What We Treat / Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Disorder Treatment.
Dissociative disorder treatment that is careful and phase-based — stabilization before trauma processing, always.
Admissions answers when you call.
A real person — never a call center.
Levels of care
PHP & IOP
Approach
Phase-based
Modalities
Somatic, EMDR
Length
Clinical need
What dissociative disorder treatment looks like here
When the mind protects by leaving.
The question isn’t whether you need support. It’s whether the support you have matches the weight you’re carrying.
Dissociation is the mind’s emergency exit — depersonalization, derealization, gaps in memory, feeling like you’re watching your life from outside your body. It often develops in response to trauma too overwhelming to process in the moment.
Treating dissociation requires patience and phase-based care: stabilization and grounding before any trauma processing, careful pacing that respects dissociative barriers, and clinicians trained to recognize when a client has left the room — even when they’re still sitting in the chair.
At High Tide, dissociative disorder treatment integrates somatic therapy, EMDR adapted for dissociation, and DBT grounding skills inside PHP or IOP structure — enough daily contact to manage the destabilization that processing can trigger.
Who it's for
For dissociation that interferes with daily functioning.
Dissociative disorder treatment here fits when dissociative symptoms are frequent and you need structured, trauma-informed care.
This level of care fits when
- You experience depersonalization or derealization regularly — feeling unreal or disconnected.
- Memory gaps or lost time happen and you’re concerned about what occurs during them.
- Dissociation interferes with work, relationships, or therapy progress.
- You have a dissociative disorder diagnosis or significant dissociative symptoms alongside trauma.
- Previous trauma therapy destabilized you because dissociation wasn’t addressed first.
A different level may fit better when
- Dissociation is occasional and mild — outpatient therapy may be sufficient.
- You’re in acute crisis — stabilization comes first.
- You need 24/7 supervision.
- Substance use is uncontrolled and contributing to dissociative states.
What we treat here
Dissociative presentations we treat.
We treat dissociation as a trauma response — not a curiosity. Phase-based care is non-negotiable.
01
Depersonalization
Feeling detached from your body, emotions, or sense of self.
- Emotional numbing
- Watching yourself from outside
- Identity confusion
- Sensory dampening
02
Derealization
The world feels unreal, dreamlike, or visually distorted.
- Foggy perception
- World feels fake
- Time distortion
- Environmental unreality
03
Dissociative amnesia
Gaps in memory for everyday events or traumatic periods.
- Lost time
- Forgotten conversations
- Travel amnesia
- Trauma-related gaps
04
Trauma roots
Dissociation almost always has trauma underneath.
- Childhood abuse
- Complex PTSD
- Chronic invalidation
- Medical trauma
When dissociative identity disorder is the primary presentation, we assess carefully whether outpatient PHP/IOP is the right fit — and refer to specialized programs when a different level of care is needed.
See everything we treatWhat to expect
Programming hours and weekly groups.
Here is how PHP and IOP are structured — plus the group types offered every week. Condition- and modality-specific work (individual therapy, psychiatry, and targeted skills) is scheduled inside these PHP and IOP hours — not as a fixed minute-by-minute sample day.
Our groups aim for a holistic, clinically excellent, and human approach to healing. Programs address the whole self — brain, mind, and body — with a wide range of perspectives and ways to engage in treatment. Individual therapy and psychiatry are scheduled inside PHP or IOP; the weekly mix shifts with your plan.
PHP
9 AM – 4 PM
Full-day programming five days a week — individual therapy, group work, psychiatry, and holistic practices in one integrated day.
IOP
Morning & afternoon tracks
Part-day sessions several days per week. Morning and afternoon tracks are offered so you can keep work, school, or family routines while staying anchored in treatment.
Group
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT focus)
Dialectical behavior therapy skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Group
Therapeutic Process Groups
Small-group therapy where emotional triggers, relationship patterns, and recovery challenges surface and get worked in real time.
Group
Relationships / Family Based Groups (IFS/ACT Focus)
Internal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy lenses on attachment, family dynamics, and values-aligned connection — including family therapy themes when clinically useful.
Group
Physical Movement Groups
Body-based sessions that support regulation, energy, and the physical side of recovery — part of the clinical week, not optional fluff.
Group
Recovery (SUD & MH track focus)
Integrated recovery groups with substance use and mental health tracks — cravings, relapse prevention, and the mental health drivers underneath both.
Group
Somatic Healing Groups
Breathwork, sound bowls, and mindfulness exploration for nervous-system regulation and trauma-informed body awareness.
Group
Art-Based Expression / Music-Based Process Groups
Creative process groups for clients who access emotion and insight more readily through art and music than talk alone.
Group
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT focus)
Cognitive behavioral therapy for thought patterns, behaviors, and the loops that keep depression, anxiety, and related symptoms going.
