What Is ERP

What Is ERP?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to treat anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and eating disorders. ERP helps individuals gradually face their fears (exposures) while resisting the urge to engage in compulsive or avoidance behaviors (response prevention).

For eating disorders, ERP is particularly effective in treating food-related fears, rigid eating rituals, compulsive exercise, or body-checking behaviors. Over time, ERP reduces anxiety and helps clients build tolerance and flexibility around eating and body image.

At Virtue Recovery, ERP is delivered by trained clinicians and integrated into individualized treatment plans for conditions like anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, and body dysmorphia.

5 Benefits of ERP for Eating Disorders

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Reduces Food-Related Anxiety

Helps clients face feared foods or eating situations safely and gradually. Over time, this reduces the fear and avoidance tied to specific foods.

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Decreases Rituals & Compulsions

Breaks the cycle of body-checking, calorie counting, or exercise compulsions. This helps clients regain a healthier, more balanced relationship with food and body image.

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Builds Tolerance to Distress

Strengthens resilience by reducing avoidance behaviors. Clients learn that they can tolerate discomfort without resorting to harmful coping mechanisms.

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Encourages Flexibility

Helps clients develop more balanced and spontaneous eating habits. This flexibility supports long-term recovery and reduces rigidity around food choices.

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Supports Long-Term Recovery

Reduces relapse risk by breaking the fear-compulsion cycle. Clients gain lasting tools to manage anxiety and maintain healthier behaviors.

Do I Have an Eating Disorder?

If you’re concerned about your symptoms, click below to take our eating disorders quiz.

Treatment Options for Anorexia Nervosa

  • Creating a Fear Hierarchy
    Clients work with therapists to list and rank feared foods, situations, or rituals. This structured approach provides a roadmap for tackling challenges in order of intensity.

  • Gradual Exposures
    Step-by-step exposure to feared foods or behaviors takes place in a safe and supportive environment. Over time, this helps reduce anxiety and avoidance tied to eating.

  • Response Prevention
    Clients practice resisting the urge to engage in compulsions such as purging, restricting, or body-checking. This builds confidence in managing distress without harmful behaviors.

  • Therapist Support & Coaching
    Ongoing guidance from therapists helps reduce anxiety during exposures and reinforces new coping skills. Clients receive encouragement every step of the way.

  • Integration with Other Therapies
    ERP is combined with approaches like CBT, DBT, ACT, and nutritional counseling for comprehensive care. This ensures all aspects of anorexia are addressed—emotional, behavioral, and physical.

  • Relapse Prevention Planning
    Clients develop personalized strategies to maintain progress and prevent setbacks after treatment. These tools build resilience and support long-term recovery.

Client Testimonials

Luxury Treatment and ERP

Virtue Recovery provides ERP in a serene, supportive, and private environment. Clients receive personalized care in a setting designed to reduce stress and create comfort, allowing them to focus fully on their recovery journey.

Our luxury program includes chef-prepared meals, structured meal support, and holistic therapies that complement ERP’s evidence-based approach. This combination ensures clients receive both clinical excellence and the nurturing environment needed to achieve lasting recovery.

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Our Las Vegas Luxury Inpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Center

Our inpatient program incorporates ERP into daily treatment. Clients work with therapists to face food fears, reduce rituals, and build healthier eating behaviors while receiving 24/7 support.

Name: Virtue Recovery Las Vegas

Address: 9230 Corbett St, Las Vegas, NV 89149

Phone Number: (702) 996-5973

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Our Las Vegas Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Center

Our outpatient program provides ERP sessions for clients living at home. This allows individuals to practice exposures in real-world settings with professional support.

Name: Virtue Recovery Las Vegas Outpatient

Address: 2585 Montessouri St # 100, Las Vegas, NV 89117

Phone Number: (702) 996-5973

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Our Las Vegas Adolescent / Teen Inpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Center

ERP is especially effective for teens with food fears, ARFID, or body-checking rituals. Our Teen Inpatient Program incorporates ERP into developmentally appropriate therapy.

Name: Silver State Adolescent Treatment

Address: 8225 W Robindale Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89113

Phone Number: (725) 777-1440

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Frequently Asked Questions

ERP reduces food anxiety, eating rituals, compulsive exercise, and body-checking behaviors.

ERP is a specialized form of CBT focused specifically on exposure to fears and prevention of compulsions.

Yes. ERP is highly effective for ARFID, helping clients face sensory or fear-based food avoidance.

Yes. ERP is safe and effective for adolescents, particularly when combined with family involvement.

Glossary of Terms for ERP Treatment

A therapy that helps reduce fears and compulsive behaviors.

Gradually facing feared foods, situations, or thoughts.

Resisting the urge to engage in compulsions or avoidance.

A structured list of feared situations ranked by difficulty.

Compulsively examining one’s body for perceived flaws.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, often treated with ERP.

A therapy that addresses thoughts and behaviors, often used with ERP.

Repetitive behaviors done to relieve anxiety (e.g., purging, over-exercising).

Eating Disorder Therapies

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps clients identify and reframe negative thought patterns that lead to disordered eating behaviors.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT equips individuals with skills in emotional regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance to reduce self-destructive eating behaviors.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

MI fosters intrinsic motivation for recovery by helping clients resolve ambivalence and set meaningful goals.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT guides clients to accept difficult emotions while taking committed actions aligned with their values and recovery.

Family-Based Therapy (FBT)

FBT empowers families, particularly for adolescents, to take an active role in restoring healthy eating and supporting long-term recovery.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

IPT addresses how relationship challenges, grief, or life transitions contribute to eating disorders and promotes healthier social functioning.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP reduces food-related anxiety by helping clients gradually confront feared foods and break avoidance patterns.

Meal Support Therapy

Structured mealtime support provides a safe environment to help clients relearn normal eating patterns and reduce food-related fear.

Nutritional Counseling

Licensed dietitians work closely with clients to develop balanced, individualized meal plans and restore healthy nutritional habits.

Group Therapy

Group therapy fosters peer support, shared healing, and community connection throughout the recovery journey.

Art Therapy

Art therapy offers a nonverbal outlet for exploring emotions, trauma, and body image issues through creative expression.

Music Therapy

Music therapy engages clients in healing through sound, rhythm, and songwriting to promote emotional release and relaxation.

Meditation Therapy

Meditation therapy promotes mindfulness, self-awareness, and inner calm, helping clients manage anxiety and stay grounded.

Yoga Therapy

Yoga therapy enhances body awareness, self-acceptance, and emotional balance through movement, breathwork, and mindfulness.

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