Reference no: EM133451922

Mike is a 13-year-old boy whose parents took him to an outpatient psychiatry center because he was doing worse in school. Mike says in his evaluation that he has been bothered for the past year by intrusive, repeating images of himself letting his baby brother fall down the stairs. Every time he holds his baby brother, these thoughts bother him. These images keep him from concentrating, make him feel very bad, and make it hard for him to study. He says that when he sees these images, his heart races, he shakes, he sweats, and he feels scared. He also says that these images make him feel like "something is wrong" with him. He thinks the images are crazy and would never do anything like that. He hasn't done anything wrong in the past, but he has started to avoid his younger brother. Mike says he usually counts things in groups of three to deal with his obsessions. This gives him a better sense of order and control. He says that doing this ritual makes him feel less anxious, so he does it often throughout the day, sometimes more than once an hour. He thinks he will drop his little brother down the stairs if he doesn't count things in groups of three. Explain what Mike's exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy might look like in two or three sentences. Make sure you understand what ERP aims to do and what the therapist.