Most people who call us are somewhere in the middle. A weekly session with a therapist isn’t providing enough support anymore, but their symptoms don’t require 24/7 monitoring or an inpatient hospital stay. Outpatient therapy exists to fill that gap.
At Los Angeles Outpatient Center, it means two levels of structured care in a warm building in Culver City, minutes from the 405 and the 10. Our Partial Hospitalization Program runs six hours a day, five days a week. Our Intensive Outpatient Program is three hours a day, three to five days a week. Both are for adults 18 and over, and neither one keeps you overnight.
Call 888-449-0852. Our admissions team answers 24/7 and can verify your insurance for free.
What Is Outpatient Therapy?
Outpatient therapy is mental health treatment you attend on a set schedule during the day, without staying overnight. You live at home while receiving structured clinical support during the day.
It sits on a ladder. At the top is inpatient care, a locked hospital unit for someone in acute danger. Below that is residential, where you live on site for 30 to 60 days. Then comes outpatient care in two intensities: a partial hospitalization program, which fills the working day, and an intensive outpatient program, which takes half of it. At the bottom of the ladder is the once-a-week hour with a therapist that most people picture when they hear the word therapy.
A 2011 Cochrane review of day-hospital care concluded that treating people in acute day hospitals is as effective as inpatient care, and that at least one in five people currently admitted to a hospital ward could feasibly be cared for in day treatment instead.
LAOP offers PHP and IOP. We don’t offer standalone weekly therapy sessions, though we help you line one up for after the program ends. If weekly is what you need, call us anyway. We would rather point you somewhere good than have you guess.
At LAOP, our outpatient programs are tailored to support individuals with significant mental health needs who can benefit from structured, intensive treatment in a flexible outpatient setting.
What to Expect from Outpatient Therapy at LAOP
Both programs give you the same things: a primary therapist, group therapy, psychiatry, medical follow-up, and family work. What changes between them is how many hours of it you get, and how much of your week stays yours.
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An assessment before anything is scheduled. We go through your symptoms, your history, your current medications, and what you want out of this. Nothing gets booked until we know which level of care fits.
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One primary therapist, all the way through. In PHP you meet three times a week, in IOP twice, and one of those sessions is a family session. You’re not handed to a different clinician every few days.
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Group therapy, on a 13-week curriculum. Groups cap at 11 people and run 50 minutes with a licensed therapist in the room. The topics are the ones nobody covers casually: how to tell a healthy relationship from a toxic one, how to hold yourself together at a job that’s trying you, what to do with a narcissistic parent, and what radical acceptance asks of you when something is genuinely out of your hands.
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Psychiatry and medical follow-up. Psychiatry is weekly in PHP and monthly in IOP, and we adjust that cadence when someone needs to be seen more often. A weekly medical check covers vital signs, sleep, appetite, and how your medications are landing.
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Evidence-based and experiential work. CBT and DBT are the backbone. Alongside them sit EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, used for trauma), exposure therapy, art, music, yoga, and beat-based movement. When you’re struggling, the creative side of the brain tends to shut down and you go somewhere else in your head. This work brings you back into your body.
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Family sessions. Depression and anxiety wear on the people closest to you, and home is usually where the strain shows up first. We work on that in the room, with your family in it, rather than hoping it sorts itself out.
PHP vs. IOP: Which Level of Outpatient Care Fits?
At LAOP Center, our partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP) are the same care at different intensities. PHP is the higher level, IOP is a step down from it.
Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
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Hours per day: 6
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Days per week: 5
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Weekly total: about 30 hours
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Individual sessions: 3 per week
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Psychiatry: weekly
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Typical length: 2 weeks to 30 days
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Fits someone who needs support for the full day, or is stepping down from a hospital or residential stay
Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
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Hours per day: 3
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Days per week: 3 to 5
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Weekly total: about 9 to 15 hours
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Individual sessions: 2 per week
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Psychiatry: monthly, adjusted as needed
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Typical length: 45 to 90 days
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Fits someone who is steady enough to work or study alongside treatment
A PHP day runs 9:00 to 3:45. It starts with a check-in group, moves through individual therapy and specialized groups, breaks for a catered lunch from noon to one, and spends the afternoon on experiential work and skill-building before check-out.
An IOP day is three hours, morning or afternoon, built from the same pieces in a shorter block. Most people start at five days a week and step down to three once they’re steadier (we call those IOP-5 and IOP-3). That three-day version is our largest program, because it gives people more flexibility to manage their other responsibilities alongside treatment.
Who Leads Outpatient Therapy at LAOP
Every group and every session is led by a licensed therapist, with psychiatrists and medical staff working alongside them. Our clinicians come from a wide range of cultural, religious, and social backgrounds, which matters more than it sounds like it should when you’re asked to say difficult things out loud to a stranger. Two of our therapists are trained in EMDR, and people ask for it here by name.
LAOP is accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, which means an independent body audits the quality of our care against international standards.
Most commercial plans cover this level of care when a clinician determines it is medically necessary. What you pay depends on your plan, your deductible, and your copay. We are in network with Blue Shield of California, Magellan Health, TRICARE, and TriWest, and we work with Anthem, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare out of network. That is often more workable than people expect, because we can build a single case agreement with the carrier and argue why treatment here is the right fit.
Behind that sits a utilization review team whose whole job is the insurance side: authorizations and documentation, and the appeal when a carrier decides treatment should end early. You won’t be handling that. Verify your benefits before you commit to anything.
Begin Your Journey with One of Our Outpatient Programs
Ready to take the next step towards improving your mental health? At Los Angeles Outpatient Center, our IOP offers the structured, flexible care you need to thrive while continuing to live your life. And our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is designed for individuals who need substantial support but do not require full-time hospitalization.
