Changes Treatment Center
Changes Treatment Center provides an intensive outpatient program Laguna Beach adults attend from our center up the coast in Costa Mesa. IOP treatment Laguna Beach residents get here means 9 to 15 hours of structured care a week, CBT, DBT and trauma-informed therapy, arranged around your life rather than on top of it. If you’re trying to work out whether IOP is the right level of care for what you’re facing, this page is meant to help you decide. We work with major insurance plans and verify benefits in about 15 minutes.
Reach out for confidential support, no pressure, no judgment. We’re here to help you take the next step.
The closest structured intensive outpatient program for most Laguna Beach residents is Changes Treatment in Costa Mesa, roughly 30 to 40 minutes north. Use the Get Directions button to map your route.
Laguna Beach has few dedicated IOPs of its own, so for most residents the nearest option is Changes Treatment in Costa Mesa, about 30 to 40 minutes north. Our Bristol Street facility is set up for people who commute in from Laguna Beach and other south-coast communities, with sessions scheduled around work and family. Use the Get Directions button to map the route from where you are.
Our IOP runs about 9 to 15 hours a week across several sessions, depending on your treatment plan. That is enough clinical time to drive real change while leaving room for the rest of your life.
Most people complete IOP over roughly eight to twelve weeks, though the exact length depends on your progress rather than a set number of days.
No. Changes provides outpatient care. If you need medical detox or a higher level of care first, we will help you find it before beginning IOP with us.
We treat adults for alcohol, opioids including heroin and prescription painkillers, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other stimulants.
Many people from Laguna Beach begin within a day or two. Call (949) 807-2008 and we will verify your insurance and schedule an assessment, often the same day.
Most people searching for an intensive outpatient program aren’t sure it’s what they need, and that’s a reasonable place to start. The simplest way to think about it: IOP is the middle of the care ladder. It’s more than weekly therapy, which may not be enough if the problem has grown past talking it through once a week, but less than a partial hospitalization program or a residential stay, which take over your days entirely. IOP is a few focused sessions a week, 9 to 15 hours total, while you keep living at home.
A few signs IOP is likely the right fit: you can stay safe and stable at home, but weekly sessions haven’t held the line; you’ve completed detox or a residential stay and need structured support to maintain it; or your situation is serious but you can’t, and don’t need to, step away from your whole life to address it. Signs you might need more than IOP: you’re not safe on your own, you need medical supervision to stop using, or you’ve tried outpatient care and kept relapsing. The honest answer for your situation comes from an assessment, but if those first signs sound like you, an intensive outpatient program is usually the level worth asking about.
Laguna Beach is one of the communities served by our intensive outpatient program across Orange County, run from our Costa Mesa center up the coast. For Laguna residents, the appeal of IOP over more intensive options is that it bends around the life you already have, you attend a few times a week and keep the rest of your days. You don’t have to leave home, pause work, or explain a long absence.
Because the program is part-time and a manageable drive north, it fits realistically into a Laguna Beach week rather than replacing it. You come up the coast for sessions, do the real work of recovery, and head home, close enough to stay connected to everything that makes the effort worth it.
Every schedule starts with an assessment, because the right hours and focus depend on where you are. A typical IOP week runs 9 to 15 hours across several days: group therapy, which anchors the week and carries much of the real progress, individual sessions for focused one-on-one time, and skills work on managing triggers, regulating emotions and rebuilding routines.
The program moves with you. Many people start at the higher end of the hours and taper as they stabilize, stepping down toward standard outpatient care and aftercare without ever changing teams. Because you’re home in Laguna Beach every evening, the work gets applied to your actual week, and your team adjusts the plan as you go.
We treat the full range of substance use disorders at the IOP level, alcohol, opioids (including fentanyl and prescription painkillers), stimulants, benzodiazepines, and dependence on marijuana, 7-OH and kratom. Most people arrive managing more than one at once, and the plan covers the whole picture.
Mental health is treated in the same program, not referred out. Our mental health IOP Laguna Beach care addresses anxiety, depression and trauma alongside the substance use, led by a board-certified psychiatrist. The two almost always feed each other, and treating one while ignoring the other is how progress unravels. Handling both together, every week, is what makes the gains hold once treatment ends.
IOP is 9 to 15 hours a week, for people stable enough to carry work and family alongside treatment. If the assessment points to more, a PHP in Laguna Beach runs full days, five days a week, near-residential intensity without the overnight stay. Many people step down from PHP to IOP with the same team. Either way, the assessment settles which level you need now.
