Your mental health can range from day to day, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. While you may be able to effectively manage your symptoms some days, others may require the immediate help of a professional.

Same-day therapy with an outpatient psychotherapist can be the lifeline that you need at times. It can be helpful when it feels like you’re unable to function due to your mental health disorder, or when you’re experiencing a sudden life change that triggers your symptoms. Even though Lightfully Behavioral Health doesn’t offer same-day therapy, our treatment options can help you continue on your mental health journey afterward.

We’ll talk about the Lightfully levels of care that can help you after a same-day therapy appointment. Then we’ll discuss how we provide you with the treatment you need.

Lightfully Behavioral Health levels of care that can help after same-day therapy 

Booking a same-day therapy appointment is a huge step in your mental health journey. It shows that you have the self-awareness to acknowledge when you need immediate help. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, and your risk to yourself or others, a same-day therapy appointment may lead to a referral for an inpatient treatment center.

If you’re in a mental health crisis, you or your therapist may contact emergency services. You can also call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

Same-day therapy can provide you with temporary alleviation of your mental health distress. For long-term mental health treatment, at Lightfully Behavioral Health, we have levels of care that work as the next stepping stones in your journey following a same-day therapy session.

We offer several levels of care, one of which you’ll likely be admitted to after same-day therapy. Your treatment plan will be based on the severity of your symptoms. We’ll also collaborate with your psychotherapist.

• Residential Treatment Center (RTC)  — If your same-day therapy appointment led to being admitted into a psychiatric hospital, then you can benefit from a transition to a care facility for 24/7 behavioral care in a safe, home-like setting. A stay lasts approximately 30 days. It has a schedule that includes daily group sessions, movement opportunities and nursing oversight.
• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) — If you need supportive care during the day without overnight supervision, you can be admitted into our PHP, or our Day Treatment Program. It involves structured programming for up to seven hours a day for five to seven days a week. It may be fitting if your provider during your same-day appointment doesn’t think you’re in danger to yourself but still need a high level of support. 
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) — If you booked a same-day therapy appointment because your mental health disorder symptoms are worsening, or you’re struggling to manage them due to stressful or traumatic situations, then our IOP can be helpful. It’s a partial day care program that takes place three to five days a week with up to six hours of programming. It includes daily group sessions, weekly individual sessions and ongoing family therapy. 

How Lightfully Behavioral Health treatment helps after same-day therapy 

When you have a same-day therapy appointment, you’re discussing your thoughts and feelings with your psychotherapist so that they can help you work through your distress. This involves looking at your cognitive and emotional patterns from every angle and figuring out the root issue. Then you can work on developing the tools that you need to alleviate the symptoms.

At Lightfully, we use process-based therapy, or PBT. It’s our clinical model that’s integrated into every level of care. It’s the framework of everything we do, consisting of whole-person-centered care provided by experts. It takes aspects of evidence-based psychotherapies that may have been used in your same-day therapy appointment. Common modalities are cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy.

PBT is a holistic, personalized therapeutic approach that allows us to design a treatment plan that’s completely customized to your needs. PBT treats your entire person, not just your mental health disorder. We want you to see that you’re more than your diagnosis.

PBT uses data-driven integrated interventions, such as motivational enhancement, values clarification and arousal reduction, to address the four interconnected core processes that drive your mental health disorder symptoms:

• Difficulty with emotions
• Difficulty with thoughts
• Difficulty with behaviors
• Difficulty with relationships

Change is possible. For many people, booking a same-day therapy appointment is the first step toward improved mental health. We’re here to guide you through every step afterward. Reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll work together toward the fullest, brightest version of you.