Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Los Angeles County, CA
When weekly therapy isn’t enough but you don’t need full-day treatment, our Intensive Outpatient Program bridges that gap. Designed for Los Angeles County residents managing moderate to severe mental health symptoms, IOP provides 3 to 5 structured sessions per week, each lasting approximately 3 hours, so you can get meaningful clinical support while maintaining your daily responsibilities.
Whether you’re stepping down from our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), stepping up from outpatient therapy (OP), or entering treatment for the first time, IOP gives you the intensity and structure to stabilize symptoms and build lasting coping skills.
Available via telehealth and in person at our Tustin facility, with scheduling designed around work and family commitments.
“I was commuting from Downey and dreading the idea of adding treatment on top of everything. But the telehealth IOP sessions fit right into my evenings. Three hours felt like a lot at first, but the group work and skill-building made the time fly. Within a few weeks, I noticed a real shift in how I was handling stress at work and at home.”
A Conversation Can Change Everything
Contact us to connect with our team. We are here to provide the answers and support you need.
Who Is the Intensive Outpatient Program For?
IOP occupies a specific place in the treatment spectrum. It’s more intensive than standard outpatient therapy but doesn’t require the full-day commitment of PHP. We want to make sure you’re matched to the level of care where you’ll make the most progress — not too little support, not more than you need.
IOP may be the right fit if:
Your symptoms are actively disrupting your daily functioning — difficulty concentrating at work, withdrawing from relationships, persistent anxiety or panic that limits what you can do, depressive episodes that make it hard to get through the day, or mood instability that affects your interactions with others. You’ve been in weekly therapy but aren’t making the progress you need. You’ve completed PHP and need a structured step-down that maintains your momentum without the full-day time commitment. You’re experiencing a crisis, life transition, or symptom escalation that requires more support than your current treatment provides. You need active skill-building — not just talk therapy — to manage symptoms that are interfering with your ability to function.
IOP may not be the best fit if:
Your symptoms are manageable and you’re functioning relatively well day-to-day — in that case, our Outpatient Program (OP) provides the right level of ongoing support. On the other hand, if your symptoms are severe enough that you need daily structured treatment for 5–6 hours, our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is designed for that level of intensity. Our clinical team determines the best fit during your initial assessment.
IOP vs. OP vs. PHP: Understanding the Difference
One of the most common questions we hear from LA County residents is how IOP compares to other program levels. Here’s a clear breakdown:
OP | IOP | PHP |
5 sessions | 3–5 sessions | 5 sessions |
1–1.5 hours | ~3 hours | ~6 hours |
5–7.5 hours | 9–15 hours | ~30 hours |
Maintenance, relapse prevention, ongoing support | Active symptom management, intensive skill-building | Stabilization, crisis management, intensive daily treatment |
Manageable symptoms, step-down from IOP | Moderate-severe symptoms impacting daily life | Severe symptoms requiring near-daily monitoring |
Your clinical team will recommend the right level during your assessment. You can move between levels as your needs change — without switching providers.
How the Intensive Outpatient Program Works
Our IOP is designed around concentrated therapeutic engagement—enough intensity to drive real progress on active symptoms while keeping you connected to your daily life. Here’s what the program involves.
Session Structure
IOP consists of 3 to 5 group sessions per week, each lasting approximately 3 hours. This level of frequency and duration allows for deeper therapeutic work than weekly therapy or standard outpatient care. Sessions are clinician-led and follow a structured format that combines psychoeducation, active skill practice, and processing time.
What Happens in a Typical IOP Session
Grounding and check-in (15–20 minutes)
Sessions open with a mindfulness or grounding exercise, followed by a check-in where each group member reports on how they’ve been managing since the last session. This isn’t surface-level small talk—it’s structured to surface patterns, identify escalating symptoms, and create accountability. Your clinician uses this information to adapt the session in real time.
Core therapeutic work (60–75 minutes)
This is the most intensive portion of each session. Depending on where you are in the curriculum and what the group needs, this might involve cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) exercises to identify and restructure distorted thinking patterns, DBT skills training for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness-based interventions for managing anxiety and staying present, trauma processing work using evidence-based approaches, or relapse prevention strategies and trigger management. Unlike standard therapy, where you discuss a topic for 50 minutes, IOP gives you the time to learn a skill, practice it in session, troubleshoot obstacles, and plan how to apply it in real life—all in the same sitting.
Group process and peer support (40–50 minutes)
The group component is one of IOP’s most powerful elements. After the skill-building work, the group processes how the day’s concepts connect to their real experiences. Members challenge each other constructively, share what’s working and what isn’t, and build the kind of honest peer accountability that doesn’t happen in individual therapy. For many clients, this is where the biggest shifts occur—realizing you’re not alone in your experience and seeing others navigate similar challenges successfully.
Integration and planning (15–20 minutes)
Each session closes with an integration exercise where you consolidate what you’ve learned and set specific, measurable goals for the hours and days ahead. Your clinician may assign between-session practice—a worksheet, a journaling exercise, or a skill to try in a specific real-world situation—so the work doesn’t stop when the session ends.
