Exposure and Response Prevention and
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Avoidance is the disease. Anxiety feels terrible for a reason. Your brain and body don’t want you to forget that something in your life could be dangerous. When we avoid those feelings, we strengthen the anxiety and convince ourselves we were right to avoid it in the first place. Clinicians and patients can work together to reduce avoidance, over-accommodation, and fear of anxiety sensations in a gentle and affirming way. Having good reasons to do so can be enhanced by values-based work done in an Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) framework. We can help people teach their brains and bodies that there is no need for fear, and no need to fear the sensations of anxiety either.