This component of ERP includes exposing the patient to their trigger in real life. These triggers can be "objects, words, images or situations". These triggers are presented in a way so that triggers that cause less distress or fear are used in the beginning and patients work their way up to more distressing cues or triggers.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

There are 4 main components to ERP
- Exposure in vivo
- Imaginal Exposure
- Ritual Prevention
- Processing

Components of ERP

Foa EB. Cognitive behavioral therapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2010;12(2):199-207. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2010.12.2/efoa. PMID: 20623924; PMCID: PMC3181959.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181959/

NIH: Cognitive behavioral therapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Exposure in vivo

This component of ERP involves the patient imagining the trigger rather being directly exposed to it. This is used in place of exposure in vivo for triggers that may be harmful for the therapist to expose the patient to in real life. If for example the patient is afraid of being infected with a serious disease if they go to a park and don't immediately wash their hands, the therapist can't in vivo them getting infected by a grave disease to expose them to their fear so they must take an imaginal approach instead to decrease the fear of getting sick by going to a park.

Imaginal Exposure

This component of ERP involves the patient preventing the compulsory action they typically carry out. This works to show the person that their compulsory action is not really necessary and that their fear won't come to fruition if they do skip out on this their ritual behavior.

Ritual Prevention

This is the final component where the patient dissects their experience with the therapist. They discuss concepts such as how the patient felt during the ERP, if the ERP confirms or contradicts their fear and if exposed to their trigger again how strong the urge for the compulsion will be now.

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