Online ERP therapy from just $35/session with licensed therapists (PhD, PsyD, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) specializing in Exposure and Response Prevention. At Grouport, we offer online individual therapy, online group therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, teen therapy, and virtual IOP options. ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD, backed by decades of research and recommended as the first-line psychotherapy by the American Psychiatric Association and International OCD Foundation.
ERP works by gradually exposing you to the thoughts, situations, and sensations that trigger your obsessions, while helping you resist the urge to perform compulsions. Over time, your brain learns that the anxiety naturally decreases on its own. Research shows approximately 70-80% of people who complete ERP experience significant OCD symptom reduction. Schedule a free call to learn if ERP is right for you.
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At Grouport, we offer multiple ways to access evidence-based Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, all led by licensed clinicians. Whether you prefer individual sessions for personalized exposure work, group therapy for shared OCD support, or a higher-intensity IOP program, our ERP-informed offerings are designed to help you break free from the OCD cycle. Many members choose to combine formats for the most comprehensive support.
Our research-backed online ERP therapy is designed to help you break free from the OCD cycle with licensed therapists who specialize in exposure-based treatment. Here is how to get started.
Whether you're interested in group therapy, individual sessions, couples or family therapy, or IOP, you'll start by selecting the type of support that fits your needs. Complete our onboarding form and sign up directly for the plan that suits you best.
After signing up, you'll connect with a dedicated care coordinator who will walk you through available therapists, group options, and scheduling. You'll make the final choice about your care based on your goals, preferences, and schedule.
Start your structured ERP sessions. Your therapist will guide you through your exposure hierarchy, helping you face feared situations while resisting compulsions. Between sessions, you will practice exposure exercises on your own to reinforce your progress. Our team will support you every step of the way.
Whether you want individual ERP sessions for focused exposure work, group therapy for OCD support, a combination of both, or our IOP program for more intensive care, you will start by selecting the format that fits your needs and schedule. Complete our onboarding form and sign up directly.
After signing up, you will connect with a dedicated care coordinator who will discuss your OCD symptoms, goals, and preferences. They will match you with a therapist experienced in ERP and walk you through your options. You will make the final choice about your care, including which therapists you will meet with and session times.
Start your structured ERP treatment. Together with your therapist, you will build an exposure hierarchy, begin gradual exposures, and practice response prevention. Between sessions, you will continue exposure exercises on your own to reinforce progress. Our team will be here to support you at every step.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) developed in the 1960s by psychologist Victor Meyer and later refined through rigorous clinical trials by Dr. Edna Foa. It is the gold-standard psychotherapy for OCD, recommended as a first-line treatment by the American Psychiatric Association, International OCD Foundation, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
ERP works through two components: Exposure (gradually confronting the thoughts, images, situations, and sensations that trigger your obsessions) and Response Prevention (choosing not to perform the compulsive behavior that usually follows). Over time, two key processes occur: habituation (your distress around triggers naturally decreases with repeated exposure) and inhibitory learning (your brain learns that feared consequences do not materialize and that discomfort can be tolerated).
ERP is recognized as the most effective psychotherapy for:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is the primary condition ERP treats, and it is effective across all OCD subtypes, including contamination, harm, pedophilia OCD (POCD), checking, pure-O (primarily obsessional), religious/scrupulosity, relationship OCD, postpartum/perinatal OCD, sexual orientation OCD, symmetry/"just right," and more. ERP is also effective for closely related conditions that involve compulsive behaviors, including Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Illness Anxiety Disorder (health anxiety with compulsive checking).
Research shows that approximately 70-80% of people who complete ERP experience significant symptom reduction, with treatment gains maintained long-term. ERP is effective for children, teens, and adults.
ERP does not make intrusive thoughts disappear. It changes how you respond to them, so OCD no longer runs your life.
Before ERP, you might spend hours each day on compulsions: checking, washing, counting, arranging, or seeking reassurance. These rituals steal time from work, relationships, and the things you enjoy. As you progress through ERP, the urge to ritualize decreases and eventually the time you spend on compulsions drops dramatically, freeing up hours of your day.
OCD thrives on the need for certainty: "Did I lock the door?" "What if I am contaminated?" "Am I sure I did not cause harm?" ERP teaches you to sit with uncertainty instead of chasing reassurance. Over time, your brain learns that not knowing is uncomfortable but tolerable, and that the feared consequences almost never happen.