Group
Aftercare Planning Groups
Discharge and aftercare planning so outpatient therapy, medication, recovery support, and home structure are mapped before you leave.
Group
Adventure
Experiential outdoor and adventure-based groups that practice regulation, trust, and peer connection outside the therapy room.
What's included
Dissociative disorder treatment tools.
Modality selection is conservative — stabilization always comes before processing.
01
Somatic grounding
Body-based orientation and regulation — the foundation of all dissociation treatment.
02
Phased EMDR
EMDR adapted for dissociative clients — shorter sets, explicit grounding between.
03
DBT skills
Distress tolerance and mindfulness for managing dissociative episodes.
04
Trauma psychoeducation
Understanding the protective function of dissociation reduces fear of symptoms.
05
Psychiatry
Medication for comorbid anxiety, depression, or sleep disruption.
06
Holistic practice
Movement, breathwork, and sensory engagement to rebuild body connection.
What changes
What phased dissociation treatment builds.
The goal is staying present — not eliminating every dissociative moment, but reducing frequency and duration.
Phased
Stabilization weeks before any trauma processing — never skipped.
Daily
Grounding practice in every PHP block — building the skill until it’s automatic.
Planned
Aftercare with trauma-informed outpatient therapist trained in dissociation.
Trained
Clinicians who recognize dissociation in session and adjust — not push through.
Not sure PHP is the right level?
PHP and IOP, side by side.
Dissociative symptoms need phase-based stabilization before deep trauma work — PHP offers daily grounding and clinical contact; IOP supports continued stabilization with more evening autonomy. Here’s how they compare.
PHP
This program- Time commitment
- 9 AM – 4 PM, 5 days a week
- Best for
- Acute symptoms, stepping down from inpatient, medication changes
- Psychiatry
- Multiple check-ins weekly with close monitoring
- Work & school
- Usually paused or reduced during the program
- Length
- Follows clinical need
IOP
The step down- Time commitment
- Part-day sessions, several days a week
- Best for
- Moderate symptoms, stepping down from PHP, working or in school
- Psychiatry
- Weekly or as-needed appointments
- Work & school
- Designed to run alongside your regular schedule
- Length
- Follows clinical need
How to start
From first call to first day — usually within a week.
Admissions is one phone call, not a paperwork gauntlet. Here’s the whole process.
01
Call or verify online
A confidential conversation with our admissions team — what’s going on, what you’re looking for, and whether dissociative disorder treatment is the right fit. We verify your insurance the same day, usually while you’re still on the phone.
02
Symptom & diagnosis mapping
Your assessment maps how symptoms show up in sleep, relationships, work, and safety — not just the diagnosis on paper. That picture drives which modalities and which level of care (PHP or IOP) actually fit.
03
Structured start
Within days you’re in daily programming with psychiatry and therapy aligned to your condition — medication questions answered early, skills introduced in week one, and the team adjusting the plan as your symptoms respond.
Most PPO plans cover this program. Verification is free, confidential, and usually same-day.
Common questions
Answers before you have to ask.
Can't find your question? Call us — a real person answers, and there's never pressure to commit.
Will insurance cover dissociative disorder treatment?
Most PPO plans cover PHP and IOP for mental health, and California parity law requires insurers to cover mental health care at the same level as physical health care. We verify your exact benefits before you commit — free, confidential, and usually same-day. Start at /insurance or read /mental-health-guides/does-insurance-cover-php-iop.
Can I keep working during treatment?
Dissociative symptoms need phase-based pacing — PHP when grounding and safety need daily reinforcement; IOP when you’re stable enough for shorter blocks and more evening autonomy.
How long will treatment last?
Dissociative disorder treatment is phase-based — stabilization before deeper trauma work. Length follows safety and grounding progress, not a preset number of weeks.
What if I’m coming from out of town?
Many clients travel for specialized condition care. We can help arrange optional supportive housing nearby — but PHP and IOP do not require living on campus; most people spend evenings at home or a hotel. Orange County families often start at /mental-health-treatment-orange-county.
Is this the same as being hospitalized?
No. Condition treatment here is outpatient PHP or IOP — structured clinical days without overnight stay, locked units, or hospital corridors. You return home (or optional housing) each evening.
What happens after I finish?
Dissociative aftercare prioritizes grounding resources, phased trauma referrals, and psychiatric continuity — never jumping to intensive processing without stabilization.
What is dissociative disorder treatment?
Phase-based care that stabilizes grounding and safety before trauma processing. At High Tide that happens in PHP or IOP with somatic work, paced EMDR when appropriate, and DBT skills — not forced memory work on day one.
Do you treat dissociative identity disorder (DID)?
We stabilize dissociative symptoms in outpatient PHP/IOP when that level of care fits. If assessment shows you need a specialized DID program or a higher level of care, we say so honestly and help with next steps.