Outpatient Anxiety and Depression Treatment for Los Angeles County Residents
Friendly Recovery Center provides structured outpatient programs specifically designed for people dealing with co-occurring anxiety and depression. Our PHP, IOP, and standard outpatient programs give LA County residents access to evidence-based treatment through telehealth and in-person care with evening sessions, rapid admission, and a clinical team that specializes in treating both conditions together.
Living with anxiety and depression at the same time can make even the simplest parts of your day feel impossible. The worry won’t stop, the motivation isn’t there, and finding help in a county as large and overwhelming as Los Angeles can feel like another obstacle on top of everything else.
“I spent months on a waitlist in LA before a friend suggested Friendly Recovery. I started their telehealth IOP within two days. The evening sessions meant I didn’t have to miss work, and for the first time in years, I actually had tools to manage both my anxiety and depression. The drive to Tustin for in-person group sessions became something I looked forward to.”
Get the Outpatient Support You Need Today
Most clients begin treatment within 24–48 hours. Call us for a free, confidential assessment, or verify your insurance online.
Why Anxiety and Depression Require Specialized Outpatient Care
Anxiety and depression are the two most commonly co-occurring mental health conditions. When they appear together, they amplify each other—anxiety keeps your mind racing while depression drains the energy you’d need to cope. Standard therapy approaches that target only one condition often produce incomplete results. That’s why our clinical team uses an integrated treatment model that addresses both simultaneously, targeting the shared neurological and behavioral patterns that keep both conditions active.
For a deeper understanding of how these conditions interact and what the broader treatment landscape looks like, see our guide: Treatment for Anxiety and Depression in Los Angeles County: What You Need to Know.
Our Outpatient Programs for Anxiety and Depression
We offer three levels of outpatient care, each designed to provide the right intensity of treatment based on where you are right now. You can step up or step down between programs as your needs evolve all with the same clinical team.
Our Partial Hospitalization Program is our most intensive outpatient level of care, designed for individuals whose anxiety and depression are significantly impacting daily functioning. If you’re struggling to get through a workday, withdrawing from relationships, experiencing panic attacks alongside depressive episodes, or stepping down from inpatient or residential care, PHP provides the structured daily support needed to stabilize.
Program structure:
5–6 days per week, 5–6 hours per day. Treatment includes daily group therapy focused on anxiety and depression coping skills, individual therapy sessions, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, CBT and DBT skill-building workshops, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. PHP is conducted in-person at our Tustin facility, providing a focused therapeutic environment away from the stressors of daily life.
Our Intensive Outpatient Program is our most popular option for LA County residents with co-occurring anxiety and depression. IOP provides substantial therapeutic support while allowing you to maintain work, school, and family responsibilities—a critical factor for people whose anxiety about falling behind is part of the problem.
Program structure:
3–5 sessions per week, approximately 3 hours per session. Treatment includes process group therapy centered on anxiety and depression, individual counseling with your assigned therapist, psychoeducation on the anxiety-depression cycle, emotional regulation and distress tolerance training, and relapse prevention planning. IOP is available via telehealth with evening sessions—which means no fighting the 405 or the 5 after work. Many of our LA County clients complete the entire program from home.
Standard Outpatient Program (OP) for Anxiety and Depression
Our Outpatient Program provides ongoing maintenance care for individuals who have stabilized from PHP or IOP, or whose anxiety and depression symptoms are persistent but manageable. OP is the right fit if you’re functioning in daily life but know you need consistent professional support to stay on track.
Program structure:
1 group session, 5 times per week, 1–1.5 hours per session. Sessions focus on continued skill application, navigating real-world triggers, and building long-term resilience. Available via telehealth and in-person, with flexible scheduling.
Comparing Our Programs at a Glance
Program | Hours/Week | Best For | Telehealth | Typical Duration |
PHP | 25–30 hrs | Severe symptoms, crisis stabilization, step-down from inpatient | In-person only | 2–4 weeks |
IOP | 9–15 hrs | Moderate symptoms, working professionals, step-down from PHP | Yes – evening sessions | 6–12 weeks |
OP | 5–7.5 hrs | Maintenance care, stable symptoms, ongoing support | Yes – flexible | Ongoing |
How We Treat Anxiety and Depression Together
Our clinical approach is built around the understanding that anxiety and depression share common roots—distorted thinking patterns, difficulty regulating emotions, avoidance behaviors, and often unresolved trauma. Rather than treating them as separate conditions with separate interventions, we use an integrated model that targets these shared mechanisms.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is the foundation of our programming for co-occurring anxiety and depression. In our groups and individual sessions, you’ll learn to identify the thought patterns that fuel both conditions—catastrophic thinking that drives anxiety and hopeless thinking that deepens depression. CBT provides concrete, practical tools you can apply immediately: thought records, behavioral activation scheduling, exposure hierarchies for avoided situations, and cognitive restructuring techniques that break the cycle of rumination.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is particularly effective when anxiety and depression are accompanied by intense emotional swings, difficulty in relationships, or self-destructive coping behaviors. Our DBT-informed sessions teach four core skill sets: mindfulness to anchor you in the present when anxiety pulls you into the future and depression pulls you into the past; distress tolerance to survive crisis moments without making things worse; emotional regulation to reduce vulnerability to mood swings; and interpersonal effectiveness to ask for what you need without damaging relationships.
