Episode Summary: Why ERP Isn’t Enough – Using ACT to Build a Life Beyond OCD Symptoms

Podcast: The OCD Whisperer Podcast
Host: Kristina Orlova
Guest: Dr. Marisa Maza (ACT and ERP Specialist)
Episode: #170
Date: February 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off a four-part series exploring Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and its integration with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for treating OCD. Host Kristina Orlova welcomes Dr. Marisa Maza, who shares her expertise in both ERP and ACT, discussing why ERP alone might not be sufficient and how ACT helps individuals build fulfilling lives beyond just managing symptoms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to ACT and Series Structure

• Kristina introduces Dr. Maza as a leading ACT clinician and faculty member at the Behavioral Therapy Training Institute.
• The series will explore:
  • Episode 1: Introduction to ACT and psychological flexibility
  • Episode 2: Unhooking from thoughts (defusion/acceptance)
  • Episode 3: Grounding in the present/self as context
  • Episode 4: Living a values-based life (values & committed action)
• Focus: Defining ACT, psychological flexibility, and ACT’s relationship to ERP.

2. ACT’s Core Processes and Psychological Flexibility

• ACT’s Six Core Processes (03:17, Dr. Maza):
  • Present Moment: Focusing on the here and now.
  • Values: Determining what brings meaning and purpose.
  • Committed Action: Taking steps toward valued goals.
  • Self as Context: Understanding you are not your experiences or thoughts.
  • Defusion: Unhooking from thoughts, seeing them as words/sentences, not truths.
  • Acceptance: Willingness to experience internal (thoughts/feelings) and external events.
• Key Point: These processes help people become psychologically flexible—able to experience thoughts and feelings (even unwanted ones), while still acting in alignment with their values (05:12).

Notable Quote:

“What ACT tries to help you do is rather than fighting these experiences or wrestling these thoughts to the ground or completely suppressing and ignoring these thoughts, it teaches folks how to have a different relationship with those thoughts.”
—Dr. Marisa Maza [05:14]

3. ACT’s Origins and Why It’s Useful for OCD

• Transdiagnostic Origin: (07:15) ACT wasn't designed specifically for OCD—it's evidence-based for various issues (anxiety, ADHD, GAD).
• Mechanism Focus: Instead of targeting just symptoms or diagnoses, ACT addresses underlying psychological mechanisms that contribute to distress.
• Benefits for OCD: Helps clients acknowledge obsessions as experiences; emphasizes choosing how to act, and redirects focus toward values-driven living—not just controlling symptoms.

4. ACT vs. ERP — How They Differ and Complement Each Other

• ERP Focus: (09:40) Traditional ERP zeroes in on symptom and anxiety reduction—breaking OCD’s cycle via exposure and blocking compulsions.
• Limitations of ERP Alone: Dr. Maza noticed that post-ERP treatment, clients still struggled with life satisfaction, relationships, and generalized distress.
• ACT’s Addition: Teaches clients to live well, not simply reduce symptoms. Provides a broader philosophy for handling all difficult experiences, not just those linked to OCD.
• ERP = Symptom Reduction; ACT = Life Beyond Symptoms (11:06)

Notable Quote:

“ACT is not necessarily just a treatment. I view it as like a philosophy... It really teaches folks how to live well with all difficult experiences.”
—Dr. Marisa Maza [10:00]

5. Real-Life Example: Acceptance in Action

• Dr. Maza shares her personal experience with grief and how avoidance behaviors (overworking, skipping self-care, unhealthy eating) compounded her anxiety and depression (13:22).
• Applying ACT, she practiced slowing down, self-compassion, and separating herself from self-critical thinking—demonstrating psychological flexibility.
• Key Technique: Noticing thoughts (“I’m having the thought that __”) to create space and choose value-based responses.

Notable Quote:

“Even just stepping back and acknowledging something like, ‘I’m having the thought that ...’ can create just a little bit of distance between you and the unhelpful thought and allow you to choose...”
—Dr. Marisa Maza [14:02]

6. Slowing Down and Awareness as Foundations for Change

• Why Slowing Down Matters: Anxiety or obsessions often spike when distractions fade (bedtime, quiet moments).
• How to Start: Actionable ways to slow down include literally moving/talking slower, scheduling quiet, taking real breaks, and brief meditation (18:33).
• Both Kristina and Dr. Maza acknowledge that being with one’s mind can feel scary, but small steps (even a single breath) begin to build self-awareness and compassion (22:08).

7. Facing the Fear of Stillness

• Dr. Maza recounts her recent silent meditation retreat, describing initial fear and avoidance followed by deeper emotional processing and subsequent creativity (22:51–24:18).
• Takeaway Message: The fear that “we’re not capable” (of uncertainty, big emotions) is the core OCD narrative—ACT counters this by encouraging experiential trust and self-investigation.

Notable Quote:

“Rather than trust the mind, trust your experience, like, be your own investigator and see for yourself what you’re truly capable of.”
—Dr. Marisa Maza [24:18]

8. Control Versus Trust & Embracing Life’s Uncertainty

• Attempts to control internal experiences often backfire; as life’s challenges grow, flexibility and acceptance become essential.
• Dr. Maza: “I often say the opposite of anxiety is trust.” (27:29) – Whether it’s trusting yourself or something greater, that’s the counterbalance to anxiety.

9. Summing Up & Practical Takeaway

Episode Close-Out:

• Kristina’s Summary: Psychological flexibility—being present with what matters despite discomfort—is the key message.
• Practical Step (29:56):
  • Identify one thing that matters to you (blocked by OCD).
  • Take one tiny “baby step” toward it, despite anxiety or unwanted thoughts.

“Think about one thing in your life that is really important to you and perhaps OCD gets in the way of. And just think about what’s one itty bitty baby step you can take towards that thing?”
—Dr. Marisa Maza [29:56]

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “These six core processes then build psychological flexibility.”
  —Dr. Marisa Maza [05:12]

• “ACT is not necessarily just a treatment. I view it as like a philosophy... It really teaches folks how to live well with all difficult experiences.”
  —Dr. Marisa Maza [10:00]

• “Even just stepping back and acknowledging something like, ‘I’m having the thought that ...’ can create just a little bit of distance between you and the unhelpful thought and allow you to choose...”
  —Dr. Marisa Maza [14:02]

• “Rather than trust the mind, trust your experience, like, be your own investigator and see for yourself what you’re truly capable of.”
  —Dr. Marisa Maza [24:18]

• “I often say that the opposite of anxiety is trust.”
  —Dr. Marisa Maza [27:29]

Timeline of Important Segments

• 03:17 – ACT’s six core processes explained
• 07:15 – How ACT came to be used for OCD; its transdiagnostic nature
• 09:40 – The difference between ACT and ERP; ERP’s limitations
• 13:22 – Dr. Maza’s personal acceptance example (grief, slowing down)
• 18:33 – Ways to slow down and become aware; why this is foundational
• 22:51–24:18 – Silent meditation retreat & the value of facing emotions
• 27:29 – Trust as the antidote to anxiety
• 29:56 – Practical takeaway: baby step toward a value-based life

Next Steps & Where to Find More

• Guest’s website: choicetherapy.net
• Host’s resources: coraresults.com

This episode lays the groundwork for understanding how ACT expands on ERP—helping those with OCD shift from just symptom management to building greater psychological flexibility and living a more meaningful, values-driven life.

Stay tuned for episode two, which will focus on “unhooking from the mind,” defusion, and acceptance.