The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
– Nelson Mandela
Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.
– Judy Blume
Living with OCD can feel overwhelming, but effective, research-backed treatments are available. Two leading approaches — Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) — offer structured, collaborative paths to reducing intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and avoidance behaviors.
ERP is widely regarded as the gold-standard treatment for OCD, helping clients gradually face feared thoughts or situations while resisting compulsions. I-CBT is an equally evidence-based alternative that focuses on the underlying obsessional doubts and faulty narratives that drive OCD. For many adults, I-CBT has been shown to be just as effective as ERP, especially for those who feel stuck in mental loops or find exposure work unhelpful or overly distressing.
ERP involves gradually confronting feared thoughts or situations while preventing compulsive responses. This helps retrain the brain’s reaction to anxiety, making distress feel more manageable over time.
I-CBT, by contrast, targets the obsessive thinking patterns themselves. It helps clients identify and reframe the faulty beliefs and doubts at the core of OCD, without requiring direct exposure. This approach can be especially useful for individuals whose obsessions center around internal experiences like morality, responsibility, or uncertainty.
Both ERP and I-CBT are structured, collaborative, and adaptable to your individual needs and goals. We’ll work together to determine the best fit based on your symptoms, preferences, and therapeutic history.
If OCD is interfering with your life, therapy can help you move forward with clarity and confidence. Reach out to get started.