Trauma-Informed Care and EMDR
For many people, anxiety and depression are downstream effects of unresolved trauma. Our entire program operates through a trauma-informed lens, meaning we create safety first and never push you faster than you’re ready to go. For clients whose symptoms are rooted in specific traumatic experiences, we offer EMDR therapy to help the brain reprocess those memories and reduce their emotional intensity. Many clients notice a significant reduction in both anxiety and depressive symptoms once underlying trauma is addressed.
Process Group Therapy
Group therapy is a core component across all of our programs. For people with anxiety and depression, group work provides something unique: the experience of being genuinely understood by others who are going through something similar. Groups focused on anxiety and depression help normalize what you’re feeling, provide accountability for applying new skills, and create a sense of connection that counters the isolation both conditions tend to cause.
Psychiatric Evaluation and Medication Management
When clinically appropriate, medication management can play an important role in stabilizing anxiety and depression. SSRIs and SNRIs are commonly prescribed for co-occurring conditions because they address both simultaneously. Our psychiatric providers work closely with your therapy team to ensure medication supports—rather than replaces—the skills you’re building in treatment. Dosages are monitored and adjusted based on your response, and we prioritize transparency about what medication can and can’t do.
Holistic and Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Our programming incorporates holistic treatment modalities and mindfulness practices that complement clinical interventions. Mindfulness meditation helps interrupt the anxiety-depression cycle by training your attention to stay in the present moment. Breathwork and body-based techniques reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety. These approaches aren’t add-ons—they’re woven into the daily structure of our programs.
What a Typical Week in Treatment Looks Like
Understanding what to expect can ease the anxiety of starting treatment. Here’s what a typical week looks like for an LA County client in our IOP via telehealth:
Monday (Evening Telehealth, 6:00–9:00 PM)
Process group focused on identifying and challenging anxious and depressive thought patterns. Psychoeducation component on the anxiety-depression cycle. Mindfulness practice to close the session.
Wednesday (Evening Telehealth, 6:00–9:00 PM)
DBT skills group: emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Peer support discussion and real-world skill application. Homework review and goal setting.
Friday (Evening Telehealth, 6:00–9:00 PM)
CBT-focused group: behavioral activation and exposure practice. Individual check-in with your therapist. Mindfulness or holistic wellness component. Weekend planning and self-care strategy.
Ongoing:
Individual therapy session (scheduled separately based on your availability). Psychiatric consultation as needed for medication management. Access to your treatment team between sessions for urgent concerns.
This is a sample schedule. Your actual program is customized based on your clinical needs and personal schedule.
Who Is This Program For?
Our outpatient anxiety and depression programs serve LA County residents who are experiencing persistent anxiety and depression that isn’t resolving on its own or with weekly therapy alone. You may be a good fit if:
You’re dealing with constant worry combined with low mood, fatigue, or loss of motivation. Your symptoms are affecting your work performance, relationships, or ability to engage in daily activities. You’ve tried individual therapy but feel you need more structure and support. You’re stepping down from inpatient, residential, or PHP and need continued intensive care. You’re managing anxiety and depression alongside substance use challenges (dual diagnosis). You need a program that fits around your work schedule and doesn’t require relocating or taking extended leave.
We also offer specialized programming for men and women, recognizing that anxiety and depression can manifest and respond to treatment differently across genders.
Why Los Angeles County Residents Choose Friendly Recovery
Telehealth-first approach for LA County. Our evening telehealth sessions are designed for working professionals across LA County. No commute, no traffic, no rearranging your life to get help. Log on from Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica, or anywhere in between. When you’re ready for in-person care—or if PHP is the right level—our Tustin facility is accessible via the 5, 605, or 710.
Rapid admission. While many LA County programs have weeks-long waitlists, most Friendly Recovery clients start treatment within 24–48 hours of their initial assessment. When you’re ready to get help, waiting shouldn’t be part of the process.
Integrated treatment model. We don’t treat anxiety one day and depression the next. Our clinical team addresses both conditions simultaneously using an integrated approach grounded in CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed care.
Joint Commission accredited, DHCS licensed. Our programs meet the highest standards of clinical quality and safety. Joint Commission accreditation is the gold standard in healthcare, and our DHCS licensure ensures compliance with California’s behavioral health regulations.
Continuum of care. Anxiety and depression recovery isn’t always linear. You can move between PHP, IOP, and OP as your needs change—all with the same treatment team who knows your history, your triggers, and your goals. We also provide aftercare planning to support your long-term wellness.
Discreet and private. For LA County residents in industries where privacy matters—entertainment, law, healthcare, tech—our program offers a level of confidentiality that larger facilities can’t match.
