Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Two Specialized Programs. Faster Progress. No Filler. Real ERP From Specialists Trained by world renowned OCD researchers and clinicians.
Natalie Noel, LMHC | Anxiety & OCD Treatment Specialists | Tampa, FL
Weekly therapy works for most people with OCD and anxiety. But for some people those with severe symptoms, those who have not made enough progress with weekly sessions, those facing a time-sensitive situation, or those who simply want to recover faster one appointment per week is not enough. The time between sessions is too long. The OCD rebuilds. The anxiety cycle continues.
That is what our Intensive Outpatient Programs are designed for. More treatment time, compressed into a defined period, delivered by specialists who treat nothing but OCD and anxiety disorders. Not a program padded with activities to fill your schedule. Not a generic mental health IOP. A focused, evidence-based ERP program built around getting you or your child back to your life as quickly as possible.
We offer two distinct IOP programs, designed for different levels of severity, different schedules, and different preferences. Both are available to adults, teenagers, and children in Florida.
In-person sessions are provided in Tampa and virtual sessions are available throughout Florida and New York.
Who Our IOP Programs Are For
Our IOP programs are designed for people who need more than weekly therapy can provide. This includes:
- Moderate to severe OCD or anxiety that has not responded adequately to standard weekly ERP
- People who want to compress treatment into a defined period rather than months of weekly sessions
- Those stepping down from a residential or partial hospitalization program who need continued intensive support
- People with a specific time constraint a college start date, a return to work, a pregnancy, a major life transition — that makes rapid progress essential
- Children and teenagers whose OCD or anxiety is significantly impairing school, family functioning, or daily life
- Adults or families who have tried IOP elsewhere and did not receive genuine ERP from trained specialists
Why Our IOP Is Different From Most
Most IOP programs fill treatment hours with a mix of group therapy, mindfulness, journaling, coping skills groups, and activities designed to fill your schedule rather than treat your condition. This is because they are filling the time that insurance has approved for treatment. We do not prolong treatment in any way and are not under the pressure of any insurance panels. We can make your treatment completely individualized based on your symptoms and severity.
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Every hour of our IOP is clinically purposeful. You will not find filler activities, generic coping skills workshops, or therapeutic approaches that have nothing to do with OCD and anxiety. What you will find is real ERP the same approach that the IOCDF, the APA, and the AACAP identify as the gold standard for OCD delivered by clinicians trained at some of the most respected OCD programs in the country.
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We work closely with psychiatrists when medication is part of your treatment picture.We do not provide medication management ourselves, but we maintain relationships with trusted psychiatrists and coordinate care actively when needed. Medication is never required to participate in our IOP but we will be honest with you about how medication may affect your rate of progress.
Required First Step The Initial Evaluation
All prospective IOP clients must complete a 1.5-hour initial evaluation with a clinician before enrolling in either program. This evaluation is not a formality.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cost: $300 (not applied
Format: In-person at our Tampa office or virtually
- Thorough clinical interview covering your OCD or anxiety history
- Standardized symptom measures (Y-BOCS for OCD and condition-specific scales)
- Assessment of co-occurring conditions depression, ADHD, tic disorders, BFRBs
- Family accommodation assessment for children and for adults with family involved in the OCD or anxiety cycle
- Review of previous treatment and what did or did not work
- Beginning of the exposure hierarchy
- Honest discussion of prognosis, medication considerations, and which IOP program is the right fit
What happens during the evaluation:
Standard Virtual IOP
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Days: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
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Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon)
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Duration: Two consecutive weeks. 6 sessions total, 3 hours per session
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Total treatment hours: 18 hours
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Format: Virtual Florida residents only
The Standard Virtual IOP is structured, efficient, and specifically designed to deliver concentrated ERP to multiple clients simultaneously without compromising the individualized nature of each person’s treatment.
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This is not group therapy in the traditional sense. Each client is in their own virtual patient room and unable to see other clients. Each client has their own individualized exposure hierarchy. They are not sharing personal content in a group setting or waiting for their turn in a circle. What the group format provides is a structured daily framework shared psychoeducation, check-ins and check-outs only. There are no requirements about the utilization of cameras during check-ins and check-outs. The efficiency allows this program to be offered at a lower price point than pure one-on-one intensive care.
How the Sessions Work
- Weekly Skills Group (one session per week, 60 minutes). One designated session each week includes a structured group skills component ERP psychoeducation, exposure hierarchy review, relapse prevention skills, and motivation work. All current IOP clients participate together. Cameras are optional during this component. Clients who prefer to keep their cameras off during the group portion may do so participation through audio only is fully supported.
- Supervised Independent Exposure Practice (remaining session time). Each client works their individualized exposure hierarchy independently while the clinician rotates through the cohort spending dedicated one-on-one time with each client to review exposure attempts, coach through difficult steps, adjust the hierarchy, and assign between-session practice. One clinician works with three to four clients on a rotating basis during this component, spending approximately 30 to 45 minutes of dedicated individual time per client per session. This time is allows the clinician to directly do an exposure with the client to ensure they are being done properly and then the client practices on their own.
