Online ERP Therapy in Texas
Face Your Fears in Small Steps and Break the Cycle
For the thoughts and urges that won't let go
When Nothing You Do Feels Like Enough
Trying to make the fear go away can end up making it stronger. You check one more time, ask for reassurance, avoid a place, or replay something until it feels "right." It helps for a moment, then the doubt comes back, sometimes louder than before.
Over time, those efforts to feel better start taking up more of your day. Plans get skipped, simple decisions feel heavy, and your world gets a little smaller. It's exhausting to feel like fear is setting the rules.
This is where ERP therapy can help.
What Is ERP Therapy?
ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is an evidence-based therapy and the gold-standard treatment for OCD. It helps you gradually face the thoughts, situations, or feelings you've been avoiding, without doing the things you usually do to make the discomfort go away.
Checking, seeking reassurance, and avoiding bring quick relief, but they also teach your brain that the fear was worth listening to. ERP helps your brain learn something new: that you can tolerate discomfort and uncertainty, and that you don't have to act on every urge to be okay.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, ERP isn't about analyzing your thoughts or figuring out whether they're true. It focuses on changing how you respond to them, which is what actually loosens their grip.
I completed ERP training through the Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI), run by the International OCD Foundation, the leading organization dedicated to OCD research and treatment. I continue to pursue ongoing education in OCD treatment to keep my skills current and grounded in best practices.
How ERP Therapy Works
Before any exposures begin, we'll spend time understanding your fears, urges, and the things you do to feel better. Together, we'll build a plan that starts with small, manageable steps and gradually works up to harder ones. You'll always be part of deciding what comes next.
During exposures, you'll practice facing a feared thought, situation, or feeling while resisting the urge to check, avoid, or seek reassurance. At first, it's uncomfortable, and that's okay. With practice, the urges lose their intensity and you gain more freedom in how you respond. You'll also practice between sessions, since that's where much of the change happens.
ERP works well online. Many exposures happen right where your fears show up, at home, on your phone, or in your daily routine, which can make the work feel more real and easier to carry into everyday life.
What ERP therapy can help with
ERP was developed for OCD, but the same principles of facing fears in small steps can help with many kinds of anxiety and avoidance.
OCD and unwanted thoughts: Loosen the grip of thoughts, images, or urges that keep coming back
Needing to check or ask again: Break the urge to double-check, ask, or confirm one more time
Fears about germs or getting sick: Reduce the need to wash, clean, or avoid things that feel risky
Needing things to feel perfect: Let go of the urge to redo, rearrange, or repeat until it feels okay
Worrying about your health: Stop the cycle of body checking and searching symptoms
Panic and fear of physical sensations: Build comfort with the sensations you've been avoiding
Over time, many clients notice fewer compulsions, less time lost to doubt, and more freedom to do the things fear has been holding them back from.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. We start with small, manageable steps and build from there. You'll help decide what we work on and when, so nothing happens before you're ready.
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It can be, especially at first. Facing something you've been avoiding naturally brings up anxiety. But the discomfort is temporary, and each time you practice, it tends to get a little easier. We'll go at a pace that feels challenging but doable.
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It depends on what you're working on and how often you practice between sessions. Many people start noticing changes within a few months of consistent work, while others benefit from longer support. We'll check in on your progress regularly and adjust as we go.
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Yes. Research supports ERP delivered online, and it can even have advantages. Many exposures happen right where fears show up, at home or in your daily routine, which makes it easier to practice what you learn.