Exposure and Prevention Therapy
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy for Postpartum & Perinatal Anxiety
Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) is the gold-standard treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related anxiety conditions. At The Mother Hood, we specialize in delivering ERP therapy tailored to new and expecting moms navigating postpartum anxiety, perinatal OCD, and intrusive thoughts during pregnancy and early parenthood.
This structured and empowering approach helps you face your fears safely while learning to resist the urge to perform compulsions or mental rituals. Over time, this allows your brain to unlearn fear responses and helps you regain confidence and calm.
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What Is ERP Therapy?
ERP is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) backed by decades of clinical research. It involves:
• Exposure: Gently confronting feared thoughts, images, or situations
• Response Prevention: Refraining from compulsions, checking, avoidance, or seeking reassurance
Through guided, gradual exposure and consistent support, ERP helps reduce the anxiety and distress tied to unwanted intrusive thoughts, especially those that center around the baby’s health, harm, contamination, or maternal identity.
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Why ERP Is Essential for the Perinatal Period
While it’s common for new parents to worry, some moms experience obsessive, distressing thoughts or compulsive behaviors that feel impossible to control. These symptoms can interfere with bonding, sleep, and functioning—and they are often misdiagnosed or misunderstood, even by medical providers.
ERP is especially effective for:
• Perinatal OCD / Postpartum OCD
• Postpartum anxiety
• Scary or intrusive thoughts about harm
• Fear of contamination or germs
• Checking or reassurance-seeking behaviors
• Mental rituals or rumination
• Hypervigilance around baby sleep or feeding
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I having these thoughts?” or “How do I know I won’t act on them?” — you are not alone, and ERP can help.
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Common Real-Life Concerns ERP Addresses:
• “What if I drop the baby?”
• “Why do I have disturbing thoughts about my newborn?”
• “I keep checking the monitor—is something wrong with me?”
• “I can’t stop replaying that what-if scenario.”
These are symptoms of anxiety, not reflections of your character. ERP helps retrain your brain’s fear system so you can move forward with more trust in yourself and more freedom in your parenting.
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How ERP Therapy at The Mother Hood Works
At The Mother Hood, our therapists are trained in both perinatal mental health and exposure-based therapy. Whether you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, or months into parenting, we meet you where you are—with compassion, clinical expertise, and a plan.
We offer:
• In-person ERP therapy in West Los Angeles (Brentwood)
• Virtual ERP sessions across California
• Integrative care for PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders)
• Specialized support for birth trauma, fertility challenges, and postpartum recovery
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Why Choose ERP Therapy?
✅ Evidence-based and recommended by the International OCD Foundation
✅ Clinician-guided, with a pace that matches your needs
✅ Effective for lasting change, not just short-term relief
✅ Empowering, helping you build