OCD often pulls loved ones into the cycle through reassurance-seeking, avoidance of shared activities, or lengthy rituals that delay daily life. As you progress through ERP, you stop needing others to provide reassurance or accommodate your rituals. Relationships become more balanced, present, and connected.
Everyone has intrusive thoughts, but with OCD, they feel dangerous and demand a response. ERP helps you recognize that intrusive thoughts are just thoughts. You learn that having a thought does not mean you will act on it and does not say anything about who you are. The thoughts may still come, but they lose their power over you.
Anxiety and OCD often cause people to avoid places, people, and activities that trigger obsessions: cooking, driving, social events, or even being near loved ones. ERP systematically helps you re-engage with these avoided situations, expanding your world back to the life you want to live.
OCD erodes your trust in your own judgment: "Did I really turn the stove off?" "Can I trust my own memory?" Every time you complete an exposure without ritualizing, you rebuild confidence in your ability to handle discomfort and uncertainty. Over time, you develop a deep trust that you can manage whatever comes up, without needing OCD to "protect" you.
ERP is structured, collaborative, and moves at your pace. Here is what the early stages of treatment look like.
Your therapist will conduct a thorough assessment of your OCD symptoms: what your obsessions are, what compulsions you perform, what triggers you, and how much time OCD takes from your day. You will learn about the OCD cycle and how ERP works to break it. Understanding why your compulsions actually make OCD stronger (not weaker) is often a powerful "aha" moment.
Together with your therapist, you will create a ranked list of situations that trigger your obsessions, from mildly uncomfortable to the most distressing. This hierarchy becomes your roadmap for treatment. You will always start with manageable exposures and work your way up gradually. You are never forced to face your worst fear on day one.
Your therapist will guide you through your first exposures during the session. These might include in vivo exposure (confronting feared situations in real life), imaginal exposure (writing or narrating feared scenarios), or interoceptive exposure (triggering physical sensations). Throughout, your therapist will support you in resisting the urge to perform compulsions, helping you discover that your anxiety decreases naturally.
Between sessions, you will practice exposure exercises on your own to reinforce what you have learned. This is a critical part of ERP: the more you practice in different settings and contexts, the more your brain generalizes the learning that the feared outcome does not occur. Your therapist will help you plan specific, achievable homework assignments that build on your progress each week.
See how our therapy options have helped our members experience life-changing results
Stephanie
“Grouport is time flexible and affordable and if it didn’t exist, I don’t know where I would go. I had looked into other places before Grouport and there really wasn’t any option like it.”
Michael
“I highly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with anxiety or depression. The therapists are top notch and have made me feel really comfortable and my anxiety has improved tremendously in only a few sessions!”
Isabel
"I joined Grouport to work on myself and to heal. I’m learning so much at every session! The change I see not only in myself but in my fellow group members is abundantly encouraging and profoundly fulfilling. Group therapy with Grouport is a powerful healing tool."
Sheldon
“I was feeling very down at the end of 2020 and I was ready to do something drastic that I know I'd likely regret. The group definitely helped show me that there are people who feel the same way as I do.”
Nancy
“The therapy from Grouport is high quality and convenient. I am becoming much more self aware and am liking myself more. My relationships at work are better and I’m much happier.”
Emily
“I like the connection you can make with total strangers and the confidentiality it comes with.”
Danielle
"Grouport can help you with your issues. Their therapists are well trained to work with you on your issues. I felt my anxiety greatly improve after only a few sessions. I highly recommend it!"
Glenn
"Grouport's approach to DBT is a real strength. This approach provides tools and methods for working with difficult emotions and getting a handle on them. It has given me hope where other approaches have failed."
ERP is effective for all OCD subtypes and closely related conditions that involve compulsive behaviors. No matter what form your OCD takes, the core treatment approach is the same: gradually facing your triggers while resisting compulsions.
Contamination OCD involves an intense fear of germs, dirt, chemicals, bodily fluids, or illness, leading to compulsive washing, cleaning, or avoidance of "contaminated" objects and places. ERP gradually exposes you to the things you perceive as contaminated (touching doorknobs, shaking hands, using public restrooms) while resisting the urge to wash or sanitize. Over time, your brain learns that the contamination risk is far lower than OCD tells you.
