FAQs for Parents

Helix Center is designed for teens who are stuck in an unhealthy cycle and need help breaking out and getting back to their lives.

How teens struggle and suffer differs greatly from person to person. Maybe your child is having trouble with relationships or seems isolated. Perhaps they seem overly anxious, depressed, or angry, or they are engaging in destructive or self-harming behaviors. However these struggles are manifesting for your teen, our program is designed to be creative and individualized in order to meet and address their unique needs.

We provide a thorough intake and assessment process and are committed to working with clients who we believe will benefit from our approach. Through this process, we will answer all of your questions so you can feel confident about your decision to enroll in our program.

Yes! The Helix program is unique in that it is designed to keep teens in school throughout the entire 14-week treatment. Group sessions are scheduled twice each week from 3:30-6:00 PM, and individual sessions are scheduled once each week. Our team will connect with your teen’s school to ensure we are working collaboratively to support their education as we prioritize their mental health.

Our intake sessions typically take place during school hours, so your teen may need to miss a few hours during the intake process. Helix can provide a letter to your school explaining the required absences.

The goal is to help your teen find success while in our program and to help them return to (and reclaim) their life once they have completed it.

Yes! We are now offering weekly therapy services for teens and young adults that do not need an intensive outpatient program.

We understand that adolescents respond most effectively to a holistic and engaging therapeutic approach that blends authenticity, practicality, and open communication. Our approach is a blend of evidence-based techniques, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness practices, social skills training, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) principles, and experiential therapies such as art and games.

Our goal is to empower teenagers to enhance their well-being and develop effective coping strategies, enabling them to navigate the challenges of home life, friendships, and school with confidence and resilience.

Our group sessions are critical to the treatment program and are at set times that cannot be changed. While your teen should not have to miss classes at school (group start time is 3:30 PM), it is possible they will miss some after-school activities if they fall on either of the days that group sessions are held. We understand that many extracurricular activities are essential to mental wellness, so we designed the groups to be only two afternoons in hopes they can participate in activities on other days

If your teen temporarily needs to miss some activities, think of it as a trade-off — they can rejoin them afterwards more clear-headed and able to engage fully.

You are welcome to continue working with your current psychiatrist while your teen is enrolled in the Helix program for their medication management needs. Alternatively, you have the option to transition to Dr. Sakran, who will oversee your medication management during the 14-week Helix program. Opting for medication management within the same practice where therapy is received can be advantageous. This arrangement promotes a seamless collaboration between your mental health providers, fostering a cohesive approach to your teen’s care and treatment plan.

At Helix Center we strive to provide the highest level of care possible. Starting sessions on time and participating consistently is essential to this process — both for your teen and their group. When a teen misses individual or group sessions, it means they’re missing out on treatment that is critical to their growth. While attendance is required, we understand there are sometimes unforeseen circumstances in which a teen may have to miss a session. In rare cases like this we will try to work with you and them, but we will always emphasize on-time attendance for all sessions.

Families will be charged for missed sessions.

Because Helix is designed as an integrated approach, it’s important for parents/caregivers to participate fully. We believe that parents/caregivers play an integral part in the life of their teens and your active participation in treatment is essential. As such, parents’ attendance at the parent sessions and the parent classes is also required.

Families will be charged for missed sessions.

We work with divorced parents separately and together as needed, and we can assess the most productive way to engage with your family through our intake process. At Helix, we believe that the role of parents is critical to the treatment, and your engagement is essential. We also understand that different families have different structures and different needs. Providing an individualized program is core to our approach, and we will work with your family to establish a plan that will best support your teen’s treatment.

At this time, Helix Center is not part of any insurance panel. That being said, we will provide all the paperwork you need to submit for out-of-network reimbursement.

You can review our Policies and Fees here.

Yes, we are happy to offer booster sessions once your teen has completed the Helix Program. Speak to your individual Helix therapist for more information.