly effective for social anxiety disorder. Our targeted treatment helps you:

  • Identify social situations that trigger anxiety

  • Challenge unhelpful beliefs about social evaluation

  • Gradually face feared social scenarios with support

  • Reduce safety behaviors that maintain anxiety

  • Develop authentic social confidence and engagement skills

E/RP for Specific Phobias

Our evidence-based E/RP approach helps those with specific phobias by creating a gradual exposure plan to feared objects or situations. Your Coast Psychology therapist will help you:

  • Break down your fear into manageable steps

  • Develop coping strategies to manage anxiety during exposures

  • Practice facing feared situations with support

  • Build confidence through repeated successful exposures

  • Generalize your new skills to various contexts

E/RP for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

Our specialized E/RP approach for panic disorder includes interoceptive exposures (controlled exposure to physical sensations) and in vivo exposures (real-life situation exposures). Your therapist will help you:

  • Understand the panic cycle and why it persists

  • Experience feared bodily sensations in a controlled environment

  • Confront avoided situations gradually and systematically

  • Develop new interpretations of physical sensations

  • Build confidence in your ability to handle anxiety anywhere

What to Expect in E/RP Therapy at Coast Psychology

Our E/RP Process

  1. Intake Assessment: Your therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation of your symptoms, triggers, avoidance patterns, and impact on daily functioning.

  2. Psychoeducation: Learn about the anxiety cycle, how E/RP works, and why facing fears is essential for recovery.

  3. Fear Hierarchy Development: Collaboratively create a personalized ladder of feared situations, ranking them from least to most challenging.

  4. Exposure Practice: Gradually face feared situations both in sessions and through between-session assignments, starting with moderately challenging items.

  5. Response Prevention Training: Learn strategies to resist compulsions or safety behaviors during and after exposures.

  6. Progress Tracking: Regularly review your advancement up the fear hierarchy while celebrating victories and addressing challenges.

E/RP typically requires 12-20 weekly sessions, though this varies based on symptom severity and complexity. Sessions are often 60-90 minutes to allow sufficient time for exposure practice.

E/RP Techniques Used at Coast Psychology

Our New York E/RP therapists utilize evidence-based techniques tailored to your specific challenges, including:

  • In vivo exposures: Facing feared situations in real life

  • Imaginal exposures: Confronting feared scenarios through detailed imagination

  • Interoceptive exposures: Experiencing feared physical sensations in a controlled manner

  • Mindfulness integration: Developing awareness and acceptance of anxiety without judgment

  • Habituation tracking: Monitoring anxiety levels during exposures to recognize natural decline

  • Inhibitory learning: Creating new associations that compete with fear-based learning

Each exposure is thoughtfully designed to challenge specific fears while staying within your capacity for productive anxiety management.

Experience the Benefits of E/RP with Coast Psychology

Clients who engage in Exposure and Response Prevention therapy at Coast Psychology often report:

  • Significant reduction in obsessions and compulsions

  • Less time spent on rituals and avoidance behaviors

  • Decreased overall anxiety levels

  • Improved ability to tolerate uncertainty

  • Enhanced confidence in facing fears

  • Expanded participation in previously avoided activities

  • Greater overall life satisfaction and freedom

Our compassionate, specialized E/RP therapists provide a supportive environment where you can face fears at your own pace while building the skills needed for lasting recovery.

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Begin Your E/RP Journey in New York

Wondering if Exposure and Response Prevention therapy is right for you or your child? Coast Psychology is here to help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced therapists. We'll help determine which type of therapy will best support your specific needs and goals.

Call us at: (516) 206-2081 or Email: hello@coastpsychology.com

Serving clients throughout Long Island, New York City, and all of New York State through in-person sessions at our Oyster Bay office and convenient virtual therapy options.

