Anxiety and OCD IOP
- Home
- /
- Child & Family Services
- /
- Specialty Services & Programs
- /
- Anxiety and OCD IOP
At PPA, we recognize that some individuals may need a level of care beyond traditional weekly psychotherapy. To meet this need, we offer a more intensive treatment option that delivers effective support while remaining as minimally disruptive as possible to family routines. The Anxiety and OCD Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed to help individuals and their families achieve faster symptom reduction and improved daily functioning through focused, evidence-based intervention. Grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and incorporating exposure and response prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment for anxiety and OCD, the program provides the intensity and structure needed to make meaningful progress in a shorter period of time.
- High levels of interference in daily life:
The IOP may be appropriate when anxiety or obsessive-compulsive symptoms significantly disrupt routines, such as difficulty attending school, work, or engaging in typical daily activities. - Limited response to traditional therapy:
The program is recommended for individuals who have tried standard outpatient therapy (e.g., weekly sessions) with limited progress or effectiveness. - Need for increased treatment intensity:
The IOP provides a more structured and frequent intervention to address severe symptoms that require concentrated support.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Specific Phobias (e.g., fear of vomit/vomiting, heights, school-related phobias, etc.)
- Separation Anxiety
- Panic Disorder
- Agoraphobia
Intensive treatment typically entails meeting with a clinician several times a week. The schedule and frequency of sessions will depend on the results of the assessment and recommended treatment plan. Sessions for IOP will range between 3 to 10 units per week . Sessions units are 45 minutes; the number of units, appointment times, and days will be scheduled depending on the timeframe permitted and presenting circumstances.Treatment will primarily take place in the office and/or telehealth; however, treatment may also take place in other environments.
During the first few days of an intensive treatment, the focus will be on providing psycho-education about anxiety and its treatment. Patients will gain an understanding of the nature and causes of anxiety, and most importantly – they will learn about the factors that maintain their anxiety. This information is an important foundation to begin the journey toward beating anxiety. Patients will also learn to use cognitive strategies to begin to question and change faulty, anxious thoughts. In addition, patients will be taught adaptive coping skills (e.g., mindfulness, relaxation techniques) to help them learn to manage distress without relying on maladaptive behaviors, such as avoidance.
The clinician and patient will then proceed to the most critical component of treatment: exposures. During exposures, patients learn to gradually face feared stimuli and situations in a supportive and empowering environment. Importantly, patients will be coached to resist the temptation to engage in avoidance behaviors and/or compulsive rituals during exposures. With repeated exposures, patients gradually learn to face the previously feared situations more comfortably, without engaging in avoidance behaviors and/or rituals and compulsions. Intensive treatment can be stressful at times, but in both our clinical experience and the scientific literature, it has been shown to be an effective treatment for youth and adults with severe anxiety disorders. To help provide a buffer against treatment and other-related stress, it is important that patients and families engage in adequate self-care (e.g., carve out time to relax and unwind). Your clinician will work with you to develop a plan to engage in appropriate self-care throughout treatment.
When working with children and adolescents experiencing severe anxiety, clinicians will work closely with parents and primary caregivers. In addition, clinicians may work with teachers and other school staff as appropriate. Throughout treatment, an important goal is for caregivers to understand the rationale for treatment and specific techniques being used to provide appropriate support for the child between sessions and once treatment has ended.
Anxiety disorders are complex; although patients typically see significant improvement in symptoms and functioning over the course of an intensive treatment. Careful thought and consideration is given to how to maintain and increase the gains made in treatment. Individuals and families will work with their therapist to identify the best treatment plan moving forward. Often, recommendations are made to continue weekly psychotherapy sessions for a period of time. If the patient was previously receiving weekly CBT psychotherapy from another therapist, the clinician from the intensive treatment will help to facilitate the transition back to the referring therapist. The focus of this phase of treatment is often to help the individual continue to use the skills learned during intensive treatment in their everyday lives, to quickly identify and address new problems that arise because of anxiety, and to recognize when professional help might be needed again.
If you believe you or your child might benefit from this type of intensive treatment, please contact our office so that we can schedule a diagnostic assessment that will help us determine the appropriate level of treatment. You can contact us via phone (305) 936-1002 or email: info@mailppa.com.
Contact us today to get started!
What does intensive treatment involve?
Intensive treatment typically entails meeting with a clinician several times a week. The schedule and frequency of sessions will depend on the results of the assessment and recommended treatment plan. Sessions for IOP will range between 3 to 10 units per week. Sessions units are 45 minutes; the number of units, appointment times, and days will be scheduled depending on the timeframe permitted and presenting circumstances. Treatment will primarily take place in the office and/or telehealth; however, treatment may also take place in other environments.
During the first few days of an intensive treatment, the focus will be on providing psycho-education about anxiety and its treatment. In other words, patients will gain an understanding of the nature and causes of anxiety, and most importantly – they will learn about the factors that maintain their anxiety. This information is an important foundation to begin the journey toward beating anxiety. Patients will also learn to use cognitive strategies to begin to question and change faulty, anxious thoughts. In addition, patients will be taught adaptive coping skills (e.g., mindfulness, relaxation techniques) to help them learn to manage distress without relying on maladaptive behaviors, such as avoidance.
The clinician and patient will then proceed to the most critical component of treatment: exposures. During exposures, patients learn to gradually face feared stimuli and situations in a supportive and empowering environment. Importantly, patients will be coached to resist the temptation to engage in avoidance behaviors and/or compulsive rituals during exposures. With repeated exposures, patients gradually learn to face the previously feared situations more comfortably, without engaging in avoidance behaviors and/or rituals and compulsions.
Intensive treatment can be stressful at times, but in both our clinical experience and the scientific literature, it has been shown to be an effective treatment for youth and adults with severe anxiety disorders. To help provide a buffer against treatment and other-related stress, it is important that patients and families engage in adequate self-care (e.g., carve out time to relax and unwind). Your clinician will work with you to develop a plan to engage in appropriate self-care throughout treatment.
Intensive treatment with children and adolescents
When working with children and adolescents experiencing severe anxiety, clinicians will work closely with parents and primary caregivers. In addition, clinicians may work with teachers and other school staff as appropriate. Throughout treatment, an important goal is for caregivers to understand the rationale for treatment and specific techniques being used in order to provide appropriate support for the child between sessions and once treatment has ended.
What happens after an intensive treatment?
Anxiety disorders are complex; although patients typically see significant improvement in symptoms and functioning over the course of an intensive treatment, careful thought and consideration is given to how to maintain and increase the gains made in treatment. Individuals and families will work with their therapist to identify the best treatment plan moving forward. Often, recommendations are made to continue weekly psychotherapy sessions for a period of time. If the patient was previously receiving weekly CBT psychotherapy from another therapist, the clinician from the intensive treatment will help to facilitate the transition back to the referring therapist. The focus of this phase of treatment is often to help the individual continue to use the skills learned during intensive treatment in their everyday lives, to quickly identify and address new problems that arise as a result of anxiety, and to recognize when professional help might be needed again.
How do I start an intensive treatment?
If you believe you or your child might benefit from this type of intensive treatment, please contact our office so that we can schedule a diagnostic assessment that will help us determine the appropriate level of treatment. You can contact us via phone or e-mail: (305) 936-1002; info@mailppa.com
