Ironically, change is one of the only constants we can expect in our lives. At the same time, we rely on structure and predictability. If you’ve ever lost a loved one, moved to a different city, gone through a divorce, or been through another significant life change, you know it takes time to adjust and recover. When several major life changes happen one right after another, it can be very destabilizing. 

Resilience is about more than “bouncing back” after a setback. Changes may cause uncomfortable, negative feelings that are hard to accept, such as grief, anger and sadness. You need to maintain a sense of safety so you can sit with your feelings long enough to identify them. 

You also need to find coping skills and activities that help you process them. Dealing with change takes skills — persistence, creativity, strategy and flexibility, to name a few. These lessons are hard to learn, but moments of change are opportunities in disguise.

Virtual Partial Hospitalization Programs (vPHPs) can help you work on these skills in a structured way, with plenty of guidance from licensed clinicians. Doing virtual treatment from home allows you to maintain some consistency at the same time. 

These programs combine psychiatry with individual, group and family therapy to help you feel connected and supported. Building new habits and practices in your own home makes it easier to maintain your progress while making the transition out of treatment.

Virtual mental health treatments are just as effective as in-person treatments. In some cases, people report higher satisfaction and better outcomes over time.

The following are six ways vPHPs can help you build resilience and cope with change:

• Structured daily programming that creates stability 

Chaos in your habits and surroundings often mirrors mental and emotional chaos you’re experiencing on the inside. Creating structure and stability sets the stage for healing and growth. 

vPHP gives you a daily schedule. You’ll also work on ways to make basic functions like bathing and eating a bit easier to manage.

• Evidence-based skills training for emotional regulation 

Each person needs to find coping skills that work for them. However, there are evidence-based frameworks like dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) that can help you learn the principles of how these skills work. 

In vPHP, you’ll learn about skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance and mindfulness during group sessions. You’ll also have time to practice and experiment with different techniques.

• Community support and shared experiences 

The isolation and loneliness of going through periods of change by yourself make it even more challenging. Feeling seen and validated by your peers plays an important role in the recovery process. vPHP group sessions will give you opportunities to give and receive support.

• Real-time application of coping strategies 

With virtual treatment, you can start practicing coping strategies in the environments and situations where you’ll need them most. You might go to a specific location during a session to work through a task with your therapist. Or you might use materials you have around the house and prepare them for use.

• Professional guidance for loved ones through challenging situations 

With the support of your treatment team, you don’t have to face your life challenges alone. At Lightfully, we include family therapy sessions in each program. 

Your therapist can help you navigate transitions and changing roles with your loved ones. During individual therapy, they can help you consider every angle of what you’re dealing with and find adaptive ways to respond that you didn’t know were possible.

• Gradual exposure to stressors in a supported environment 

Building up your tolerance for distress is a gradual process. vPHP provides a unique combination of comfort in your home environment and support from licensed professionals. 

Start building resilience with support from Lightfully

Resilience isn’t about never falling down. It’s about developing the skills to rise again with greater wisdom and stronger tools. Virtual PHPs provide both the instruction and the practice for this essential life skill. Working in your home environment from the beginning makes for a smooth transition back to everyday life. 

Lightfully’s virtual PHP is part of a broader continuum of care. After vPHP, you might transition to our virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP) and then continue with your outpatient therapist. Our licensed clinicians create a personalized treatment plan for each client using our Precision Care Model (PCM). We provide proactive support to help you manage your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and emotions as you experience them in your everyday life. 

Are you ready to explore your options for virtual PHP? Congrats on taking your first step toward a more resilient future. Reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team today.