Luxury Intensive Outpatient Program Really Treatment?

Our Intensive Outpatient Program isn’t easy. Different from most, the emphasis is on healing underlying core wounds. The aim of our program is to teach people how to be a counselor to themselves. Are we successful? It depends on what measurement you use. But when graduates of the program call years later just to say hi and give a report of their current lives, to us that is the greatest success around.  

Healing Our Issues

When I was in graduate school, the student body practiced the tools we were studying on each other. Number one, this created a very close-knit group, and number two, all of this counseling had us healing together. Our goal was to heal our issues so that we were healed and able to help heal others. If we had an issue left unattended and a client came in with that same issue, we would get triggered and the session would be a disaster.

Basic Steps Mental Health was formatted like this school, with of course the permission from the University. If you are going to teach people to be their own therapist, like the coursework they had at the University of Santa Monica, It makes sense to teach people the most important psychology approaches – namely Developmental Psychology, Family Systems, Rational Emotive Therapy, Neurolinguistic Programming (Inner Aspect Work), and my favorite Gestalt Therapy. Oh no, we don’t focus on one aspect, for example, the way we think, we treat mind, body, emotions, and spirit! To do this in four weeks, it can be done, however the longer you practice the approach the more natural it will be for you. Still, there are budget and time constraints so yes, a month can be spent learning the basics, then after that weekly one-hour sessions can suffice. Is it easy work? We try to make it so, however, if you have experienced trauma in your life, emotional hurt can come to the surface and feel uncomfortable – to say the least.

Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired

For me, people who are drawn to this program are heroes. Oh yes, people can choose the easy way out, go to a luxury facility and get daily massages, others can do the 12 step work and focus on doing the proper behaviors, but if you are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and really want to change, ours is the program that gets to the core wounds once and for all.  

It isn’t an easy decision to go into any treatment. In residential or inpatient treatment, the shame, and humiliation of being sent away to live somewhere for at minimum a month can be difficult to bear. When I was the Clinical Director of a residential program, often the clients would tell me that they didn’t tell anybody they were in a residential treatment program, they would tell people they were on a retreat and learning about spirituality. Semi true, however, it is a sign that people find it difficult to be authentic, but as they befriend themselves more and more, they soon realize that it doesn’t matter what other people think, since what they think is most important.  

Motivations to Heal

If you have ever gone through treatment, there are a few things that strike you. First off, others are involved. If you get along with these people, then treatment is not only easier, but you probably will make a lifelong friend in the process. Second, there is the judgment of the staff. Are they the real deal, do they have their shit together, and do I trust them? If so, then fasten your seatbelt because the blocks to your subconscious problems will melt away and the real underlying problems will come to the surface. Third, do you believe in the approach? Here is the biggie. It might be the best environment in the world, shoot I worked at a luxury facility in Malibu that sat on top of a mountain and had breathtaking views, but they had no program at all – which was the initial prompt for me to design something better for myself.

Most people that enter treatment don’t want to be there. There are exterior motives like issues with the law, their family, their work, and it is seen as a last-ditch effort to please “others” and obtain some kind of normal life again. Maybe, they think, it can be an easy program as to not stir up any emotions so I can say I did it. Be careful here because once you are out of that program and back into the same environment, in no time at all relapse takes place, making matters even worse.

Just so you know, we aren’t in this business to force people to do anything that they don’t want to do. In the above case, if you don’t want to address the underlying wounds we still go gently, educate people in hopes we are planting some seeds, and will simply go at their pace. In us trying to force somebody to do something is us trying to fulfill our own needs and we are great at letting our needs go and seeing what the client’s needs are.

For those who regardless of anything are ready to let go of their issues once and for all, they are the best people to work with. You know the type, they do the homework, ask questions, give constructive feedback, and are a source of inspiration for the group. With even one person like that in the group, it can inspire others.

Let me give you an example: In one group, a person stood up and said, “Alright. I didn’t want to talk about this because I am still filled with shame. But if I don’t do so now, I probably will never do it, so here it is…” To be honest, I don’t recall what the person said, but I do recall the shockwave that went through the group. And then, like follow the leader, every person stood up and shared something horrific that they did or was done to them. We all hugged, cried, and celebrated our trust for one another. It was a life-changing moment for even myself!

Gaining Confidence

Yesterday was the graduation of one of our clients, who tip-toed at first through the sessions and then slowly gained more and more confidence. In the end, was simply a rock star. Their completion marked the beginning of another person. I am a firm believer that those who have been there and gotten through it are the best teachers. This graduate stepped the new person through the processes with expertise and care – I was proud. In fact, this graduate reported pulling their spouse to the side when they were having a difficult time with their teenaged daughter, shared a tool they learned in the program, and it worked like a charm. When the tools in the program are utilized in a person’s everyday life, I know my work has real meaning.

Time for me to go. If you are searching out what treatment is a fit for you, please contact as many programs as you can, find out what their theory of healing is, see if this is a fit for you, learn about the experience of the staff, and see if they are in good standing with the Department of Health. Then call us and see how we compare.

I look forward to working with you,

Compassionate Care is Always Available

There are many more tools and strategies you can use in your pursuit of happiness. Here is where we come in. Contact us at Basic Steps Mental Health and let us support and educate you on this journey back to your loving heart center. Imagine living a heart-centered life, regardless of what is happening externally. We’d love to be of help.

For 25 years, Dr. Scott Alpert, the clinical director of Basic Steps Mental Health, has treated over 7,000 people with mental health and addiction problems, using a Psychological approach that mixes and matches ten of the top approaches used in the industry.  We are here virtually and in-person to help you get through this COVID-19 pandemic and many other difficulties you may be experiencing.

May you have good mental health.