Checking OCD drives you to repeatedly verify things: Did I lock the door? Turn off the stove? Send the right email? Hit someone with my car? The checking provides temporary relief but reinforces the doubt cycle. ERP involves leaving the house without checking (or checking only once), turning off the stove and walking away, or sending an email without rereading it. Over time, you rebuild trust in your own memory and judgment.
Relationship OCD involves obsessive doubts about your romantic partner or relationship: "Do I really love them?" "Are they the right one?" "Am I attracted enough?" Compulsions include comparing your partner to others, mentally testing your feelings, or seeking reassurance. ERP helps you sit with the uncertainty of not knowing "for sure" whether your partner is "the one," allowing you to engage in your relationship based on your values rather than OCD-driven certainty-seeking.
Sexual orientation OCD involves persistent, unwanted doubts about your sexual orientation that feel distressing and ego-dystonic. You might constantly question "Am I really straight?" or "Am I really gay?" despite your lived experience telling you otherwise. Compulsions include mentally checking for arousal, avoiding people of a certain gender, seeking reassurance, or testing yourself with images. ERP helps by practicing tolerance of the uncertainty without performing mental checks or avoidance, allowing you to live according to your actual identity and values rather than OCD-driven doubt.
Harm OCD involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts about causing harm to yourself or others, such as fears of stabbing someone with a knife, pushing someone off a ledge, or hurting a child. These thoughts are deeply distressing precisely because they conflict with your values. Compulsions include avoiding sharp objects, seeking reassurance, or mentally reviewing events. ERP helps you recognize these thoughts as OCD, not intentions, by practicing exposure to the feared scenarios without ritualizing.
"Pure-O" refers to OCD where compulsions are primarily mental rather than visible: mental reviewing, ruminating, seeking internal reassurance, or trying to "figure out" whether a thought is true. Common themes include existential fears, identity questioning, or philosophical doubts. ERP targets the mental rituals by having you practice sitting with uncertainty and resisting the urge to mentally analyze, neutralize, or seek resolution for your intrusive thoughts.
Postpartum OCD affects new parents (most commonly mothers) who experience intrusive, unwanted thoughts about harming their baby: dropping them, drowning them during bath time, or acting on violent or sexual impulses. These thoughts are ego-dystonic, meaning they are the opposite of what the parent wants. Compulsions include avoiding being alone with the baby, excessive checking, seeking reassurance, or mental reviewing. Perinatal OCD can also develop during pregnancy. ERP helps parents recognize these thoughts as OCD rather than genuine desires, reducing avoidance so they can bond with and care for their child without fear.
BDD involves obsessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance that others cannot see, often accompanied by compulsive mirror-checking, grooming, comparing, or reassurance-seeking. ERP helps by gradually exposing you to situations you avoid (being seen without makeup, going out in bright lighting, resisting the urge to check mirrors) while preventing compulsive appearance-checking behaviors. ERP is recommended as a first-line treatment for BDD.
POCD involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts or images of a sexual nature involving children. These thoughts are deeply disturbing precisely because they are completely at odds with the person's values and desires. People with POCD do not want to act on these thoughts and are horrified by them. Compulsions include avoiding being alone with children, mentally reviewing interactions for "evidence," seeking reassurance, or testing themselves. ERP helps by teaching you that having a thought does not make it true or mean you will act on it, while resisting the compulsive checking and avoidance that keep the fear alive.
Scrupulosity OCD involves obsessive fears about sinning, blasphemy, or violating religious or moral rules. Compulsions include excessive praying, confessing, seeking reassurance from religious leaders, or mental reviewing of whether something was sinful. ERP helps by practicing tolerance of moral uncertainty, reducing excessive religious rituals, and learning to engage with your faith without OCD dictating the terms.
Symmetry OCD involves a need for things to feel "just right," look even, or be perfectly arranged. Compulsions include rearranging, rewriting, rereading, counting, or repeating actions until they feel complete. ERP involves deliberately leaving things asymmetrical, uneven, or "wrong" without correcting them. Over time, the discomfort of things being "off" naturally diminishes as your brain stops demanding perfection.
Illness anxiety involves excessive worry about having or developing a serious illness, often accompanied by compulsive body-checking, Googling symptoms, or seeking medical reassurance. ERP helps by exposing you to health-related uncertainty (resisting the urge to Google symptoms, not seeking repeated medical tests, tolerating a headache without assuming the worst) while preventing the compulsive checking behaviors that keep the anxiety cycle going.
