What Is an IOP?
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is designed to treat clients with a primary mental health disorder or a Dual Diagnosis of substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions. Unlike inpatient and residential treatment programs, clients enrolled in IOP can live at home or in a transitional living facility, such as Grace Recovery TX. Clients can still work, attend school, and reconnect with their families while in treatment. Moreover, an IOP allows clients to take the skills they learn in residential treatment programs and put them into practice in their lives.
What Are the Benefits of a Women’s-Only IOP?
We provide clients with a women’s-only IOP because we believe women have needs that standard IOP programs have historically been unable to meet. Most treatment facilities and centers focus on the needs of men in both traditional and co-ed programs. These traditional IOPs often don’t account for the unique experiences of women with mental health disorders or substance use disorders who are working toward recovery. In comparison with their male counterparts, women are typically more likely to internalize emotions like fear and anger. Women are also more likely to blame themselves for trauma and unhealthy behaviors that become a part of their daily life.
Traditionally speaking, women are expected to show up as supportive partners, employees, daughters, and/or mothers, often leaving little space for their own needs. The women’s-only IOP at Emerge Recovery TX is primarily a mental health IOP with a focus on trauma and SUD. Our IOP is run by women for women to address the specific needs of females navigating the world through their many interconnected roles, and the sometimes outdated expectations that accompany them.
Why Is Trauma Treatment for Women Important?
With our trauma-focused IOP, we understand the importance of addressing women’s trauma as they work toward long-term recovery. According to an article in the Journal of Drug Addiction, Education, and Eradication, trauma treatment is an integral part of long-term recovery for women with mental health and substance use disorders (SUD). Despite this awareness, women remain at higher risk of developing trauma-related mental health conditions and SUD due to the lack of adequate support options currently in existence. Few programs address co-occurring conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while even fewer address the unique needs of women.
There are outdated belief systems and expectations built around being a woman, which sometimes encourages women to ignore their needs in favor of the life around them. At Emerge Recovery TX, we believe in empowering women to discover and learn that it is okay to not be okay.
To learn more about our approach to trauma recovery, visit our Trauma-Informed Care page.
What to Expect From IOP at Emerge Recovery TX
Emerge Recovery TX is focused on the power of aftercare for a client’s healing and long-term recovery. Through our structured trauma-informed IOP, clients can process their trauma, mental health, and SUD symptoms as they work toward building a life in recovery. The framework for our programs is rooted in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). According to an article in Frontiers in Psychology, ACT is a context-driven approach that focuses on psychological flexibility and inflexibility.
Through various modalities, we encourage clients to engage in mindfulness by acknowledging and accepting negative thoughts. Being able to process negative thoughts and emotions ultimately leads to the development of healthier thought patterns and behaviors. Our IOP is designed to support clients through a continuum of care that will carry them well beyond their time at Emerge Recovery TX.
Emerge Recovery TX IOP:
- A women’s-only program that lasts for a minimum of eight weeks
- Programs are separated into Mental Health Primary and Dual Diagnosis Treatment Tracks:
- Mental Health Track meets Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 am to noon.
- Dual Diagnosis Track meets Monday through Friday from 10 am to 1 pm, then shifts to meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
- Each client assigned to an individual master’s level clinician.
- Clinicians have private practices for continued care after IOP
IOP Support Programs:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Process groups
- Psychodrama
- Art therapy
- Family therapy
- Experiential groups
- Educational groups
- Trauma-Informed Yoga
- Alumni and recovery support
To learn more about our IOP programs, visit our Programs page.
How Can IOP Help Me?
Our work at Emerge Recovery TX is deeply connected with the work happening at our sister location, Grace Recovery TX. We have seen firsthand the importance of addressing trauma when it comes to treating co-occurring and substance use disorders. Through our work at Grace Recovery TX, we have witnessed young women doing the work and remaining abstinent from substance use or other maladaptive behaviors, yet still deeply burdened by unaddressed trauma.
Emerge Recovery TX was born out of a need for more women-centered, trauma-informed care and support. Our outpatient services focus on a holistic healing of mind, body, and spirit. Coming face-to-face with trauma can be difficult. However, doing so opens the door to the possibility of a healthier, more worthwhile way of life.
To learn more about our IOP and the concurrent work we do at Grace Recovery, visit our Resources page.
Addressing trauma is an important part of healing and long-term recovery for women. At Emerge Recovery TX in Austin, Texas, our women-led IOP offers specialized trauma and SUD support for women. To learn how a trauma-focused IOP can help you, call us today at (737) 237-9663.