Anxiety & OCD Exposure Planner

From recognizing an anxiety cycle to planning safe exposures and new responses.

Name: Date:

How to use this worksheet: Keep Worksheet 1, the Fear & Trigger Worksheet, beside you and complete it first if you haven't already. Choose one fear or theme to work on. Use the fear, triggers, safety behaviors, and feared outcome you already identified there to plan up to 10 exposures below. You do not need to complete all 10 today.

1. Connect the Dots with Worksheet 1

Pull these four pieces from your completed Fear & Trigger Worksheet, so this plan builds on what you already mapped out.

My “What if…?” fear Worksheet 1, Section 1: what is my mind predicting? A trigger Worksheet 1, Section 2: what brings the fear up? My usual safety behavior Worksheet 1, Section 3: what do I do to escape, fix, check, or feel certain? My feared outcome Worksheet 1, Section 4: what am I ultimately afraid will happen?

2. Understand Your Anxiety / OCD Distress Rating (SUDS)

SUDS stands for Subjective Units of Distress. Rate how much anxiety, discomfort, or uncertainty you expect to feel doing each exposure, not how dangerous it is. The rating is personal: the same task could be a 3 for one person and an 8 for another.

Range	What it usually feels like
0-2 (Low)	Little or mild discomfort
3-4 (Mild-moderate)	Noticeable, but manageable
5-7 (High)	Strong anxiety or urge to avoid
8-10 (Very high)	Very intense or overwhelming

Example: Sending an ordinary text without rereading or asking for reassurance might be a 5. Begin with a manageable exposure. A high rating does not mean you must attempt it right away.

3. Turn Triggers into Specific Exposure Plans

For each exposure, choose a trigger from Worksheet 1 and write an actual, safe action. Avoid vague descriptions like “face my fear.” In the Response field, write what you will practice doing differently when the anxiety appears, for example “No repeated checking,” “Allow uncertainty,” or “Maybe, maybe not.”

Example:

Exposure 1	Example
Trigger	A text might be misunderstood.
Specific exposure	Send an ordinary, low-stakes text after one reasonable review.
What I won't do	No repeated rereading or reassurance.
Expected SUDS	5 / 10
Response	Allow uncertainty and continue my day.

My Exposure Planner (up to 10): use the boxes below to create your own plans. You can start with only two; smaller, repeatable steps are often more helpful than jumping to the hardest task.

Exposure 2

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 3

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 4

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 5

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 6

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 7

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 8

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 9

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

Exposure 10

Trigger from Worksheet 1
Specific exposure: what exactly will I do?
What I won't do
Expected SUDS (0-10)
Response: what will I practice?

5. Write a Response-Prevention Plan

When I notice the urge to ,

I will practice .

If anxiety is still present, I can continue by .

6. Helpful Reminders When Anxiety Appears

Choose a response that helps you continue, not a statement that guarantees everything will turn out okay:

“Maybe, maybe not.” “I can allow uncertainty.” “I don't need to solve this right now.” “I can do what matters while feeling anxious.” “I can notice the urge without acting on it.”

My own reminder

7. After Practicing

Which exposure did I try? #

Anxiety before (0-10)

Peak (0-10)

After (0-10)

What did I notice about the urge to use my usual safety behavior? What did I do differently, and what did I learn about handling uncertainty or discomfort?

Remember: Progress means approaching a planned, safe challenge and practicing a more flexible response, not necessarily lowering anxiety or proving a fear wrong. Keep normal safety precautions and appropriate problem-solving. Choose exercises with your therapist.

Step 2: Open the Client Portal

Prefer pen and paper? Click “Print / Save as PDF” without typing anything, and you'll get a blank worksheet with lines to write on by hand.

Prefer an editable file? Click “Save as Word Doc” instead of printing if you would rather edit your answers later before uploading them.

Step 1: When you're finished, even if Mary only asked you to complete part of this, click “Print / Save as PDF.” A print window will open on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere automatically at this point.

On a Mac: click the “PDF” button in the bottom-left corner of the print window, then choose “Save as PDF…” from the menu.
On Windows: choose “Save as PDF” (or “Microsoft Print to PDF”) from the printer or destination list, then click Save.
On an iPhone or iPad: tap the share icon on the print preview screen, then choose “Save to Files.”

Save the file somewhere you can find it again, like your Desktop or Downloads folder. Your typing is not saved on this page, so please save the PDF before closing or refreshing.

Step 2: Log into the Client Portal, go to the Documents tab, and scroll to My Uploads. Upload the PDF you just saved (drag and drop it, or click Upload Files), then click Submit or Finish to share it with Mary.

This page is not continuously monitored and is not an emergency communication method.

If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911, go to the nearest emergency department, or call or text 988.

Client Access

Anxiety & OCD Exposure Planner