A Note on Privacy
Clients in the Standard Virtual IOP work independently during their exposure practice they are not doing exposures in a shared virtual space with other clients. Each client is in their own private environment. The only shared component is check-in, check-outs, and the weekly skills group, and cameras are never required. Clients will not interact with other clients in the program unless they choose to. Your OCD content, your exposure hierarchy, and your personal information remain entirely private.
Who This Program Is Best For
- Adults, teenagers, and children with moderate to severe OCD or anxiety
- People who can commit to a fixed Monday/Tuesday/Thursday morning schedule for two weeks
- Those who want concentrated intensive treatment at a more accessible price point
- Florida residents comfortable with virtual treatment
- Clients whose presentation does not require the continuous one-on-one access of the Premium program
Premium One-on-One IOP
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Session scheduling is arranged directly with the clinician dependent on provider availability
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Duration: 15 hours of one-on-one treatment, completed over two consecutive weeks
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Format: In-person at our Tampa office, virtual, or a hybrid combination, client's choice
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Available to Florida and New York residents
The Premium One-on-One IOP is for clients who need or prefer exclusive, continuous clinician access throughout their intensive treatment. Every hour is one clinician and one client. No group component. No shared schedule. No rotating attention.
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This is the program for complex presentations, severe OCD, families requiring intensive parent coaching, children whose treatment depends on continuous parent involvement, and anyone who wants the most concentrated specialist access available outside of a residential setting.
It is also the program that provides the most scheduling flexibility. Rather than a fixed schedule, the client schedules sessions directly with the clinician around mutual availability. This makes it accessible to people whose work, school, or family schedules cannot accommodate a fixed intensive block and to clients who want to spread sessions differently across the two weeks based on their clinical needs.
Family Involvement and Parent Coaching
For children and teenagers in the Premium IOP, family involvement is not optional it is built into the treatment from the first session. Parents learn the ERP model, receive specific coaching on how to respond to OCD and anxiety at home, identify and reduce accommodation patterns, and actively participate in supporting between-session exposure practice.
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For adults whose family members are involved in the OCD or anxiety cycle providing reassurance, participating in rituals, avoiding triggers on the person’s behalf the Premium IOP includes direct family coaching sessions. Because the schedule is flexible, family sessions can be incorporated alongside individual sessions without the constraints of a fixed group schedule.
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The one-on-one format also means that when a parent needs to be present, when a partner needs to understand what the treatment involves, or when a family accommodation pattern needs to be addressed directly and immediately there is no waiting for the right moment in a shared schedule. The clinician and family can address it as it arises.
Who This Program Is Best For
- Severe or complex OCD including multiple OCD subtypes, significant co-occurring conditions, or treatment-resistant presentations
- Children and teenagers whose treatment depends on intensive parent involvement and coaching
- Adults who need or prefer a flexible schedule rather than a fixed intensive block
- Clients stepping down from a residential or partial hospitalization program
- Those whose OCD presentation makes group-adjacent formats clinically inadvisable
- Clients who want the most concentrated, uninterrupted specialist attention available
- In-person clients who want to work in the therapy office and their real-world environment simultaneously
- Clients in Florida (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) or New York (virtual)
Which Program Is Right for You?
| Standard Virtual IOP | Premium One-on-One IOP | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,800 (+ $300 evaluation) | $4,500 (+ $300 evaluation) |
| Format | Virtual group-based with individual rotation | In-person, virtual, or hybrid |
| Hours | 18 hours over 2 weeks | 15 hours over 2 weeks |
| Schedule | Fixed: Mon / Tue / Thu, 9 a.m.–noon | Flexible: arranged with clinician |
| Clinician access | Rotating individual time within sessions | Exclusive 1:1 throughout |
| Skills group | Yes one per week, cameras optional | Optional |
| Family involvement | Limited standard parent coaching | Extensive integrated throughout |
| Best for | Moderate to severe OCD/anxiety, flexible schedule, value-focused | Severe/complex presentations, children, maximum flexibility, family-intensive |
| Availability | Florida (virtual only) | Florida (in-person or virtual) |
Our Commitment to Real Treatment
We want to be direct about what makes our IOP different from many programs you may encounter.
No Filler
We will not fill your treatment hours with activities, groups, or therapeutic approaches that have nothing to do with OCD and anxiety. Every hour of our IOP is spent in ERP work psychoeducation, exposure hierarchy building, active exposure practice, between-session review, family coaching, and relapse prevention. If a treatment hour does not directly advance your ERP work, it should not be in the program. We take that seriously.
No Watered-Down ERP
Many programs that describe themselves as ERP-based deliver imaginal exposure without real-world practice, or exposure without rigorous response prevention, or insight-oriented work dressed up as ERP. We know the difference and so will you. Exposures begin early, real-world practice is central, response prevention is enforced, and progress is measured with standardized tools at every session.