Beyond Group Sessions
IOP includes more than group work. Individual therapy sessions are scheduled weekly or biweekly depending on your clinical needs, giving you dedicated time with your therapist to address personal issues that may not be appropriate for the group setting. Medication management consultations are available for clients who need psychiatric support—whether you’re starting medication, adjusting dosages, or monitoring side effects. Your treatment team also coordinates care if you have existing providers and is available between sessions for urgent clinical concerns.
What a Typical Week in IOP Looks Like
Here’s a sample week for an LA County client attending IOP via telehealth:
Day | Time | Focus |
Monday | 6:00–9:00 PM | CBT: Cognitive restructuring, identifying automatic thoughts, behavioral activation |
Tuesday | 6:00–9:00 PM | DBT skills: Emotional regulation, distress tolerance techniques, chain analysis |
Wednesday | 6:00–9:00 PM | Trauma and anxiety: Mindfulness practices, exposure strategies, grounding techniques |
Thursday | — | Individual therapy session (scheduled separately) or rest day |
Friday | 6:00–9:00 PM | Integration: Interpersonal skills, week review, relapse prevention, weekend planning |
This is a sample schedule. Session frequency (3–5 days/week) and specific focus areas are customized based on your clinical needs and treatment plan. Some clients attend 3 evenings per week; others attend 5. Individual therapy and psychiatric consultations are scheduled separately.
What Makes IOP Different from Weekly Therapy
If you’ve been in weekly therapy and feel stuck, IOP isn’t just “more of the same.” The structure and intensity create fundamentally different conditions for progress.
Concentrated exposure to skills: In weekly therapy, you learn a technique and then have seven days before you revisit it. In IOP, you learn, practice, apply, troubleshoot, and refine — all within the same week. Skills stick because you’re using them while they’re fresh.
Group accountability: When you check in with the same group multiple times per week, there’s nowhere to hide. That’s a good thing. The group holds you accountable in a way that a weekly therapist can’t, and you hold them accountable too. That mutual investment accelerates everyone’s progress.
Real-time clinical adjustment: Your clinician sees you multiple times per week, which means they catch emerging patterns, mood shifts, and symptom changes faster. Treatment gets adjusted in real time instead of after the fact.
Deeper processing: Three hours gives you time to go beyond surface-level conversation. You can sit with difficult emotions, work through resistance, and reach insights that a 50-minute session doesn’t allow.
How IOP Fits Into Your Treatment Journey
IOP isn’t a standalone solution — it’s part of a full continuum of care that adapts as your needs evolve.
Stepping down from PHP:
If you’ve completed our Partial Hospitalization Program, IOP is the natural next step. You’ve stabilized, built your foundational coping toolkit, and now need to test those skills in real-world conditions with consistent clinical support. The transition is seamless because you stay with the same treatment team who already knows your history, triggers, and progress.
Entering treatment for the first time:
Not everyone needs to start at PHP. If your symptoms are actively interfering with daily functioning but you don’t need full-day treatment, IOP can be an excellent entry point. Many of our LA County clients start directly in IOP because their work and family obligations don’t allow for a PHP-level time commitment, but they need significantly more support than weekly therapy provides.
Stepping up from OP:
Sometimes symptoms escalate — due to a life event, a medication change, seasonal patterns, or simply the nature of the condition. If you’re in our Outpatient Program and your clinical team determines you need more intensive support, stepping up to IOP happens quickly. No new intake, no retelling your story — your team already knows you.
After IOP — stepping down to OP:
When you and your treatment team agree your symptoms have stabilized and you’re consistently applying coping skills in daily life, you’ll transition to our Outpatient Program (OP) for maintenance-level care. This step-down is gradual and planned — we reduce frequency as you demonstrate readiness, and your aftercare plan includes a relapse prevention framework, warning signs to watch for, and clear criteria for when to step back up if needed.
What Progress Looks Like in IOP
Progress in IOP tends to be more noticeable and faster-paced than in standard therapy, because the intensity creates momentum. Here’s what our clinicians and clients typically observe:
Weeks 1–2: Assessment and stabilization. You’re getting acclimated to the schedule and group dynamic. Your treatment team is gathering data — observing your patterns, refining your diagnosis if needed, and adjusting your treatment plan. You may feel emotionally activated as you confront difficult material. That’s expected and supported.
Weeks 3–5: Active skill-building and application. This is where the work gets practical. You’re learning CBT techniques for thought restructuring, DBT skills for emotional regulation, mindfulness practices for anxiety management. More importantly, you’re applying them between sessions and reporting back. The group becomes a testing ground — you try new approaches, get feedback, and iterate.
Weeks 6–8: Consolidation and confidence. Skills start becoming automatic. You’re catching distorted thoughts before they spiral, using distress tolerance techniques in real time, and navigating situations that used to overwhelm you. Group discussions shift from “I’m struggling” to “Here’s what I tried and here’s what happened.” Your clinician begins discussing step-down readiness.
Weeks 8–12+: Transition planning. You and your treatment team collaboratively decide when to step down to OP. Discharge isn’t a cliff — it’s a planned reduction in intensity with a clear aftercare framework. Some clients complete IOP in 6–8 weeks; others benefit from 12+ weeks. Duration is based on your progress, not a predetermined timeline.
