What to Expect During PHP Treatment: Everything You Need to Know

If a partial hospitalization program (PHP) is in your near future, or if you’re considering whether it’s a good fit for you, the name alone might have your mind racing. “Partial hospitalization” sounds like you’re being admitted to a hospital, but that’s actually not the case at all.

PHP is a full-time mental health program that you attend each weekday from about 9am to mid-afternoon. You participate in group sessions, individual therapy, psychiatry appointments, and medical check-ins. And then you go home for dinner and sleep in your own bed.

In this article we’ll walk you through what to expect in a PHP program. We’ll cover the weekly schedule, how long the program lasts, and debunk some of the biggest misconceptions.

The 3 Biggest Misconceptions About PHP Treatment

Most of the worry we hear from new clients comes from one of the following common misconceptions about PHP:

1. “I’ll be admitted to a hospital.” This is actually not the case at all. The name “partial hospitalization” can be a bit misleading, because you’re not being admitted to a hospital at all. You don’t even go to a hospital. PHP programs run at an outpatient facility, completely separate from any hospital (LAOP, for example, is a standalone center in Los Angeles). It’s a voluntary program you attend each weekday. You come in for the day, participate in the program, and then head home afterwards. The term “hospitalization” in the name refers to the amount of daily care, which matches what a hospital’s day program would provide. But you never actually go to a hospital. And you go home and sleep in your own bed at night.
2. “I’ll be in one-on-one therapy all day.” A lot of us have an image in our head of sitting on a couch talking 1-on-1 with a therapist all day. But that’s not the case either. PHP has a very specific weekly schedule. Group therapy sessions make up a large portion of the program. You’ll also have 1-on-1 sessions with your therapist, your psychiatrist, the medical team – and you’ll also have various creative sessions like art, yoga, and other similar activities.
3. “PHP is for addiction.” A lot of what you find online about PHP makes it sound like it’s only for addiction, but PHP is also a helpful resource for those who are struggling with their mental health and could use support. People come to us for depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and OCD, among many other conditions.

In plain terms, PHP programs give you a few weeks of full-day mental health treatment at an outpatient center. They’re for people who need more support than a weekly therapy session can provide, but who don’t need as much support as a hospital stay would provide.

What Actually Happens in a PHP Program

In PHP, the days are intentionally predictable. A typical day includes group sessions, a lunch break, and individual sessions. Here’s what you can expect:

• Morning check-ins. Each morning when you first arrive for the day, you’ll take a few minutes with your group to check in and see how everyone is doing that day.
• Group therapy sessions. Led by a therapist, these sessions are typically built around a particular topic that’s relevant for the group to discuss. You listen, you share (if you want to), and you work on developing coping skills.
• Individual therapy about 3 times a week. You’ll do 1-on-1 sessions with your primary therapist, for the kinds of things that are difficult to bring up in your group sessions.
• A family session, if it’s part of your care plan. One of your weekly individual slots can bring in the people in your family (if appropriate) to work on what’s happening in the home.
• Psychiatry appointments (weekly or monthly). You’ll typically start at once a week while your medications are being started or adjusted. Once things are in a good place, monthly may be enough.
• A lunch break. Many programs provide lunch, and it doubles as unstructured time with your group. Coffee and snacks are also usually available throughout the day.
• 1-2 afternoon group sessions. Like we mentioned before, some sessions might be skills-based where you practice tools from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Others could be creative sessions where you do things like art, music, yoga, or movement.
• A medical check-in. Throughout the program you’ll meet with the medical team to check your vitals, weight, sleep, appetite, and medication refills. Sleep and appetite are two of the earliest signals of how treatment is going, so they get tracked the whole way through.
• A short wrap-up. You close out the day, then head home mid-afternoon.

The schedule is very consistent and predictable. And that predictability is actually part of the treatment. When you’re struggling, a consistent schedule gives your nervous system a chance to slow down and regulate.

What to Expect From Group Therapy in a PHP

Group therapy is one of the core activities in PHP programs, and it can also be the part that makes people the most nervous. That feeling is normal. Depression and anxiety are isolating, and sharing with a room full of strangers can sound like the opposite of helpful.

But group sessions are where so much of the skill-building happens, and it’s an important counterweight to the isolation that comes with mental health challenges. Hearing someone else describe the exact same struggle you’re going through helps in a way individual therapy can’t.

Every group session is run by a licensed therapist and is built around a practical topic. For example, healthy relationships, difficult workplaces, the family patterns you inherited, accepting what’s beyond your control, etc. Each session teaches a skill you can take home and use right away.

Nobody is forced to share on day one. Most people just listen through their first few sessions, and eventually they start to feel comfortable enough to open up and participate.

How Long Does PHP Last?

Most people are in PHP for about 2-6 weeks, although it can vary depending on your situation and progress. It’s meant to be a stabilization program – a temporary bridge between crisis and ordinary life. It isn’t meant to last for a long period of time, nor is it meant to be the entire course of your care.

You’ll build a treatment plan with your care team when you arrive that covers topics like sleep, appetite, symptoms, and how you’re functioning at home – and then you’ll review it together on a regular basis to see how you’re progressing. Discharge planning starts the week you arrive. And when you’ll be ready to step away from the program is a decision you’ll be involved in making, and so you’ll know what the timeline is at all times.

By the time you complete the program, the next step is typically to transition to an “intensive outpatient program” (IOP), which is the half-day version of PHP. And after that, most people will step down to a weekly therapy session. At LAOP, PHP and IOP run in the same building with the same care team, so when you step down from PHP to IOP, the only thing that really changes is the number of hours you spend in the program each day.

Walk In With a Clear Picture

PHP requires a full-time commitment for a few weeks. But there’s no hospital stay – your evenings and weekends are yours, and you always get to go home and sleep in your own bed at night.

If you’re in Los Angeles and a PHP is on the table, the next step doesn’t have to be a leap in the dark. LAOP is a CARF-accredited PHP and IOP in Culver City, and we’ve built it to be a place you won’t dread walking into – a warm, intentionally un-clinical space, catered lunch, coffee and snacks all day, free parking, and free Lyft rides on eligible insurance plans.

Call us at 888-449-0852 or fill out the form on our site. Our admissions team will run a free benefits check, tell you what your first week would look like, and help you figure out whether we’re the right fit. There are never any surprise costs, and absolutely no pressure.

If you’re in crisis right now or having thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. A trained counselor is available any time, day or night. The call is free and confidential.