No Unnecessary Prolonging of Treatment
We do not extend treatment beyond what is clinically needed. Our goal is to get you to remission or to a level of functioning where weekly outpatient therapy can maintain and build on your gains as efficiently as possible. Our IOP programs have a defined endpoint. You know exactly how many hours you are purchasing and exactly what the clinical objectives are. We will not keep you in intensive treatment longer than necessary.
Psychiatrist Coordination
We are therapists, not psychiatrists. For clients where medication may be relevant moderate to severe OCD where SSRIs can reduce symptom intensity enough to make ERP more accessible, or presentations with significant co-occurring depression we coordinate actively with trusted psychiatrists. We will be transparent with you about how medication may affect your prognosis, and we will refer and coordinate when it is clinically indicated. Medication is never required to participate in either program.
Policies and Important Information
- Non-refundable packages: Both IOP programs are non-refundable once purchased. Cancellations result in the loss of those treatment hours with no refund. Please confirm your availability for the full two-week period before enrolling.
- Initial evaluation required: No client may enroll in either IOP program without first completing the 1.5-hour initial evaluation at $300. This is a clinical requirement, not an administrative one.
- Minors: Children must have a parent or legal guardian present for all sessions whether in-person or virtual. For in-person sessions, the parent may wait in our office waiting area with Wi-Fi access. For virtual sessions, the parent is accessible during the session. Some teenagers are allowed to engage in treatment without parents, but this is considered case-by-case and is up to the clinician’s discretion. For teenagers who will engage in treatment without a parent or guardian present, a signed letter from a parent or guardian will be required.
- Out-of-network benefits: We do not accept insurance directly. If you plan to seek reimbursement through out-of-network benefits, contact your insurance carrier before enrolling to confirm your benefits and coverage. We provide documentation for out-of-network claims upon request.
- Medication: Neither program requires medication. For clients on medication, we coordinate with the prescribing provider. For clients not on medication, we will discuss medication openly if it may be relevant to your prognosis. If the clinician believes that a client will not be able to benefit from the program without medication, they will not be admitted into the IOP.
- Provider availability: For the Premium One-on-One IOP, scheduling is arranged directly with the clinician and is dependent on provider availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is your IOP different from a regular IOP at a mental health clinic?
Most mental health IOPs are staffed by generalist clinicians and include a broad mix of group therapy, coping skills training, mindfulness, and other modalities. These programs serve a wide range of mental health conditions and use a generalized treatment approach. Our IOP is a specialty program we treat only OCD and anxiety disorders, our entire team has received specialized training in ERP, and every hour of our programs is focused on the ERP work that the research consistently identifies as the most effective treatment for OCD and anxiety.
My child has severe OCD and has been refusing treatment. Which program is better?
The Premium One-on-One IOP is almost always the right choice for children with severe OCD who have been refusing treatment. The scheduling flexibility means the clinician can work at a pace the child can accept rather than a fixed group schedule. The extensive parent involvement component addresses the family accommodation patterns that are often maintaining both the OCD and the treatment refusal. And the exclusive one-on-one relationship with a specialist is better suited for building the therapeutic alliance with a resistant child than a group-adjacent format. See our page on When Your Child Refuses ERP for more on how we approach treatment-resistant presentations.
What happens after the IOP ends?
The final session of both programs includes relapse prevention planning a specific, personalized plan for maintaining your gains, recognizing early warning signs of OCD or anxiety returning, and knowing exactly what to do if symptoms spike. Most clients step down from IOP to standard weekly outpatient therapy with one of our clinicians, where they continue building on the progress made during the IOP. For clients who live outside Tampa and cannot continue with our practice, we provide recommendations for ERP-trained therapists in their area and a thorough clinical summary to ease the transition.
Is the $300 evaluation fee applied toward the IOP package?
No the $300 initial evaluation fee is separate from and in addition to the IOP package price. The evaluation is a thorough 1.5-hour clinical assessment that happens before IOP enrollment. It is billed and completed before any package is purchased.
How do I know if I am ready for IOP rather than regular weekly therapy?
The initial evaluation answers this question definitively. Generally, IOP is most appropriate when OCD or anxiety is significantly impairing daily functioning and weekly therapy is not producing adequate progress, when a time-sensitive situation requires faster treatment, or when a prior course of inadequate treatment has allowed symptoms to escalate. If you are unsure, contact our office for a consultation we will give you an honest assessment of whether IOP is the right level of care for your situation.
Ready to join our virtual OCD support group?
(813) 812-4940 | info@anxietyocdspecialists.com | anxietyocdspecialists.com
730 S Sterling Ave, Suite 306, Tampa, FL 33609
Meet Your Counselors
NATALIE NOEL
LMHC
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Contact:
n.noel@anxietyocdspecialists.com
MATT MCCANN
LMHC
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Contact:
m.mccann@anxietyocdspecialists.com
MARIO JUSTER-KRUSE
LMHC
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Contact:
m.juster-kruse@anxietyocdspecialists.com
NONA ZAMIRI
LMHC
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Contact:
n.zamiri@anxietyocdspecialists.com
MARIAH RAMIREZ
LMHC
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Contact:
mariah@anxietyocdspecialists.com