OCD Hierarchy
The OCD Hierarchy is a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) tool designed to help therapists and clients plan graded exposure tasks in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), providing a structured pathway for confronting situations which trigger anxiety.
OCD Hierarchy
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is an effective way to overcome obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It involves facing situations that trigger your obsessive fears for an extended period, without carrying out a compulsion.
This OCD Hierarchy will help you plan ways to face your OCD-related fears step by step. By making a list of triggers and rating how distressing they are, it will help you decide where to start. This tool can help you understand your fears and plan exposure exercises.
Overview
The OCD Hierarchy exercise guides clinicians and clients through the process of identifying, organizing, and rating situations that trigger obsessions and compulsions. By listing situations from least to most distressing and assigning subjective distress ratings, therapists can develop a clear, structured plan for exposure and response prevention (ERP) work.
This gradual approach helps clients systematically confront fears, reducing avoidance and compulsive behaviours over time.
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Part of a complete library of evidence-based tools
Worksheets, guides, audio resources and interactive digital tools for mental health professionals.