Telehealth and In-Person Options for LA County Residents
We designed our IOP with the reality of LA County life in mind. A 3-hour evening session shouldn’t require a 90-minute commute on top of it. That’s why telehealth is a core delivery method, not a backup option.
Telehealth (available for all IOP sessions):
Attend from anywhere in LA County via our secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. Evening sessions (typically 6:00–9:00 PM) accommodate work schedules. Same clinicians, same group, same therapeutic quality as in person. Ideal for residents of Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, Santa Monica, Santa Clarita, Torrance, Pomona, and everywhere in between. No traffic, no parking, no disruption to your evening routine beyond the session itself.
In person at our Tustin facility:
15991 Red Hill Ave, Suite 101, Tustin, CA 92780. A quiet, clinical environment purpose-built for focused therapeutic work. Accessible from southern LA County via the 5, 605, or 710 freeways. Many clients from Long Beach, Downey, Whittier, Cerritos, and Lakewood find the 30–45 minute drive worthwhile for the immersive in-person group experience.
Hybrid approach:
Attend in-person when your schedule allows and switch to telehealth when it doesn’t. The clinical experience remains consistent because you’re working with the same group and same clinician regardless of format.
Conditions Treated in Our IOP
- Trauma-Related Disorders
- Dual Diagnosis
- Substance Use Disorders
Insurance and Getting Started
We accept most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, GEHA, Health Net, UMR, Meritain, Halcyon, Tufts, and MultiPlan. Most insurance plans cover intensive outpatient treatment as a recognized, evidence-based level of mental health care.
Here’s how to get started:
- Call or reach out online. Contact us or through our contact form. Our admissions team conducts a brief, free assessment to understand your needs and determine the right level of care.
- Insurance verification. We verify your benefits and explain your coverage before you commit to anything. Verify insurance online here.
- Clinical assessment. Our clinical team determines whether IOP is the right level or if OP or PHP would better serve your current needs. This isn’t a formality—it’s a thorough evaluation to make sure we’re matching you to the right intensity.
- Begin treatment. Most clients start within 24–48 hours. Telehealth clients can begin as soon as the next available session.
Frequently Asked Questions About IOP
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How is IOP different from the Outpatient Program (OP)?
The key differences are intensity and clinical focus. IOP involves 3–5 sessions per week at approximately 3 hours each (9–15 hours weekly), focused on active symptom management and intensive skill-building. OP involves 5 shorter sessions at 1–1.5 hours each (5–7.5 hours weekly), focused on maintenance and ongoing support. IOP is for people whose symptoms are actively impacting daily functioning; OP is for people whose symptoms are persistent but manageable.
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How is IOP different from PHP?
PHP runs 5 days per week at approximately 6 hours per day (∼30 hours weekly) and is designed for severe symptoms requiring near-daily clinical monitoring and stabilization. IOP provides 9–15 hours of weekly treatment — significantly less than PHP but significantly more than standard outpatient care. Many clients step down from PHP to IOP as their symptoms stabilize.
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Can I start directly in IOP without doing PHP first?
Yes. Many clients enter IOP as their first level of care. If your symptoms are actively interfering with daily functioning but you don’t need the full-day intensity of PHP, IOP is an appropriate starting point. Your clinical team makes this determination during your initial assessment.
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How long does IOP typically last?
Most clients are in IOP for 6–12 weeks, though some benefit from longer programs. Duration depends on your symptom severity, rate of progress, and personal goals. Your treatment team regularly evaluates your readiness for step-down and discusses the timeline with you — you’re always part of the decision.
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Can I attend all IOP sessions via telehealth from LA County?
Yes. Our IOP is fully available via telehealth with evening sessions. Many LA County clients complete the entire program remotely. You also have the option to attend in-person at our Tustin facility or use a hybrid approach.
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What if my symptoms improve — or get worse — during IOP?
If your symptoms stabilize, your team will plan a step-down to our Outpatient Program (OP) for continued maintenance-level support. If symptoms worsen, you can step up to PHP without switching providers or starting over. Your clinical team already knows your history, so transitions happen quickly.
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What conditions do you treat in IOP?
Our IOP supports individuals with a wide range of mental health conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, dual diagnosis, personality disorders, and other conditions. For a full list of what we treat, visit our comprehensive LA County mental health treatment page.
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Do I need a referral to start IOP?
No referral is needed. Contact us directly for a free, confidential assessment. If you’re currently working with a therapist, psychiatrist, or primary care provider, we’re happy to coordinate care and keep them in the loop throughout your treatment.
Ready to Get Started?
If your symptoms have outpaced what weekly therapy can handle, IOP provides the structured intensity to catch up—without putting your life on hold. Our program gives you concentrated therapeutic support, practical skill-building, and peer accountability designed to create real, lasting change.
Call today for a free, confidential assessment. Or verify your insurance online to see what your plan covers.
For a complete overview of all our mental health programs available to LA County residents, visit our Mental Health Treatment in Los Angeles County page.
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.
