I've done intensive outpatient treatment a couple of times. All were specialized for eating disorders so my experience may be different than others.

Each IOP program that I've been in had similarities. I guess I'll focus on each of them individually since there were some differences as well. The first was when I was a teenager still. Or, perhaps I had just turned 18. It was 3 days per week, 4 hours each. I would arrive, we would have a check in group where we talked about goals that we set previously as well as those that we wanted to set going forward. Next, we had a meal. As it was an ED program, this was a major focus. Right after the meal, we processed how we were feeling and then either met with a dietitian, therapist, or did an activity such as art, movement, or the like. Following that, we had a general therapy group. And, from there, went home.

The next program I was in I had stepped down to IOP from PHP. Again, it was an ED program and had some similarities to the first program I was in. This one, however, had shorter groups, but more variety. We started out by having our individual sessions with therapy or with the dietitian. Then, had meal planning for the next day and our scheduled meal. We processed after that and then had groups such as body image, CBT, DBT, goal setting, and general therapy. We did activities as well such as art, movement, or yoga. I can't remember now, but I think we saw psychiatry as well. It was definitely focused around groups and that was a positive for me.

The last program was a DBT program. Again, for ED and, again, was in step down from a partial hospitalization program. This was a very different experience. I think it could have been beneficial, but, unfortunately, the program was not equipped to work with people with multiple diagnoses and I was mismatched with a therapist who was not the right fit for me. At all. The program was 5 da+ys to start, 3 hours a day. Then, it dropped to 4 days, 3 days, and 2. We did have a therapist, dietitian, and psychiatrist. We had a meal each day and, in the beginning, a snack too. We did not do any processing of meals. So, we'd get in, have a very short check in, and jump right into breakfast. After that, we had groups until snack time. We would be pulled individually for therapy or psychiatry. And, if you were exempt from snack time, you had just some free time to do whatever you'd like. The groups we had were mostly DBT focused: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and goal setting (which included setting contingencies for having behaviors and the like). We did some planning of our days outside of treatment, but that was a bust for me. And, the obligatory art therapy, music therapy, and movement. I've seen a lot of people benefit from such a program so will not speak badly of it. It just was not for me.

IOP can be a great benefit and definitely worth considering. Not all programs are equal. And, not every program will suit the needs of each individual. Overall, my experiences were mostly positive. I am thankful for those programs during those times of my life. I needed the extra support and supervision and, as such, the programs did help in that regard. I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have or offer support as necessary.