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • Exposure and Response Prevention typically requires 12-20 weekly sessions, though this can vary significantly based on symptom severity, the complexity of your fear hierarchy, and your pace of progress. Some clients with milder symptoms may see significant improvement in 8-12 sessions, while those with more severe or complex OCD may benefit from longer treatment. At Coast Psychology, we customize treatment length to ensure you achieve lasting results.

  • While E/RP is considered a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, it differs in several key ways:

    • E/RP focuses more intensively on behavioral change through exposure exercises

    • Standard CBT typically emphasizes cognitive restructuring (changing thoughts)

    • E/RP sessions are often longer (60-90 minutes) to allow for exposure practice

    • E/RP specifically targets anxiety disorders and OCD, while CBT addresses a broader range of conditions

    • E/RP includes a stronger emphasis on preventing safety behaviors and compulsions

    For many anxiety disorders, particularly OCD, E/RP has shown superior effectiveness compared to standard CBT approaches.

  • E/RP does involve facing situations that create anxiety, which can be challenging. However, our approach is:

    • Gradual – starting with moderately difficult exposures, not your worst fears

    • Collaborative – you're always in control of the pace and intensity

    • Supportive – your therapist provides guidance and encouragement throughout

    • Structured – the discomfort has a purpose and leads to meaningful improvement

    Many clients find that while E/RP is challenging, the freedom from anxiety and OCD they gain makes the temporary discomfort worthwhile. Most also discover that their fears about doing exposures are worse than the actual experience.

  • Yes, E/RP is highly effective for children and adolescents with OCD and anxiety disorders. Our child specialists adapt exposure techniques to be age-appropriate and engaging, often incorporating play, games, and rewards. Parents are typically involved as "coaches" who learn to support their child's exposures between sessions. Research shows that children often respond very well to E/RP, with many experiencing significant symptom reduction in fewer sessions than adults.lone. At Coast Psychology, we collaborate with psychiatrists when medication might be beneficial alongside therapy.

  • Yes, Exposure and Response Prevention therapy can be effectively delivered through telehealth for many clients. Coast Psychology offers secure, HIPAA-compliant virtual E/RP for clients throughout New York State. Virtual sessions allow for:

    • Real-time guidance during home-based exposures

    • Access to naturally occurring triggers in your environment

    • Parent coaching for children's exposures

    • Convenience for those with travel limitations or busy schedules

    For some exposure exercises, in-person sessions may be preferable, but our therapists are skilled at adapting E/RP techniques for the telehealth format.

  • A common misconception about E/RP is that it throws you into your worst fears immediately. In reality, effective E/RP:

    • Begins with moderately challenging exposures (typically items rated 4-5 on a 10-point anxiety scale)

    • Progresses at your pace, with your consent at each step

    • Builds on successes to gradually work toward more challenging situations

    • Provides skills and support to manage the anxiety that arises

    While effective E/RP does involve experiencing some anxiety, successful treatment doesn't require overwhelming terror. The goal is to face situations that are challenging enough to learn from but manageable enough to tolerate.

  • To prepare for starting E/RP therapy:

    • Consider keeping a brief log of anxiety triggers, avoidance behaviors, or compulsions

    • Think about how your symptoms impact your daily life and what activities you'd like to reclaim

    • Prepare to discuss your anxiety history, including when symptoms began and what treatments you've tried

    • Come with questions about the E/RP process

    • Be open to learning a new approach to managing anxiety

    Remember that your first session will focus primarily on assessment and education—exposure exercises typically begin in session 2 or 3 after you and your therapist have developed a clear treatment plan.

  • To maximize your E/RP therapy experience:

    • Commit to between-session exposure practice

    • Be honest about avoidance and compulsive behaviors

    • Track your anxiety levels during exposures

    • Stay in the exposure until anxiety naturally decreases

    • Resist seeking reassurance or performing subtle rituals

    • Celebrate progress, even small victories

    • Approach the process with patience and determination

    Remember that E/RP is a skill-building process—the more consistently you practice, the more quickly you'll see results.