My experience at the Zen Institute has been absolutely amazing. I enrolled in their intensive outpatient program when I ended up experiencing what my doctor told me was a "mental breakdown." I didn't want to go to an inpatient facility and I wanted a place that focused more on holistic wellness with a legitimate clinical component. This facility is, hands down, one of the best out there for anyone needing the same kind of help.
Here is what to expect: You will first be introduced to the program by an intake coordinator, who might assist you with some breathing exercises if you are feeling really nervous about entering a program (as I was). She will give you a tour of the facility, which is a beautiful and relaxing place with a running fountain and artwork done by the founder. They have a CFO who works on site who can help with financial paperwork and FMLA if you need to take time off of your job to go. If you have insurance, they will work it out with your insurance company for you if possible.
The three tenants of the program are cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and Taoism. The founder is herself from China and has an educated background on Taoism that she has woven nicely into the program itself. You won't ever be pressured to believe in a certain type of religion or god here, which I found very refreshing. You are simply taught tenants of Taoism and other therapies that you can apply to your own life to hopefully make improvements on whatever brought you there in the first place.
You will be assigned to a specific therapist who will work with you in one-on-one sessions for Inner Twin therapy and EMDR. The rest of your sessions will be in a group. Don't be intimidated; the Zen Institute really handles group therapy well and you will eventually become very close to the others with whom you continue the program.
DBT is mostly about mindfulness, and in your DBT sessions you will learn breathing exercises and how to stay in the present, along with interpersonal skills and working through co-dependency and other issues.
Inner Twin therapy is also something you will undergo. It is a revolutionary therapy that I hope one day becomes mainstream. The basic idea is that we all have an "Inner Twin," which is somewhat like an authentic conscience, that loves and cares for us and wants to guide us to make good decisions in our lives. The idea behind this therapy is that you will begin to learn what your inner self wants and wishes for you, and that you will leave "ego" behind.
You will be expected to complete a weekly chart about how you did as far as sleeping enough, eating right, and handling life using the tools taught in the program. However, I was never given the charts back or admonished by my lack of follow-through (which might have been helpful for me as I wasn't actively working on bettering myself and more just showing up). So, there is a level of self-sufficiency that you will need to have to really succeed in this program.
On that note, this program was more of a supplement to other treatment, or for people who are experiencing some stability but want to improve their state of mind and well-being. If you are actively suicidal, in the throes of drug use, or extremely mentally ill/traumatized, my opinion is that this program will not be enough for you. They do provide aftercare, but it's mainly based on EMDR therapy rather than talk therapy which might not be enough for someone who needs a third party to talk out their issues with. Even though it is 36 hours and a good deal of time, they are not crisis counselors and will not be picking you up off the floor after a panic attack or something. It is more like a very gentle and supportive educational environment teaching you how to handle your difficult situations with more ease and grace.
All that said, I most definitely would have traveled far for this program had I not lived in Tucson. If you are looking for an IOP with wellness in mind, please do yourself a favor and check out Zen Institute. You will not regret it. read more
