The gold standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder is exposure response prevention. While exposure response prevention, known as ERP, is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy, it is not a common type, and is very specific to the world of OCD and phobias. While many therapists receive training in basic cognitive behavioral therapy, one has to seek out additional specialty training for exposure response prevention. Because of this confusion, many well-meaning therapists advertise that they treat OCD but are not properly trained in ERP. Unfortunately, the common techniques used in CBT for general anxiety are counterproductive for OCD and will provide short-term relief, but exasperate OCD in the long-term.

Here at Salem counseling and Consulting, we are trained specifically in exposure response prevention for use in obsessive compulsive disorder. While there are many subtypes of OCD, we are able to treat all types using the same general principle of exposure response therapy, even the OCD type known as “Pure O.”

We use standardized but inclusive assessments with our software partner to measure your level of distress, as well as your specific symptoms of OCD. This helps us determine a treatment plan specifically for you, and treat the person as a whole – not just the condition. Our founder, Michelle Lefeavers, has been in remission from obsessive compulsive disorder for almost two decades, and has a passion for helping others who suffer from OCD and often feel hopeless.

There is a specific treatment available for you so that you, too, can have relief and be in remission from OCD. Please be wary of anyone who tells you that OCD is curable. Just like many mental health conditions, we are not trying to cure the situation, but instead, learn to live with OCD without it causing distress and discomfort-remission from the condition. We know how to achieve those results at Salem Counseling and Consulting. We are also able to coordinate care with your medication management provider or suggest a medication management provider if you wish to incorporate pharmaceuticals in your OCD treatment. While we are not prescribers, we are trained in the pharmacology of OCD and can help guide your treatment plan by coordinating
care as part of your treatment team.

Because knowing that you are not alone and that there are others who suffer from OCD is a very helpful part of treatment, we also offer OCD group therapy.

If you are suffering or believe you are suffering from OCD, you need a therapist trained in exposure response prevention (ERP). Many well-meaning therapists are under the false assumption that OCD is treated the same as generalized anxiety, when in fact that approach does harm and causes a future increase in symptoms.

Self-Assessment for OCD Traits

Please note that this assessment is one of many tools used to determine your treatment needs. If you have OCD traits, you need a specially trained OCD therapist who uses ERP. If you are going to a non-OCD trained therapist, they are more than likely going to exacerbate your symptoms in the long-term, despite being well-meaning. CBT is not ERP. ERP, exposure response prevention, is a type of specialized CBT that requires extra training. We welcome working with your existing therapist to coordinate care while providing you with ERP.