Introduction
Sarah, a high-achieving 16-year-old, transformed her life through Anxiety Institute’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). By addressing her perfectionism, avoidance patterns, and anxiety with personalized therapies and daily practice, she regained confidence, reconnected with her passions, and found joy in her everyday life.
Background
Sarah, a high-achieving 16-year-old, had long struggled with anxiety, perfectionism, and rigid internal expectations.
Despite excelling academically, she began experiencing cycles of hyper-competency, followed by feelings of being overwhelmed, leaving her unable to attend school and social activities regularly. While making modest progress in traditional therapy, her therapist recommended a more intensive approach to address Sarah’s growing avoidance patterns and anxiety.
Anxiety Institute’s Approach
Sarah’s care team recommended the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at Anxiety Institute, designed to provide a comprehensive, structured treatment experience.
Sarah’s program consisted of daily therapy, behavioral coaching, group therapy, creative arts and wellness activities. She engaged in personalized treatment, including:
Cognitive Restructuring: Reframing negative thoughts to reduce distress.
Mindfulness & Distress Tolerance: Enhancing tolerance for anxiety through awareness practices.
Exposure Therapy: Gradually facing feared situations, tailored to Sarah’s specific anxieties, such as wearing mismatched clothes in public and completing timed assignments without edits.
Creative Arts Activities: Using creative expression and interoceptive exposure to gain awareness of physiological responses.
Through daily practice and exposure, Sarah reported,
“Learning to tolerate my anxiety rather than just talking about it changed everything for me. The way Anxiety Institute does exposure therapy and coaching made all the difference.”
Learn more about our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Transformative Results
Sarah’s journey led to newfound confidence and resilience.
She re-engaged with her social life, tackled academic pressures, and was no longer hindered by perfectionism. By the program’s end, she felt empowered to return to school full-time and engage in extracurriculars.
With these improvements, Sarah’s family and clinical team celebrated her hard-earned progress. Her parents noted…
“Sarah has created a new life for herself after treatment at AI which includes going to social events even if her friends are not attending, participating in school full time, joining clubs, and overall enjoying her life again.”
Measurable Results
Sarah’s Measurement-Based Outcomes at Discharge:
About this case study
The client’s name, photo, and identifying features have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Clinically reviewed by Dina Nunziato, PhD Chief Clinical Officer