Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Ladder
A practical worksheet that helps therapists and clients construct a graded exposure hierarchy for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), supporting structured exposure and response prevention (ERP).
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Ladder
If you struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), you may have noticed that certain situations are easier to face than others - some triggers cause mild anxiety, while others feel overwhelming. It can be tempting to avoid the hardest situations altogether or try to tackle everything at once. However, both approaches can make change more difficult.
An OCD ladder is a way of turning your fears into manageable steps. It can help you break down a fear into smaller, more achievable situations that you can gradually face. Working through a ladder step-by-step can help you:
Build confidence.
Learn that anxiety is tolerable.
Find out whether the things you fear actually happen.
Discover that you can cope without relying on compulsions.
Facing your fears while resisting compulsion is an important part of exposure and response prevention (ERP), which is an effective treatment for OCD.
Press start tool to build your own OCD ladder.
Overview
The Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Ladder is designed to help clients develop a hierarchy of feared situations that can be used to guide exposure and response prevention (ERP). By organizing situations from least to most anxiety-provoking, the worksheet provides a structured roadmap for treatment.
The resource includes therapist guidance, a blank worksheet and completed examples, making it suitable for use throughout ERP.
Also available as:
PDF ToolUse this tool with your clients
Support therapeutic work between sessions.
Assign
Send the tool securely to your client.
Client completes
Your client works through it on any device, at their own pace.
Review
Review their responses before the next session.
Part of a complete library of evidence-based tools
Worksheets, guides, audio resources and interactive digital tools for mental health professionals.