Every Grouport therapist is a licensed, accredited mental health professional with specialized training in evidence-based approaches including ERP, and extensive clinical experience in OCD and anxiety-related conditions.
Our therapists typically have over a decade of clinical experience across diverse settings, with specialized expertise in exposure-based interventions, OCD, anxiety disorders, phobias, body dysmorphic disorder, and a wide range of evidence-based approaches. Our therapists are trained in ERP and other proven modalities to provide the best fit for your needs.
We continually evaluate outcomes through internal studies and outcomes studies with researchers from leading universities such as Carnegie Mellon, University of Essex, and University of Cologne.
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80%of our members start with moderate to severe mental health symptoms
70% of our members feel significantly better within just 8 weeks
50% of our members achieve remission levels within just 8 weeks
80%
of our members start with moderate to severe mental health symptoms
70%
of our members feel significantly better within just 8 weeks
50%
of our members achieve remission levels within just 8 weeks
Group, individual, couples, family, IOP, and teen therapy — all online, all therapist-led. Mix and match care options to fit your needs — and get discounted pricing when you bundle.
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ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD and related conditions. Our licensed therapists also treat a wide range of other mental health challenges using evidence-based approaches.
ERP is the gold-standard psychotherapy for OCD. It is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that involves gradually exposing you to the thoughts, situations, and sensations that trigger your obsessions (the "exposure" part), while helping you resist performing the compulsive behaviors that usually follow (the "response prevention" part). Over time, your brain learns that the anxiety naturally decreases on its own, without needing rituals to make it stop. ERP is recommended as a first-line treatment by the American Psychiatric Association and the International OCD Foundation.
ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD across all subtypes: contamination, harm, POCD, checking, pure-O, religious/scrupulosity, relationship OCD (ROCD), postpartum/perinatal OCD, sexual orientation OCD (SO-OCD), symmetry, existential OCD, sensorimotor OCD, and more. ERP is also a first-line treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Illness Anxiety Disorder (health anxiety with compulsive checking), which share the same obsessive-compulsive cycle.
Yes. Our therapists are licensed mental health professionals (PhD, PsyD, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) with training in exposure-based interventions for OCD and anxiety-related conditions. Our network includes:
✅ Licensed Psychologists (PhD, PsyD)
✅ Licensed Social Workers (LCSW)
✅ Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC)
✅ Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists (LMFT)
Our therapists have experience treating all OCD subtypes and anxiety-related conditions using ERP. Learn more about the therapists.
Traditional talk therapy focuses on gaining "insight" into your problems through discussion. While talk therapy can be valuable for many conditions, there is no evidence that insight-oriented talk therapy is effective for OCD. In fact, talking about obsessions can sometimes reinforce them. ERP is action-oriented: you actively face your fears in a structured, gradual way while resisting compulsions. This retrains your brain to stop sounding false alarms. If you have been in therapy for OCD without seeing improvement, ask whether your treatment included structured exposure exercises.
A typical course of ERP runs 10 to 20 sessions. Many people begin noticing meaningful changes within the first few weeks as they work through their exposure hierarchy. At Grouport, 70% of our members feel significantly better within just 8 weeks. The pace depends on the severity and complexity of your OCD, your level of engagement with homework exercises between sessions, and any co-occurring conditions.
Yes. Research supports the effectiveness of online ERP therapy. Many exposures can be done during video sessions, and your therapist can guide you through real-time in vivo exposures in your own environment (which can actually be more effective than office-based exposures, since you are practicing in the setting where OCD shows up most). All Grouport sessions are held via secure, HIPAA-compliant video chat.
ERP is available across multiple therapy formats:
✅ Group Therapy: Avg. $32/session ($140/month)
✅ Individual Therapy: Avg. $103/session ($448/month)
✅ Couples Therapy: Avg. $114/session ($496/month)
✅ Family Therapy: Avg. $148/session ($644/month)
✅ IOP: $311/week
✅ Teen Therapy: Avg. $103/session ($448/month)
Payment Options: Monthly, Quarterly (Save 10%), Biannually (Save 15%). Switch therapists anytime. Cancel anytime!
