You’re tired of thoughts that won’t stop. Tired of rituals that promise relief but deliver more anxiety. Tired of feeling trapped in your own mind.
ERP therapy changes that. This isn’t just another treatment approach—it’s the gold standard for OCD, backed by decades of research and real results. Over 80% of people who complete ERP therapy experience significant symptom reduction, often within 8-16 weeks.
What makes the difference? ERP teaches your brain what it needs to learn: that you can handle uncertainty without rituals. That intrusive thoughts aren’t emergencies. That you’re stronger than your OCD wants you to believe. Instead of avoiding your fears, you’ll face them systematically, safely, and with expert guidance—breaking the cycle that keeps you stuck.
At the Anxiety and OCD Institute, we bring nationally recognized expertise directly to Mesquite families. Our team includes published researchers and clinicians who’ve helped shape international OCD treatment guidelines—many with their own lived experience of the conditions they treat.
We’re not a general therapy practice trying to handle OCD. We provide specialized care from professionals who understand exactly what you’re facing because we’ve dedicated our careers to it. We serve individuals of all ages through both secure telehealth and in-person appointments, meeting you wherever you are geographically and emotionally.
What sets us apart is our transparency. You’ll know exactly what treatment involves, what it costs, and what to expect at every step. No surprises, no guesswork—just clear, honest communication about your path forward.
ERP therapy starts with understanding your specific fears and compulsions. During your first few sessions, you’ll work with your therapist to map out your unique OCD patterns and create a personalized treatment plan.
Next comes the systematic exposure work. You’ll start with less threatening situations and gradually work up to more challenging ones. This isn’t about throwing you into the deep end—it’s about building confidence step by step. Your therapist coaches you through each exposure while you practice resisting the urge to perform compulsions.
Between sessions, you’ll have homework assignments that reinforce what you’re learning. These aren’t busy work—they’re carefully designed exercises that help you apply your new skills in real-world situations. Many people see meaningful improvement within the first few weeks, with significant changes typically occurring within 8-16 weeks of consistent treatment.
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ERP therapy adapts to your needs, not the other way around. Standard weekly sessions work well for many people, but when OCD is severe or you need faster results, we offer intensive options.
Our intensive outpatient programs offer multiple sessions per week, allowing for more concentrated progress. For those who need even more support, we provide an innovative four-day intensive option—25 hours of focused ERP work that can achieve breakthroughs that might take months in traditional weekly sessions.
In Mesquite, you also have access to virtual ERP therapy, which research shows is just as effective as in-person treatment. This means you can receive gold-standard care from the comfort of your home, eliminating travel time and scheduling barriers. Whether you choose in-person, virtual, or intensive formats, you’re getting the same evidence-based approach that has helped thousands of people reclaim their lives from OCD.
ERP therapy is recommended as the first-line treatment for OCD by major psychiatric organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization. If you’re experiencing intrusive thoughts followed by compulsive behaviors or avoidance, ERP is likely your best option.
The treatment works for all types of OCD, whether you’re dealing with contamination fears, harm obsessions, checking behaviors, or any other OCD presentation. What matters most is your willingness to engage in the process—ERP requires you to face your fears gradually, which can feel uncomfortable initially.
If you’ve tried other treatments without success, ERP might be exactly what you need. Many people come to ERP after years of talk therapy or medication alone, finally finding the relief they’ve been seeking through this targeted, behavioral approach.
Unlike traditional talk therapy that focuses on discussing your thoughts and feelings, ERP is action-oriented. Instead of just talking about your fears, you’ll systematically face them in controlled, safe environments while learning to resist compulsions.
Regular therapy might help you understand why you have OCD, but ERP teaches your brain that you can handle the anxiety without rituals. This is crucial because OCD isn’t maintained by lack of insight—it’s maintained by avoidance and compulsive behaviors that provide temporary relief but strengthen the disorder long-term.
ERP targets the root mechanism that keeps OCD alive: the cycle of obsession, anxiety, compulsion, and temporary relief. By breaking this cycle through exposure and response prevention, you develop lasting skills for managing uncertainty and intrusive thoughts without relying on rituals.
Most people begin seeing meaningful improvements within the first few weeks of ERP therapy, with significant symptom reduction typically occurring within 8-16 weeks. A typical course of ERP runs 12-20 sessions, though this can vary based on symptom severity and individual progress.
Research shows that over 80% of people who complete ERP therapy experience substantial symptom relief, with many achieving full remission. The key is consistent engagement with the process—those who stick with their exposure exercises and resist compulsions tend to see faster, more lasting results.
For people with severe OCD or those who haven’t responded to standard outpatient treatment, intensive programs can accelerate progress significantly. Some people see breakthroughs in intensive four-day programs that might take months to achieve in weekly sessions.
ERP therapy is equally effective whether conducted online or in-person, according to recent research. Virtual ERP sessions allow you to receive gold-standard treatment from the comfort of your home, which can actually be beneficial since many exposures happen in your natural environment anyway.
Online ERP works particularly well because much of the treatment involves practicing skills in real-world situations between sessions. Your therapist can coach you through exposures via video, assign homework exercises, and monitor your progress just as effectively as in traditional office-based therapy.
We offer both virtual and in-person options, allowing you to choose what works best for your schedule, location, and comfort level. Many people appreciate the flexibility of virtual sessions, especially when dealing with contamination fears or other OCD symptoms that make leaving home challenging.
Your first few ERP sessions focus on assessment and education rather than jumping straight into exposures. Your therapist will conduct a detailed evaluation of your specific obsessions, compulsions, and avoidance patterns to understand your unique OCD presentation.
You’ll learn about how OCD works—why compulsions provide temporary relief but ultimately strengthen the disorder, and how ERP breaks this cycle. Together, you’ll create an exposure hierarchy, ranking your fears from least to most anxiety-provoking to guide your treatment progression.
The initial sessions also involve setting realistic expectations about the treatment process. Your therapist will explain that anxiety is expected to increase during exposures—this is actually how the therapy works. You’ll discuss strategies for managing discomfort and establish clear goals for your recovery journey.
Most insurance plans cover ERP therapy when provided by licensed mental health professionals, as it’s considered the evidence-based standard of care for OCD. Coverage typically includes both individual therapy sessions and intensive outpatient programs when medically necessary.
We maintain full transparency about fees and insurance coverage from the start. During your initial consultation, you’ll receive clear information about costs, what your insurance covers, and any out-of-pocket expenses you might expect.
For those with limited insurance coverage or high deductibles, we offer sliding scale fees or payment plans. The key is not to let cost concerns prevent you from accessing this highly effective treatment—the long-term benefits of ERP therapy far outweigh the investment in most cases.
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