Edited and reviewed:
Dec 18, 2025
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ERP Therapy in Nashville for OCD
Looking for an ERP therapist near you in Nashville? ScienceWorks Behavioral Health provides structured exposure and response prevention for OCD, with telehealth options across Tennessee.
This is for you if:
You avoid triggers because facing them feels unbearable.
You check, wash, repeat, or review to get relief, and it never lasts.
You want a structured plan, not more reassurance or analysis.
You are ready for exposure work that is paced, collaborative, and evidence-based.
You want relapse prevention skills you can keep using long term.
Learn about OCD therapy
Top Statistics Related to ERP therapy Nashville
1.2% US adults had OCD in the past year (2001-2003). Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
93.6% reported an intrusion in the prior three months (2014). Source: https://jonabram.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2968/2015/01/IITIS-Part-1-2014.pdf
50-60% improve after ERP among people who complete treatment (2019). Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6935308/
10.24% ERP dropout rate in youth OCD trials (2020). Source: https://pure.johnshopkins.edu/en/publications/a-meta-analysis-of-dropout-rates-from-exposure-with-response-prev/
62.9% response rate in video ERP in a large teletherapy sample (2022). Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9164091/
0.75 more tolerable I-CBT vs standard CBT at posttreatment (2024). Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11614422/
What ERP is (and what it is not)
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard behavioral treatment for OCD. It helps your brain learn that you can handle uncertainty without doing rituals, checking, or avoidance.
ERP therapy in Nashville may be a fit if you notice:
Avoidance of contamination triggers, people, places, or situations you used to handle.
Checking behaviors around safety, memory, relationships, or harm fears.
Compulsions that feel mental: rumination, replaying, reviewing, or neutralizing.
Intrusive thoughts that spike anxiety and pull you into rituals for relief.
You want coaching to reduce reassurance seeking and build real practice.
ERP is not about forcing you into fear. It is about building confidence through planned practice, at a pace that respects your nervous system and your goals.
How ERP therapy works
ERP is structured, personalized, and skills-based. We blend exposure work with ACT-informed skills so you can practice uncertainty and keep moving toward the life you want.
A typical ERP plan includes
Assessment and goals
Clarify your OCD theme, rituals, avoidance, and what you want your life to look like.Create an exposure ladder
Build a paced plan that targets the situations OCD has been controlling.Practice exposures with coaching
Learn how to stay with uncertainty while reducing rituals and safety behaviors.Response prevention support
Strengthen your ability to resist checking and reassurance, even when anxiety spikes.Relapse prevention
Plan for future triggers and keep a toolkit for long-term maintenance.
ERP is collaborative and consent-based. We do not do surprise exposures. We plan together and adjust based on your learning and capacity.
Who ERP is for
ERP can help with many OCD themes, including contamination, checking, harm, sexual, religious, and relationship-related obsessions. We work with adults and teens who want structured treatment.
People with checking, contamination, or avoidance patterns that are expanding over time.
Clients with harm, sexual, or religious intrusive thoughts who want evidence-based care.
People stuck in reassurance seeking and mental rituals.
Clients who want a clear hierarchy and measurable practice, not open-ended talk therapy.
Neurodivergent clients who want ERP adapted for sensory and executive function needs.
Telehealth ERP is available for clients located in Tennessee, including Nashville and surrounding areas.
Why ERP helps when reassurance does not
Start ERP therapy in Nashville
If you want an ERP therapist who will be structured, compassionate, and practical, here is what to do next.
Schedule a consult
Tell us about your OCD theme, compulsions, and what you are hoping for.Build your plan
We will map avoidance and rituals and create a paced exposure approach.Begin ERP work
Practice exposures and response prevention with coaching and accountability.
Schedule a consultation to get started with ERP therapy in Nashville or via telehealth in Tennessee.
Frequently asked questions
Does ERP mean I will be flooded with anxiety?
No. ERP is planned and paced. We build a hierarchy and practice in steps so you can learn without being overwhelmed.
What if I feel anxious during exposures?
Anxiety is expected, and we work with it directly. The goal is learning that you can handle uncertainty and that rituals are optional.
Can ERP be done online?
Yes. Telehealth can be a strong fit because exposures often happen in real environments where OCD shows up.
Do you use ACT-informed skills with ERP?
Yes. ACT skills can support exposure work by helping you make room for discomfort while moving toward your values.
About ScienceWorks Behavioral Health
ScienceWorks Behavioral Health offers evidence-based OCD treatment, including ERP, with a neurodivergent-affirming approach. We serve the Nashville area and provide secure telehealth across Tennessee.
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Disclaimer: This page provides general educational information and is not a substitute for mental health diagnosis or treatment. Reading this page does not create a therapist–client relationship with ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare. Services are provided via telehealth to clients located in Tennessee (and other jurisdictions where our clinicians are authorized to practice); if you are outside Tennessee, contact us to confirm availability in your location. If you are in crisis or may be at risk of harm to yourself or others, call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or call/text 988 (U.S.). Additional emergency support can be found here: Emergency Resources.