Cognitive/Behavioral Persepective Cognitions are just thoughts. The COGNITIVE part of this approach to therapy involves the exploration and understanding of cognitive (thought) patterns which are typical of many people with OCD and also those patterns which describe a specific individual with OCD. As a greater awareness and understanding of those patterns is developed in therapy useful cognitive tools or skills are learned which help the person with OCD to regain control over their compulsive behaviors. The BEHAVIORAL part of the therapy focuses upon the modification of specific undesirable behaviors through the process of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP tasks are designed with the help of the person with OCD so that they can begin to be able to experience the situations which cause them anxiety (exposure). With the help of the therapist, they exercise their learned cognitive skills to manage the anxiety without doing the compulsive behavior (response prevention). The skills are practiced until the anxiety diminishes to a level which does not seem troubling. Typically, the Exposure and Response Prevention exercises are repeated on a schedule so that the person with OCD becomes habituated to the anxiety producing situation and no longer feels the necessity to perform the compulsive behaviors.