Other Ways to Treat OCD and Anxiety (Beyond ERP)
While Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) remains the gold-standard treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders, it’s not the only effective approach. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all — and sometimes, progress comes from blending ERP with other evidence-based strategies that address the emotional, physical, and cognitive sides of anxiety.
Below are several complementary therapies I use to help clients build resilience, reduce shame, and reconnect with what matters most.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
If anxiety feels like a constant battle with your thoughts, CBT can help you recognize and change the thinking patterns that fuel fear. You’ll learn how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact — and how small shifts in one area can create big changes in another.
CBT teaches practical tools to challenge catastrophic thinking (“What if this never goes away?”), manage uncertainty, and respond to anxious thoughts in ways that don’t give them power. It’s a structured, goal-oriented approach that helps you build confidence and perspective.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you stop fighting anxiety and start changing your relationship with it. Instead of trying to eliminate unwanted thoughts or feelings, ACT teaches you how to make space for them — while staying grounded in your values and the life you want to live.
You’ll learn mindfulness skills, acceptance strategies, and ways to take meaningful action even when anxiety is present. Over time, fear becomes something you can move with, not something that stops you.
Mindfulness-Based Techniques
Mindfulness helps quiet the mental noise that comes with OCD and anxiety by training your brain to stay in the present moment. When practiced regularly, mindfulness can reduce reactivity, ease intrusive thoughts, and increase emotional balance.
In therapy, mindfulness might look like guided grounding exercises, breath awareness, or learning to observe thoughts without judgment. These skills complement ERP and CBT beautifully — helping you stay steady when uncertainty shows up.
Self-Compassion and Shame-Resilience Work
OCD and anxiety often bring intense self-criticism — “Why can’t I just stop thinking this way?” or “What’s wrong with me?” Self-compassion isn’t about ignoring pain; it’s about responding to it with understanding instead of judgment.
By learning to approach yourself with kindness, you begin to loosen the grip of shame and perfectionism. This shift often makes ERP and CBT more effective, because you’re no longer battling yourself in the process of healing.
Lifestyle and Somatic Support
Anxiety doesn’t just live in your mind — it lives in your body. We may explore how sleep, caffeine, exercise, and nervous-system regulation influence your symptoms. Techniques like grounding, gentle breathwork, and behavioral activation help your body feel safer, which in turn makes cognitive work easier.
Sometimes therapy also includes psychoeducation on how your nervous system functions, so anxiety feels less mysterious and more manageable.
Integrating Multiple Approaches
Most people benefit from a blend of methods. For example, ERP may target compulsions, CBT may address distorted thoughts, and ACT may help you live in alignment with your values even when discomfort shows up. Together, these create a flexible and sustainable plan that supports both symptom reduction and overall wellbeing.
Start Anxiety or OCD Therapy Online
If you’re looking for a therapist who tailors treatment to you — not just your diagnosis — I’d love to help. I offer specialized therapy for OCD and anxiety through secure telehealth sessions across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Nebraska.
Whether you’re new to therapy or ready to deepen the work you’ve already started, we can build a plan that helps you feel more grounded, capable, and free.