Serving Los Angeles County Communities
Our telehealth programs make anxiety and depression treatment accessible from anywhere in LA County. Our Tustin facility at 15991 Red Hill Ave, Suite 101 is also conveniently located for in-person visits from southern LA County communities.
We serve residents throughout Los Angeles County, including:
Long Beach and the South Bay — accessible via the 710 and 405. Downey, Whittier, and La Mirada — a short drive via the 5 or 605. Cerritos, Lakewood, and Norwalk — easily reached via the 5 or 91. Torrance, Redondo Beach, and the Beach Cities. Pasadena, Glendale, and the San Gabriel Valley via telehealth. Santa Monica, West LA, and the Westside via telehealth. Santa Clarita, Burbank, and the San Fernando Valley via telehealth.
Don’t see your area listed? We serve all of LA County through telehealth. Call us to learn more.
Insurance and Getting Started
Mental health treatment is an essential health benefit under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, meaning most insurance plans are required to cover outpatient mental health services—including treatment for anxiety and depression—at the same level as medical care.
We accept most major insurance plans, including:
Not sure if your insurance covers treatment? Our admissions team can verify your benefits at no cost and with no obligation.
The admissions process is straightforward:
- Free, confidential assessment. Call us or complete our online form. Our admissions team will conduct a brief phone or telehealth assessment to understand your needs and recommend the appropriate level of care.
- Insurance verification. We’ll verify your benefits and explain any out-of-pocket costs before you commit. Verify your insurance online here.
- Clinical intake. Our clinical team develops your personalized treatment plan based on the assessment.
- Begin treatment. Most clients start within 24–48 hours. For LA County telehealth clients, you can begin from home as soon as the next available session.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can anxiety and depression be treated at the same time in an outpatient setting?
Yes, and treating them together is actually more effective than addressing each one separately. Co-occurring anxiety and depression share overlapping thought patterns and neurological pathways. Our outpatient programs use an integrated approach—combining CBT, DBT, and other evidence-based therapies—to target both conditions simultaneously. Most people with co-occurring anxiety and depression respond well to outpatient care without needing inpatient treatment.
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How do I know if I need PHP, IOP, or standard outpatient for anxiety and depression?
The right level of care depends on the severity of your symptoms and how much they’re impacting your daily life. If anxiety and depression are making it difficult to function at work, maintain relationships, or complete basic tasks, PHP may be the right starting point. If you’re managing daily responsibilities but struggling significantly, IOP provides structured support while allowing you to keep your routine. If your symptoms are persistent but manageable, standard outpatient offers ongoing therapeutic support. Our clinical team makes this recommendation during your initial assessment—you don’t need to figure it out on your own.
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Can I do the entire program via telehealth from Los Angeles County?
Our IOP and standard outpatient programs are fully available via telehealth, including evening sessions designed for working professionals. Many LA County clients complete their entire treatment virtually. PHP requires in-person attendance at our Tustin facility due to the intensity of programming. If you start with in-person PHP, you can transition to telehealth IOP or OP as you step down—maintaining continuity with the same clinical team.
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How long does outpatient treatment for anxiety and depression take?
Treatment duration is individualized. PHP typically lasts 2–4 weeks. IOP generally runs 6–12 weeks, though some clients benefit from a longer course. Standard outpatient can continue as long as needed for ongoing support. Your treatment team regularly assesses your progress and adjusts the plan accordingly. The goal isn’t to keep you in treatment indefinitely—it’s to equip you with the skills and stability to manage your mental health independently.
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What if I also have a substance use issue alongside my anxiety and depression?
This is common, and we’re equipped to handle it. Our dual diagnosis program provides integrated treatment for co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions. Treating anxiety, depression, and substance use together—rather than separately—produces significantly better long-term outcomes.
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Do I need a referral to start treatment?
No referral is needed. You can contact us directly for a free, confidential assessment. If you have a therapist or psychiatrist you’re currently working with, we’re happy to coordinate care with them.
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How quickly can I start if I’m in Los Angeles County?
Most clients begin treatment within 24–48 hours of completing their assessment and insurance verification. For telehealth clients, you can potentially start the same day your intake is completed. We understand that when you’re ready to get help, timing matters.
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What makes your program different from other outpatient options in LA?
Several things: our integrated treatment model that treats anxiety and depression together rather than separately; telehealth with evening sessions designed specifically for working LA County residents; rapid admission with no weeks-long waitlists; Joint Commission accreditation; a full continuum of care (PHP → IOP → OP) with the same clinical team; and a private, LGBTQ+ affirming, pet-friendly environment that feels like a community, not an institution.
Start Feeling Better. Start Today.
Anxiety and depression have been calling the shots long enough. Our outpatient programs are designed to give you the tools, support, and clinical expertise to take back control—on a schedule that works with your life in Los Angeles County.
Call today for a free, confidential assessment. Or verify your insurance online to see what your plan covers. Your journey toward feeling like yourself again starts with one step.
Medically Reviewed By: Shahana Ham, LCSW
Shahana Ham, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She specializes in client-centered care for individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges, fostering a supportive environment for healing and growth.
