Is vPHP a Good Treatment Option for Anxiety? What You Should Know About Virtual Anxiety Treatment
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Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) is a type of day treatment program that clients attend remotely. People with anxiety disorders may benefit from vPHP if their symptoms are moderate to severe or if they’re interfering with life activities. Some people prefer doing treatment sessions at home because their anxiety makes it hard to leave their house. Others like it because it’s more convenient and it allows them to keep up with other responsibilities. 

Virtual PHP combines the intensive support of traditional day treatment with the comfort and accessibility of receiving care from your own home.

In this article, we’ll talk about what Virtual PHP is and how it helps people with anxiety disorders. 

What is Virtual PHP and how does it work for anxiety?

Virtual PHP is the highest level of daytime virtual mental health treatment that’s available. It’s a step above a Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program, and the next step higher would be Residential Treatment (RTC), which requires that you be there in person. Anxiety is one of many conditions that can be treated in vPHP. Clients log in for six to seven hours of remote treatment each day, with breaks for meals and self-care. 

At Lightfully, we use an approach called Precision Care Model (PCM) to ensure each person receives personalized treatment. First, one of our licensed clinicians will conduct an in-depth assessment. Then they’ll create a treatment plan to address anxiety through evidence-based treatments. We help clients take a proactive approach to maintaining their mental health by managing four core life processes: their thoughts, feelings, behaviors and emotions. 

Our Virtual PHP combines individual treatment with group therapy and family therapy sessions. This helps you build up your personal support system in several ways. 

Being in virtual treatment connects you with a community of people who are working through similar issues — you’ll work with a cohort of other people who have anxiety disorders. 

You’ll also have family therapy sessions every week with loved ones you choose to involve in your treatment process. They’ll learn about your condition and how they can best support you. And your individual therapist is there to guide you every step of the way. 

Key benefits of Virtual PHP for anxiety treatment 

Virtual PHP allows you to get a lot of treatment at once while staying at home. It helps reduce many barriers to treatment that might keep you from attending in person, including intense anxiety symptoms or panic attacks. You can begin addressing your anxiety at a pace that feels manageable, without needing to step outside your comfort zone immediately.

If you have other co-occurring medical conditions or if you can’t make it to a clinic every day, vPHP can make treatment more accessible. 

One of the greatest things about Virtual PHP is that you can start applying your skills and building new habits in your home environment. With in-person treatment, it can be easy to leave the work of your treatment at the clinic and go into rest mode when you go home for the night. With vPHP, there’s no divide between what happens in treatment and what happens at home.

Here are some of the main benefits of Virtual PHP for people with anxiety:

  • Intensive support without leaving home 
  • Weekly individual therapy sessions 
  • Weekly psychiatrist sessions 
  • Group programming that builds community and reduces isolation
  • Flexibility for those with work/family commitments
  • Real-time application of coping strategies in familiar settings

Who might benefit most from Virtual PHP for anxiety? 

Adults who are experiencing anxiety symptoms that affect different areas of their lives may benefit from Virtual PHP. If you’re having a hard time with daily self-care or activities like driving or going to work, it might be a good fit for you. Generally, vPHP is helpful for people who need more support than an outpatient therapist can provide. It’s especially good for people who have social anxiety or agoraphobia symptoms that make it hard to leave home.

Virtual PHP helps make anxiety treatment a part of your everyday routine, allowing you to engage in structured support while still managing daily responsibilities like work or child care. For example, clients can participate in sessions during the day and still be present for evening family routines or remote work obligations.

If you don’t live near a treatment center or if you don’t have transportation, it can open up your treatment options. Virtual PHP at Lightfully is available for people who live in California. 

Find out if Virtual PHP at Lightfully is right for you

Virtual PHP combines the intensive support of traditional day treatment with the comfort and accessibility of receiving care from your own home. For people who have moderate to severe anxiety, vPHP offers hope that they can get the treatment they need and start living life on their own terms. 

Virtual PHP is usually just one step on a longer treatment journey, with trauma-focused or cognitive behavioral therapy remaining as the first courses of action. Some people transition to vPHP after completing Residential Treatment, and others start with vPHP. Most people will step down to a Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP), which is a similar program with fewer sessions each week, and then transition to outpatient therapy.

Are you wondering if Virtual PHP at Lightfully is right for you? Let’s talk about it. Contact us with any questions or reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team.

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