Grouport provides online group therapy, individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, teen therapy, intensive outpatient program (IOP), all held virtually over video chat. We also offer a DBT self-guided program. Many members combine multiple therapy formats for comprehensive support.
Our therapy outcomes are backed by outcomes studies with researchers from leading universities such as Carnegie Mellon, University of Essex, and University of Cologne.
80% of members start with moderate to severe symptoms.
70% see clinically significant reduction within 8 weeks.
50% achieve remission levels within 8 weeks.
You can cancel anytime, and your membership will remain active until the end of your current billing period. After that, your plan will not renew, and no further payments will be charged. To cancel, email us at support@grouporttherapy.com and we will send you a quick cancellation form to fill out. You can view more information on our Recurring Billing Policy.
Grouport is available worldwide for everyone! We serve clients of all ages and backgrounds, with all sessions held virtually over video chat. We offer separate therapy groups for Adults (18+) and Teens & Adolescents (under 18). No matter where you are, you can get the support you need from the comfort of home.
Yes! We want you to feel confident and comfortable with your therapy experience. After signing up, a care coordinator will reach out to understand your needs and match you with a therapist and schedule of your choosing.
✅ You will be able to choose your therapist.
✅ Most members are placed within a few hours, or within 24-72 hours max.
✅ Flexible options: If you ever want to switch therapists, we can easily make adjustments to ensure the best fit.
ERP is effective for all OCD subtypes, including:
✅ Contamination OCD (fear of germs, illness, or contamination)
✅ Harm OCD (intrusive thoughts about causing harm to yourself or others)
✅ Pedophilia OCD (POCD) (unwanted intrusive thoughts of a sexual nature involving children)
✅ Checking OCD (repeatedly checking locks, stoves, switches)
✅ Pure-O (primarily obsessional OCD with mental compulsions)
✅ Religious/Scrupulosity OCD (intrusive blasphemous thoughts or moral fears)
✅ Relationship OCD (ROCD) (obsessive doubts about your partner or relationship)
✅ Postpartum/Perinatal OCD (intrusive thoughts about harming your baby during or after pregnancy)
✅ Sexual Orientation OCD (SO-OCD) (unwanted doubts about your sexual orientation)
✅ Symmetry/"Just Right" OCD (need for things to feel even, complete, or "just right")
✅ Existential OCD (obsessive philosophical questions about reality, consciousness, or meaning)
✅ Sensorimotor/Somatic OCD (hyperawareness of breathing, swallowing, blinking, or heartbeat)
The exposure hierarchy is always customized to your specific obsessions and compulsions.
ERP involves facing your fears, which can feel uncomfortable, especially at first. However, you always start with manageable exposures and work up gradually. You are never forced to do anything you are not ready for. Most people find that the anxiety during exposures is less intense than expected and decreases more quickly than they anticipated. Your therapist will be with you every step of the way, providing support and guidance.
Yes. SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the first-line medication for OCD and are often used alongside ERP. Research shows that ERP alone is highly effective, and a major study found that adding medication did not significantly improve outcomes over ERP alone. However, some people do benefit from the combination, especially those with more severe symptoms. Your therapist can coordinate with your prescriber.
Many people with OCD have tried general talk therapy or general CBT that was not specifically adapted for OCD. ERP is a specialized treatment protocol designed specifically for OCD. If your previous therapy did not include structured exposure exercises and response prevention, you have not yet tried the gold-standard treatment. It is also worth noting that general CBT without ERP can sometimes make OCD worse by reinforcing the idea that intrusive thoughts need to be analyzed or corrected.
ERP is a specialized form of CBT focused specifically on exposure to feared triggers and prevention of compulsive responses. Traditional CBT uses cognitive restructuring to change thought patterns. ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) focuses on accepting difficult thoughts while taking values-based action. All three are evidence-based, and they can complement each other. For OCD specifically, ERP is the gold-standard, though ACT-enhanced ERP has shown promising results.
Whether you are struggling with contamination fears, intrusive harm thoughts, checking rituals, "just right" feelings, religious scrupulosity, relationship doubts, body image obsessions, or health anxiety, ERP can help you break free from the cycle of obsessions and compulsions. With licensed therapists, the gold-standard treatment protocol, and flexible online formats, Grouport makes it easy to get started. Take the first step toward reclaiming your life from OCD today.