Contact us today to learn more about our outpatient programs or to start the admissions process. We accept major insurance plans with out-of-network benefits and can help you understand your payment options.
Outpatient Programs Offered at LAOP Center
Los Angeles Outpatient Center (LAOP) provides two different outpatient programs designed to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Each program offers a different level of support and structure, ensuring that every client can find the right fit for their mental health needs.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Schedule: Six hours a day, five days a week.
- Description: Partial Hospitalization Program PHP provides the most intensive level of outpatient care, ideal for individuals who require substantial therapeutic intervention. Clients engage in daily therapy sessions, holistic therapies, and skill-building activities, all while receiving comprehensive psychiatric care.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Schedule: Three hours a day, ranging from three to five days a week.
- Description: The IOP is ideal for clients who need a structured level of care while maintaining their everyday responsibilities. This program includes individual and group therapy sessions, allowing clients to continue working or attending school while receiving intensive treatment.
Getting Here Is Easy, Wherever You’re Coming From in LA
LAOP is at 6053 Bristol Pkwy in Culver City, minutes from the 405 and the 10. Clients come from West LA, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Inglewood, El Segundo, and mid-city, and some commute in from a good deal further out.
Parking is free, which anyone who drives in this city knows is worth saying out loud. Free Lyft pickup and drop-off is available on eligible insurance plans. Mornings are hard when you’re newly medicated or short on sleep, and getting across town shouldn’t be the reason you skip a day.
We hear about the building before we hear anything else. It’s warm and well kept, there’s catered lunch and unlimited coffee, and it reads closer to a living room than a clinic. That’s deliberate, and it’s a big part of why people keep showing up.
If you’re working, we can help with leave-of-absence paperwork once the care team has evaluated you.
Why Choose LAOP for Outpatient Therapy?
Choosing the right outpatient program is a crucial step in your mental health recovery journey. Here’s why the outpatient programs at Los Angeles Outpatient Center (LAOP) stand out:
- Comprehensive and Personalized Care: Our outpatient programs are designed to offer intensive, individualized care. Each client receives a tailored treatment plan that addresses their unique needs and goals, ensuring that the therapy they receive is both relevant and effective.
- Integrated Therapies: We combine traditional evidence-based therapies with holistic and experiential approaches. This integration allows us to address the full spectrum of mental health issues, promoting healing on multiple levels.
- Experienced and Compassionate Team: Our team consists of licensed therapists, psychiatrists, and support staff who bring extensive experience and empathy to their work. We are committed to providing compassionate care that supports each client’s recovery journey.
- Focus on Harm Reduction: We practice a harm reduction model, which means we support clients in reducing the negative impacts of their mental health issues and substance use without judgment. This approach fosters a supportive environment where clients feel safe to explore their challenges.
- Community and Family Involvement: We encourage the involvement of family members and integrate community support into our treatment plans. This holistic approach helps clients build a strong support network that continues beyond the program.
- Aesthetic and Healing Environment: Our facility is designed to be welcoming and therapeutic, with clean, modern spaces that promote relaxation and healing. The outdoor area and communal spaces provide a peaceful setting that enhances the treatment experience.
- Flexible Scheduling: Our program schedule is designed to provide intensive support while allowing clients to maintain their daily lives. We offer flexibility that accommodates various schedules and commitments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is outpatient therapy the same as seeing a therapist once a week?
No. Weekly therapy is one hour with one clinician. Outpatient programs like PHP and IOP give you nine to 30 hours a week of structured treatment, a full care team, group therapy, and psychiatric support. LAOP runs PHP and IOP for adults and does not offer standalone weekly sessions, though we help you set up ongoing therapy after you finish.
How much does outpatient therapy cost at LAOP?
It depends on your plan, and you can find out before you commit to anything. Our admissions team verifies your benefits for free, explains what your deductible and copay mean for you, and gives you a quote. Cost is the first question almost everyone asks, so nobody will think it is a strange one. Cash-pay pricing is available too. We keep that conversation with admissions rather than with your therapist.
Can I keep working while I’m in treatment?
That’s what IOP is built for, particularly the three-day version. Sessions run in a half-day block, morning or afternoon, so a lot of people schedule around a job or classes. PHP fills the working day, so most people take leave for it. We can help with the leave-of-absence paperwork once the care team has evaluated you.
How long will I be in the program?
PHP usually runs two weeks to 30 days. It’s a demanding schedule, and there’s a point where more of it stops helping. IOP typically runs 45 to 90 days, sometimes longer, because three hours a day is easier to sustain. Your insurance plan also has a say in this, which our team handles.
Do you accept Medi-Cal or Medicare?
No. LAOP works with commercial insurance and cash pay. We are in network with Blue Shield of California, Magellan Health, TRICARE, and TriWest, and out of network with carriers including Anthem, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare. We do not accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, or other state and government plans.
What if I don’t know which level of care I need?
Most people don’t know which level they need, and that’s fine. The assessment sorts it out: we go through your symptoms, your history, your medications, what you have already tried, and what your week actually has to accommodate. You can also move between levels as things change, and most people do.
What if outpatient care isn’t enough?
If outpatient care isn’t the right level for you, we say so and help you find the setting that is. We work with hospitals and detox programs across the area and refer out when someone needs residential or inpatient care, and people often come back to us afterward to step down. If you’re in crisis right now, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
What conditions do you treat?
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, ADHD, and trauma, along with co-occurring substance use alongside a primary mental health condition. You can see how we treat in more detail, and if what you are dealing with is not on this list, call and ask.