Our center is at 2787 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, north of Laguna Beach along the coast. The drive runs roughly 25 to 35 minutes depending on your starting point and the time of day. Here’s where the IOP level helps: unlike a full-day program you’d attend every weekday, IOP brings you in only a few times a week, so the trip from the south coast stays occasional rather than daily. There’s on-site parking, and we’ll set your session times to keep the drive simple to plan around.
A common first question is how much does IOP cost, and it depends on your plan, your deductible, your copay for outpatient behavioral health, how many weeks your team recommends, and whether prior authorization is needed, which we handle. Let us verify your benefits free in about 15 minutes and tell you the real numbers before you commit. We work with major insurance plans and offer private pay if your coverage doesn’t fit. See insurance and payment options, or begin with the admissions process. If detox is needed first, we coordinate it through licensed partners.
One conversation is enough to understand your options. Reach us at (949) 807-2008 or verify your benefits online to take the first step.
Eric Chaghouri, MD, is the Medical Director at Changes Treatment Center and reviews the clinical content on this page. Dr. Chaghouri is a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in addiction and forensic psychiatry.
Recovery is more than stopping a behavior, it’s about rediscovering who you are. At Changes, we provide a supportive space where individuals can rebuild confidence, gain clarity, and move forward with purpose through personalized care.
We focus on strengthening identity, encouraging presence, and supporting overall well-being. By addressing self-sabotage and fostering community, we help turn intention into lasting change, walking with you every step of the way.
Our licensed professionals bring years of expertise in addiction and mental health treatment.
We customize treatment for every client to ensure long term success.
From detox to aftercare, Changes walks with you every step of the way.
Our Costa Mesa location offers a calming, bright, and rejuvenating atmosphere.
A Simple Path to a New Beginning with Changes
We understand that taking the first step toward recovery can feel overwhelming. Our admissions process is designed to be simple, confidential, and stress-free.
Fast, confidential coverage check to help you understand your benefits and available treatment options.
Personalized support to guide you through the process and answer any questions with clarity and care.
Start your path to a brighter future with structured support, expert care, and a plan built around you.
Take a moment to answer these questions honestly.
There are no right or wrong answers.
This assessment is not a medical diagnosis, but it can help you determine whether alcohol may be having a greater impact on your life than you realize.
In the past 12 months…
Developed by Patrick Conod, LCSW, and Cari Lawyer, CATC I, on behalf of the Changes Treatment Center Clinical Leadership Team.
A Self-Assessment for Family Members and Friends
Watching someone you love change because of alcohol can be confusing and heartbreaking. You may find yourself questioning what you’re seeing, wondering if you’re overreacting, or hoping things will get better on their own.
This assessment is designed to help you reflect on the behaviors you’ve noticed. It isn’t a diagnosis, but it may help you determine whether it’s time to seek guidance or support.
In the past 12 months…
Developed by Patrick Conod, LCSW, and Cari Lawyer, CATC I, on behalf of the Changes Treatment Center Clinical Leadership Team.
When we are struggling with deep stress, anxious thoughts, or a low mood, it is incredibly natural to look for immediate relief. Sometimes, we turn to alcohol or other substances just to quiet our minds, get some sleep, or feel normal for a night.
This short self-assessment is designed to help you pause and look at how these two parts of your life might be influencing each other. It is entirely anonymous and takes less than two minutes.
It’s common for habits to slowly shift over time, especially during stressful seasons. Often, we find ourselves using a substance to cope, unwind, or get through the day, only to realize it is starting to take up more space in our routine, thoughts, or relationships than we’d like.
This quick, 10-question check-in is a quiet space to reflect honestly on how your use is impacting your life. It is entirely anonymous, completely free of clinical judgment, and takes less than two minutes.
We all experience days when we feel down, exhausted, or just completely unmotivated. But when those heavy feelings start lingering, it can be hard to tell if you’re just going through a rough patch or if it’s something more.
This quick, confidential check-in is designed to help you pause and reflect on how you’ve actually been feeling lately. It is completely anonymous, entirely non-judgmental, and takes less than two minutes.
Is your evening glass of wine a harmless habit, or is it starting to catch up with you? It’s not always easy to tell where “social drinking” ends and “too much” begins.
Take this quick, 2-minute quiz to check in on your relationship with alcohol and get clear, personalized insights.
