Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in Boston, MA
Our PHP offers intensive care 5 days a week to help you regain stability. With personalized, team-based treatment, you build the skills needed to manage symptoms and support long-term recovery.
PHP is an intensive, five-day-a-week mental health program at Overstory's Boston, MA clinic. Each day blends group therapy, individual therapy, and psychiatric care in a calm, supportive setting. It's the most intensive level of outpatient care, designed for people who need more than weekly therapy but don't require hospitalization.
What is a Partial Hospitalization Program?
A partial hospitalization program (PHP), sometimes called day treatment, is the most intensive level of mental health care you can receive without staying overnight in a hospital or residential treatment center. Our in-person PHP delivers that same level of care at our Boston clinic, where you spend the treatment day on-site with a consistent care team and a small group of peers, then head home each evening.
Most people enter PHP when weekly therapy isn't helping enough, or when stepping down from a hospital stay after a mental health crisis. In-person PHP gives you intensive treatment and that structure without leaving home.
What Does Our Program Entail?
Our Partial Hospitalization Program delivers daily, structured care for individuals who need a higher level of support. Your treatment includes a comprehensive set of services to guide your recovery.
Group therapy works with small groups of like-minded peers and focuses on education and skills development. Topics might include “How to manage depression” or “Building healthy habits to improve anxiety.” Our curriculum utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions that are evidence-based.
Individual therapy is one-on-one time with your therapist to work jointly on your challenges and potential solutions.
Our psychiatric team prioritizes a holistic approach to mental health, incorporating medication when it would add meaningful value to your care. We work closely with you to prescribe and adjust medications in a personalized manner.
Sometimes it helps to incorporate family and friends in the recovery journey. Our team will work with you to identify your support system and how they can contribute to your healing.
An Overstory team member will work with you to identify areas in your personal life where you need hands-on support, whether that be hobbies, housing, food security, career and job planning, and more. Furthermore, Overstory Health will ensure continuity of care by making necessary referrals post discharge and collaborating with any current or new providers.
Is PHP Right For Me?
Adults 18+ who can attend our Boston, MA clinic in person, five days a week.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis right now, please call or text 988, available 24/7.
If you're not sure where you fit, our intake team can help you decide during your assessment.
What a Typical Day Looks Like
PHP is a serious time commitment, and that's the point. When weekly therapy isn't enough, more intensive structure is what creates change. Every day blends group therapy, individual check-ins, and psychiatric care, with breaks built in to keep the day sustainable. Most patients complete PHP in 2-4 weeks, then step down to in-person IOP for ongoing support. The structure is the medicine: consistent daily contact, real cohort relationships, and a rhythm you can plan your week around.
PHP runs Monday through Friday. The schedule below mirrors a typical Monday. Exact times may vary by cohort.
Our PHP Program Can Help You With
PHP at Overstory is built to treat the conditions that benefit most from intensive, daily clinical care. Our multidisciplinary team delivers evidence-based modalities including CBT, DBT, and ACT.
Many people we treat are managing more than one condition at the same time. Our in-person PHP is designed for that reality, and your treatment plan is built around your whole experience, not a single diagnostic label.
If you don't see your specific condition listed, contact our intake team to learn whether our virtual PHP is a fit.
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Our Boston Facility
Our facility is modern, welcoming, and designed for your healing. Located conveniently in Boston, we provide a calm, supportive environment where you can focus on recovery.
In-Person PHP vs Virtual PHP
Overstory offers PHP in two formats: in person at our Boston, MA location, or fully online via Zoom. The clinical model is the same in both formats, including group therapy, individual therapy, medication management, and family support. The difference is where you attend.
Not sure if PHP is the right level for you? A less intensive step-down option is also available: We offer a virtual IOP (3 days a week from home) or in-person IOP (also 3 days a week) at our Boston location. Our intake team will help you decide during your assessment.
Why Choose Overstory?
How To Get Started
Reach out at 617-202-3530 or fill out our intake form, and we’ll be in touch to walk you through how to get started.
During intake, we’ll check your insurance coverage, give you a cost estimate, and learn more about you to see how we can help.
Meet with a psychiatric provider within seventy-two (72) hours of starting with us.
We’ll start you in a program that best serves your needs and schedule so that you can begin your path to recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Despite the name, a partial hospitalization program is not inpatient care, and you don't stay overnight. You attend our Boston clinic during the day, Monday through Friday, then head home each evening. PHP gives you hospital-level structure and daily clinical support while you keep sleeping in your own bed.
PHP is a full-day program, five days a week, so most people step back from work or school while they're in it, that focused time is part of what makes it work. If you need to keep working or studying, our in-person IOP or virtual IOP (three days a week) may be a better fit. Our intake team can help you decide.
Most patients complete PHP in 2-4 weeks. The exact length depends on your symptoms, how you respond to treatment, and your clinical team's recommendation. Many patients then step down to our in-person IOP for several more weeks of less intensive support before returning to weekly outpatient care.
Yes, your care team will help you transition between programs based on your progress and needs.
