Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is a highly supportive, structured treatment program designed for children and teens who need more care than outpatient therapy can offer, but who do not require 24/7 inpatient hospitalization. At Enso, each child is placed in a therapy group with peers in their own age range to ensure developmentally appropriate support, connection, and learning.
If you are unfamiliar with higher levels of mental health care, learning that your child may benefit from a partial hospitalization program can understandably feel overwhelming. If all of this feels new to you—the terminology, the treatment options, or simply not knowing what to expect—you’re not alone. Many parents feel the same way when they first reach out to us. Together, we will walk through this process one step at a time.
Serving those seeking hope and healing:
Our PHP supports children and adolescents ages 8–18 who are experiencing more acute emotional or behavioral challenges that significantly impact their ability to function at home or in school. PHP is ideal for youth who require a higher level of structure and therapeutic support throughout the day. This may include:
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Severe anxiety or panic that prevents school attendance
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Depression with withdrawal, shutdowns, or loss of daily functioning
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Frequent emotional dysregulation, explosive behaviors, or unsafe reactions
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Suicidal ideation or self-injurious behaviors
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School refusal or avoidance due to distress
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Significant behavioral concerns, including aggression or property destruction
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OCD symptoms or intrusive thoughts that interfere with daily life
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Difficulty remaining regulated in traditional school settings
PHP is most appropriate when symptoms are too intense to manage in a regular school day and a higher level of stabilization is needed before transitioning back.
Our structured day program runs
Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and includes:
Group Therapy
Group therapy is the foundation of our PHP and IOP programs, giving children and teens a supportive space to learn, practice, and understand how to use different skills in everyday settings.
Skills Group: Using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, ACT, and exposure-based strategies, participants learn practical tools to manage emotions, cope with stress, improve communication, strengthen relationships, and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns.
Process Group: Participants have a safe and supportive space to reflect on their experiences, work through challenges, receive peer support, and build connection, confidence, and self-awareness.
Academic Integration
Our daily education hour is an essential part of treatment at Enso because keeping children and teens academically on track helps reduce added stress when they return to school—which is why our educational support is provided by an in-house teacher rather than outsourced.
Our Academic Integration Specialist provides personalized academic support, collaborates directly with schools, contributes to return-to-school recommendations, and helps ensure students have everything they need for a successful transition back.
Friday Learning Lab
Each Friday, our Academic Integration Specialist leads a fun, interactive Learning Lab. These activities teach practical life skills, introduce meaningful hobbies, and help participants discover different healthy ways to cope when boredom—or too much screen time—takes over.
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Hobby Exploration: Participants try hands-on hobbies that build creativity, confidence, and new interests. (A fan favorite designing and building working arcade games from cardboard boxes!)
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Educational Experiments: Engaging experiments encourage curiosity, teamwork, flexible thinking, and creative problem-solving.
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Cinema Therapy: Carefully selected films help participants explore emotions, recognize important life lessons, and see coping skills used in relatable situations.
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Culinary: Cooking and baking activities provide a fun way to practice patience, teamwork, following directions, problem-solving, and independence.
The Learning Lab also allows our team to observe how each child engages in a classroom-style setting, identify challenges or behaviors that may arise, and provide additional support before returning to school.
Social Emotional Learning & Executive Functioning
Each day, students participate in a group dedicated to strengthening the social-emotional and executive functioning skills they need at school, at home, and in everyday life. Led by our Academic Integration Specialist, who has extensive experience teaching these skills, each group is tailored to participants’ ages through engaging activities and age-appropriate discussions.
Social-Emotional Learning: Builds self-awareness, communication, relationship skills, empathy, and responsible decision-making.
Executive Functioning: Strengthens organization, planning, time management, focus, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.
Expressive Therapy
Each day your child will participate in our Expressive Therapy Group. Expressive Therapy gives children and teens creative, hands-on ways to express themselves, understand their emotions, and practice healthy coping skills beyond traditional talk therapy. Led by our board-certified music therapist, groups incorporate interactive music experiences and therapeutic art activities to promote emotional regulation, self-awareness, connection, confidence, and joy.
Visit our Content page to see how she helped some of our participants write and produce their own song!
Friday Pet Therapy
Every Friday, participants have the opportunity to spend time with Sarg, our therapy dog and certified K9 Reading Buddy. Pet therapy can help reduce stress, encourage emotional regulation, build confidence, and create a comforting space for connection, communication, and reading practice.
If your child is afraid of dogs, has allergies, or prefers not to participate, our team will arrange a separate activity for them.
Individual Therapy
Your child will meet with a licensed therapist for individual therapy sessions focused on their unique emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs.
Individual therapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore feelings, learn coping strategies, and build confidence. Sessions are tailored to each child’s experiences, helping them understand their emotions and develop healthier ways to navigate challenges.
Family Support
Family Support at Enso includes family therapy sessions or parent coaching, depending on your child’s age and presenting concerns. These sessions strengthen communication, deepen understanding, and help families develop consistent and effective strategies for home. Using collaborative problem-solving, we work together to address challenges and build a supportive, unified foundation that promotes long-term success.
Medication Management
Medication management is provided by our experienced medical team, who collaborate closely with your child’s Primary Care Physician or outpatient Psychiatrist to ensure a safe and effective treatment plan. Your child will meet with our provider for ongoing assessment and medication adjustments as needed. Our provider maintains open communication with families and outpatient professionals to ensure continuity, alignment, and shared decision-making.
