IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL THERAPY
ERP Therapy for OCD & Anxiety in Guelph | True North Psychotherapy
15+ years of clinical experience
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Team of Registered Social Workers & Psychotherapists
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In-person in Guelph and virtual across Ontario
What is Exposure and Response Prevention?
ERP is a structured, evidence-based approach used to treat difficulties commonly associated with OCD. It works by gradually helping you face feared situations, thoughts, or triggers (exposures) while resisting the urge to perform compulsions (response prevention) — breaking the cycle that keeps OCD and anxiety in place over time.
What ERP Can Help With
ERP is used to treat OCD in its many forms, along with health anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, contamination fears, and intrusive thoughts. If compulsions, rituals, or avoidance have started running your day, ERP is built specifically to interrupt that pattern.
How ERP Works at True North Psychotherapy
Our ERP approach is individualized and collaborative. Together with your therapist, you’ll build an exposure hierarchy — a structured, step-by-step list of triggers ordered from least to most difficult — and you set the pace. Exposures are introduced gradually, never all at once, and always with your input on what you’re ready to work on next. This isn’t about being thrown into the deep end; it’s about building tolerance and confidence one deliberate step at a time.
ERP is available in-person at our Guelph office and virtually across Ontario, so distance or scheduling doesn’t have to be a barrier to getting started.
OUR APPROACH
What you can expect when you work with us
Initial Contact
Reach out by phone, email, or our contact form to discuss your needs and schedule a consultation.
Consultation
We’ll talk through what you’re experiencing and whether ERP is the right starting point for you.
Intake Process
You’ll complete a brief intake form and review our treatment contract, covering policies, confidentiality, and what to expect.
Assessment
In your first few sessions, we’ll assess your specific triggers and begin building your personalized exposure hierarchy.
Therapy Sessions
Begin regular 50-minute sessions, working through your exposure hierarchy at a pace you help set.
Ongoing Support
We continue to review your progress together and adjust your plan as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ERP therapy and how does it treat OCD?
ERP treats OCD by helping you face the thoughts, situations, or triggers that set off obsessions, while resisting the compulsions that usually follow. Over repeated practice, this process is designed to reduce how much control OCD has over your daily life.
Is ERP therapy uncomfortable? What if I find the exposures too difficult?
Exposures are meant to be challenging, since they involve facing what you’d normally avoid — but they’re never sprung on you. You and your therapist build the pace together, starting with more manageable triggers and moving forward only when you’re ready.
How is ERP different from CBT?
ERP is a specialized form of CBT built specifically around the exposure-and-response-prevention model. General CBT addresses thought patterns more broadly, while ERP is focused and structured specifically around breaking the obsession-compulsion cycle.
How many ERP sessions will I need?
This varies by person and depends on what you’re working through. Your therapist will build a treatment plan with you and adjust it as you progress — some clients see meaningful movement over a number of months, others continue longer.
Can ERP therapy be done virtually?
Yes. ERP is available as a virtual service to clients anywhere in Ontario, in addition to in-person sessions at our Guelph offices.
Ready to Break the Cycle of OCD and Anxiety?
Action shrinks anxiety. Book a free consultation and take the first step toward the life you want to live.