The Treatment
Our 14-week Young Adult Outpatient program is unique in that it’s customized entirely to you. We rely on cutting-edge therapies and psychiatric care to get you on track and help you thrive — now and well into adulthood.
Young Adult Outpatient Program
Using the latest research, The Helix Center’s clinical team has created a program that equips young adults ages 18-25 with practical tools for navigating everyday challenges. We offer a combination of medication management, as well as individual, group, expressive, and family therapies to foster holistic healing and growth. All sessions take place in our convenient offices located in McLean, Virginia. Here are the services you can expect when you take part in the life-changing Helix outpatient experience:
Intake & Assessment
Our first step is a thorough intake process to ensure that Helix is a good fit and can provide a meaningful experience. Prior to officially starting our 14-week program, you will attend one 90-minute intake session, and once you’re ready to move forward, a Psychiatric Evaluation.
Read more about the intake process.
Group Therapy
Group therapy provides the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills necessary to increase effective and healthy behaviors, and decrease less effective or challenging behaviors. It’s a proven and supportive pathway toward enhancing accountability, empathy, and confidence in adults.
Group therapy sessions are four hours each and take place two times per week, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy gives you time to reflect and process skills learned during group sessions. This one-on-one time isn’t just valuable for you, these sessions also give our professional team the opportunity to understand you and rigorously tailor our care to your specific needs.
One 50-minute session is required weekly.
Family Work
Family therapy sessions are considered on a case-by-case basis. These sessions are ideal for clients who are still living at home with their parents..
These sessions are 50 minutes each week.
Medication Management
Dr. Sakran understands the significant considerations involved in administering medications. He conscientiously evaluates the risks versus benefits associated with medication usage and employs them judiciously, reserving them for situations where they complement non-pharmacologic interventions.
To ensure a comprehensive assessment, prior to commencing our 14-week program, Dr. Sakran conducts a thorough Psychiatric Evaluation, which includes an initial examination of your potential requirement for psychotropic medication(s). The accurate prescription of medication is crucial for your well-being and ability to experience improved emotional and mental states. By integrating medication management with psychotherapy, it becomes a pivotal element in your journey towards healing, equilibrium, and an enhanced quality of life.
Dr. Sakran will collaborate closely with your Helix therapists, fostering a cohesive approach to your care and treatment plan.
Dr. Sakran will provide individual check-ins on a biweekly basis, ensuring personalized attention and support throughout the process.
The Clinical Foundation
Our goal is to guide each individual on their journey toward lasting mental, emotional, and relational well-being, which is why we’ve built a unique and powerful program backed by the latest research. We use evidence-based treatments and long-proven techniques that include the following components:
A highly researched approach that provides skills in emotional regulation and distress tolerance. We boil it down to its essentials, based on studies that show tremendous benefit from keeping the information simple, direct, and practical.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Good Psychiatric Management for Adolescents (GPM-A)
This well-researched approach focuses on helping participants get back to functioning well in their daily lives. It includes a focus on improved relationships with others, and has also been shown to reduce self-destructive behaviors.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
This therapy focuses on helping people get out of their heads and into their lives. The goal is to develop values you can use as a lodestar, so actions are less impulsive and more thoughtful, with greater psychological flexibility when things don’t go your way.
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
Parent skills and support can be an important part of the healing framework. Developed at Yale University, SPACE has shown that parents are able to help their children tremendously simply by making simple changes themselves.
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a proven tool for engaging the mind and body in a way that’s set apart from verbal communication. It allows participants to explore and express their thoughts and feelings in unexpected and authentic ways.
Mindfulness encourages awareness of thoughts and feelings, and teaches us to manage them more effectively. When combined with stress-reduction techniques and cognitive behavioral therapies, it is proven to decrease anxiety, depression, stress, and provide lifelong coping tools.
Mindfulness-Based Therapies
Yoga Practice
Research shows that yoga is an extremely beneficial mind-body technique that can be used to aid in emotional regulation, alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improve overall well being.
Questions About Follow-Up Care?
Wondering what’s next? We offer individual therapy sessions after the 14-week program is completed to help you stay on track and continue to find joy in your daily life. If this is something you’d be interested in, please contact us!