How does it work?

It’s all in the name! ERP uses graded exposure to create a safe space to practice a new response. Think getting into a cold pool by taking the steps one at a time until you are submerged — at each step you may experience cold, but with prolonged exposure (length of time on the step), your body habituates to the temperature and it no longer feels as cold. In ERP, we systematically design a treatment plan that helps you confront your feared stimuli one step at a time to facilitate and create space for new responses.

If you are concerned that this would be too overwhelming, please know that our intention is never to flood the system, or in other words, we don’t want it to feel like you’re being thrown in the pool. Because of this, we are very mindful and thorough at the start. Treatment will first consist of an in-depth evaluation of your current experiences and responses, education on the mind-body connection as it’s impacted by fear and exposure, and new techniques to practice for response prevention.

We will select between narrative exposures, interoceptive exposures, virtual reality exposures, in vivo exposures, and/or a mix of these depending on your needs. Treatment will consist of in-session exposure and review of out-of-session exposure practice. Your commitment to these practices will be a large indicator to the effectiveness of treatment — think of going to a trainer once a week and then not going to the gym or working out between training sessions; you may learn some things, you may feel sore after the session, but building muscle, improving fitness levels or feeling better in your body require committed, regularly recurring action and experience. The rules of exposure are the same — we start low (graded) for mastery, limit distractions to allow focused attention, stay in the exposure for habituation (prolonged), repeat it daily to create new learning in the mind and body, and intentionally practice, practice, practice new responses to eliminate the responses that have been previoulsy practiced, but no longer serve you.

Exposure therapy will work, if you work it.