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The Pathlight Therapy Approach

Discover the Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center difference: effective, evidence-based mental health therapies.

An Evidence-Based Approach to Healing

Pathlight's treatment is rooted in the Transdiagnostic Care Approach: a model that takes into account how patients often exhibit signs and symptoms of conditions like anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Working in this model provides insight into all individual traits and behaviors that affect the whole person and allows us to individualize treatment and programming across all levels of care. 

Mental health therapies at Pathlight

Through a variety of evidence-based psychotherapies and modalities, we effectively treat each patient as a whole and unique person, with extensive experience in treating complex co-occurring disorders. Our treatment programs are based on the following evidence-based therapeutic approaches: 

Our therapies are congruent across Pathlight's programming, creating a common and unifying language from which to approach treatment.

Unparalleled Clinical Expertise

Pathlight’s multidisciplinary treatment teams have unmatched experience in assessing and treating complex medical and psychiatric conditions, including co-occurring diagnoses such as substance use, eating disorders or other mental health conditions

Compassionate assessment

Part of our treatment approach for patients includes a comprehensive assessment with a compassionate admissions team to properly diagnose and ensure patients are on appropriate medication regimens. 

Medication therapy

Our innovative psychopharmacologic treatment allows our providers to focus and refine medications based on detailed medical history, observations in treatment and input from other team members.

Family and Caregiver Support

We place an intensive focus on the role of families, friends, support systems and caregivers in both the treatment process and recovery journey. Our team encourages family and caregiver involvement and provides multiple education and support options as well as family therapy.

Emotion-Focused Family Therapy

In using Emotion-Focused Family Therapy as a modality to support all those involved, we help caregivers better understand their loved ones’ mental health conditions – and how to effectively communicate. 

Pathlight offers an array of both interactive and educational resources for families, friends and support systems, ranging from virtual webinars and support groups to weekly sessions led by clinical leaders.

State-of-the-Science Psychiatric Care

We provide evidence-based neuropsychiatric interventions to patients who have failed to improve with other treatments or medications, including those with treatment-resistant depression. Every patient is assigned a board-certified psychiatrist, supervised by leaders in psychopharmacology. For those patients who can benefit from neuropsychiatric interventions, we offer various forms of ketamine therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).*

*The availability of neuropsychiatric interventions varies by location.

Trauma Track

Part of Pathlight’s programming includes specialty tracks for both Trauma and OCD. Our trauma track works to break down the impacts of trauma, helping patients understand the impacts of trauma, address trauma-related beliefs and rebuild their lives. 

This track uses Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) as a foundational, first-line, evidence-based psychotherapy to treat the symptoms of PTSD, in addition to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Track

Pathlight also offers a specialty track for OCD. Our OCD track provides designated, intensive programming including assessment and treatment for patients diagnosed with OCD. 

Experienced, trained clinicians use Exposure and Responsive Prevention (ERP) to help patients in managing their triggers and experiencing success.

“Our goal in providing the very best patient care has always been to meet the monumental need for treatment that sits in between acute psychiatric hospitalization and weekly outpatient therapy visits. We aren't a temporary, quick fix; we look to provide patients and families with long-lasting mental wellness with an eye on the future and long-term recovery. The way we do this is rooted in the Transdiagnostic Care Approach in which we utilize a variety of evidence-based modalities to address the commonalities between diagnoses, rather than one specific modality for each specific diagnosis. So we don't just treat patients: we make sure they address underlying issues and are given new skills, tools and guidance as they move to different levels of care.”

Howard Weeks, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Pathlight

Thoughtful Assessments and Discharge Planning

We acknowledge the importance of comprehensive assessments, interventions and discharge planning in successfully addressing and treating mental health conditions. 

Intake and assessment

A thorough, carefully designed assessment is crucial in identifying co-occurring conditions and developing an individualized treatment plan: one that is continuously assessed throughout treatment as patients progress to different phases. When treatment begins, evidence-based interventions help patients and families alike interrupt maladaptive thoughts and behaviors and live a values-rich life.

Aftercare support

Our support for our patients and families does not end at the time of discharge — rather, the treatment team carefully develops a personalized discharge plan, and offers several aftercare services and alumni support programs for patients that do not have an established treatment team. We continuously collaborate with outpatient providers and treatment teams to ensure a smooth discharge back into care.