You’re not stuck - you’re scared. Stuck means no options. Scared means uncomfortable options. You have choices. They’re just hard choices. Own that - then make one. The door isn’t locked. You’re just not ready to walk through it yet.
Let’s get there together.
The Gray Area Program
SEMI-INTENSIVE CARE
We live in a world of black and white thinking - especially, when it comes to mental health care. Either it’s “weekly therapy” or “full IOP “.
But healing doesn’t work that way…
The Gray Area exists for the in-between.
This program honors nuance, individuality, and real life - while still providing meaningful, structured therapeutic care. We developed The Gray Area to support teens and young adults who are struggling enough to need more than weekly therapy—but not so much that a full intensive program feels like the right fit. If emotions feel overwhelming, relationships are strained, or coping skills break down under stress, this program is ideal. We offer increased support, structure, and connection, without losing flexibility. Through skills-based groups, individualized therapy, and family collaboration (when appropriate), The Gray Area helps clients build stability, confidence, and momentum toward meaningful change.
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Program Structure
Hybrid Group-Based Program designed to provide flexible, stepped support for adolescents (11–17) and young adults (18–25).
Primary Skills Group (Thursdays):
Teens (11–17): 4:00–5:30 PM
Young Adults (18–25): 5:45–7:15 PM
90-minute clinician-led group focused on DBT skills, emotion management, resilience, and social/life skills.
Secondary Group Placement: Clients may also be required to participate in an additional group offered at Hope Crest Counseling, selected based on age, developmental stage, and clinical needs (e.g., creative expression, DBT, social skills, mindfulness, interpersonal processing).
Individual Therapy: Clients engage in 1–2 individual sessions per week, depending on clinical need and treatment intensity.
Family Involvement: Family sessions, parent consultation, or caregiver support are incorporated when clinically appropriate.
Collaborative & Comprehensive Treatment Planning: Ongoing coordination between individual therapist, group facilitators, family (when applicable), and outside providers.
Integrated Care Model: Coordination across services to ensure consistency and reinforcement of skills across settings.
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Core Components
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills:
- Emotion regulation
- Distress tolerance
- Interpersonal effectiveness
- Mindfulness
Emotion Management:
- Identifying, naming, and tracking emotions
- Reducing emotional reactivity
- Building coping strategies for high-intensity emotions
Resilience Building:
- Strength-based interventions
- Developing flexibility, perseverance, and self-compassion
- Increasing tolerance for uncertainty and stress
Social & Life Skills:
- Communication and boundary-setting
- Executive functioning support
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Age-appropriate independence skills
Developmentally Responsive Groups:
Separate teen and young adult tracks to ensure age-appropriate language, pacing, and content
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Program Goals
Increase emotional awareness and regulation skills
Reduce maladaptive coping behaviors and emotional dysregulation
Improve interpersonal effectiveness and social functioning
Strengthen resilience and adaptive coping strategies
Support developmental progression toward autonomy and healthy relationships
Enhance consistency of care through coordinated individual, group, and family interventions
Provide a flexible level of care for clients who need more than weekly therapy but do not require full IOP
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Target Population
Adolescents (11–17)
Young Adults (18–25)
Clients experiencing emotional dysregulation, anxiety, depression, interpersonal difficulties, or emerging executive functioning challenges
Individuals who benefit from structured skills practice alongside individualized therapeutic support
Referral Guidance
When in doubt, refer. Our team is happy to consult and help determine the most appropriate level of care.
Need increased therapeutic support beyond weekly outpatient therapy
Are experiencing emotional dysregulation, anxiety, depression, identity exploration, relational stress, or life transitions
Would benefit from group connection and skills-based support alongside individual therapy
Are stepping down from higher levels of care (IOP, PHP, inpatient) and need continued structure
Are plateauing in weekly therapy and require additional clinical momentum
Have scheduling, academic, or work constraints that make traditional IOP unrealistic
Can participate safely in a group setting with peers
Are willing to engage in collaborative treatment planning
Have caregivers (when applicable) who are open to involvement as clinically indicated
Intake Criteria
Anxiety and mood disorders
Emotional regulation challenges
Mild to moderate depression
Trauma-related symptoms (stable, not acute)
Neurodivergence (ASD/ADHD) with adequate support and safety
Identity development, self-worth, or relational difficulties
Adjustment concerns related to school, work, or family changes
Clinical Presentation
Require 24/7 monitoring or crisis-level care
Are experiencing active suicidal ideation with plan and intent
Present with acute psychosis, mania, or severe thought disorganization
Have severe substance use disorders requiring detox or intensive substance treatment
Are unable to maintain basic safety in group settings
Are unwilling or unable to participate in both individual and group therapy
Require services that exceed the program’s scope (e.g., custody evaluations, forensic evaluations)
Exclusion Criteria
Final acceptance is determined through clinical intake and assessment
Program structure may be adjusted based on individual needs
Clients may be referred to higher or lower levels of care as clinically indicated
Participation requires consistent attendance to maintain therapeutic continuity
Additional Considerations
Click here to get started with the referral process!
