The Dorm - Young Adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) Treatment, Washington, D.C. — Mental health service in Washington, DC

Don't forget the sexual assault lawsuit

(Alias for public privacy) Overall I loved my time at the dorm in 2025, I found a real community of support and was given many opportunities to learn skills that have greatly improved my life in the process. One important thing to note is that this place really is what you make of it, if you do not come in motivated to get better, you won't. I saw it countless times, young adults pushed into the program by their parents with no real intent on getting better, many knowing they were not okay but continuing to make excuse after excuse. We are adults, and a major aspect of adulthood is holding yourself accountable, no PHP/IOP can walk for you, but they can hold your hand to help you grow. I learned countless DBT and CBT skills, (thank you radical acceptance), and was really grateful for the ability to integrate my treatment into my everyday life. The staff were kind and compassionate, and there were a broad selection of classes offered. I particularly gained a lot from trauma, women's process, and relationship group, along with skills groups and managing emotions. I also built lifelong friendships with several likeminded people and we continue to support each other. The reason for the four stars: there was a lot of instability regarding the staff, multiple people quit and were hired in my time there, and several (to my understanding) left after mere months of employment. I know the lack of insurance acceptance was a big deal to both clients and staff alike. I was grateful they had just begun accepting Aetna, as I otherwise would've been unable to attend, but the program was still expensive and I met my out-of-pocket max. But the biggest thing is why I left treatment earlier than I intended to. I have severe insomnia, and have struggled to treat it with medication. Not only does this cause my immune system to be shot, but I also often get nauseous when I don't sleep. I tried to call out twice two weeks in a row for being sick, and the second time I was required to either get a doctors note or pay a $200 no show fee (last minute drs notes are just so easy to get in dc /s, and it felt pointless to pay to see a doctor when I knew I simply needed sleep). So I dragged myself into the dorm, where they could clearly see I was sick - pale and sweaty, I threw up in the bathroom and was sent home. The next day I chose to discharge. In my two and a half months there I missed two days. This should've never happened. For another person this might be cause for a two or three star review, but genuinely despite a few negative experiences I got so much out of the program and have gained a lot of emotional stability. It has changed my life in a really positive way and for that I am eternally grateful, but it would be unfair of me to leave a dishonest review.

Posting with a random account for privacy reasons, but wanted a chance to say how fantastic this program is. I came to Dorm DC for IOP treatment in 2025. I was working but struggling with mental health. The staff are uniformly incredible -- kind, supportive, boundaried, and collaborative. I love that they offer a variety of treatment modalities and flexibility with scheduling, and the community space is great. I have a much wider set of adaptive coping skills than I did before I came, and generally feel that I can live more authentically in the world. I would (and have) recommended the program to loved ones who are struggling. I was on the fence about coming at first because I didn't know if I "needed" it, and am very glad I did, so sharing for any others that may be feeling similarly.

(Posting under a different alias for privacy reasons) I enrolled in PHP at the Dorm’s DC location for about 3 months. I really liked the Dorm, particularly the community vibe, which was a much needed change from the traditional hospital environment. Firstly, they’re located right in the heart of DC, in contrast to other PHP facilities which are farther out in Virginia or Maryland. So it makes it much easier if you’re in the city. Secondly, the program caters to the young crowd (18-30 year olds) so many patients are either in college or are recent graduates. The nice thing is many of the clinicians are on the young side as well so you’re not dealing with older therapists who might not “get” the younger generations’ struggles. The program itself includes group therapy sessions that cover some of your expected topics from CBT, DBT, and ACT. They also have dedicated sessions for OCD and relapse prevention, as well as practical skills sessions such as nutrition, executive functioning, and rudimentary cooking skills. The Dorm is very LGBT+ friendly. In addition to PHP, the Dorm also has IOP, which many patients opt into if they are juggling school or a job. Note YMMV based on your insurance coverage. Compared to the Dorm’s New York location, the Dorm’s DC location is much more chill and relaxed - for example, no one’s cracking down on nap time. If you’re a young person in DC going through a hard time and if you might benefit from a community of similar-aged folks who are also fighting their battles, I strongly recommend looking into the Dorm.

I went here at some point. When I went it was an incredible and safe environment. I was given an incredible amount of freedom in terms of gender / sexuality expression and everyone including other clients were super supportive. What I liked specifically was this organization assigns each client a coach, and a therapist. The coach session is more goal oriented for self growth and improvement in areas like careers, academic's, and things of that nature. The therapist is more oriented towards mood and encouragement, and being there for your ranting ( a traditional therapist role). I met with both once a week, and felt that it was adequate one on one time. Though the therapist and the coach have slightly seperate objectives, depending on how the client feels/ wants, they can be interchangeable and will work with the client with how they feel in the moment. Often times I had very therapeutic moments with my coach, often times I had very goal oriented moments with my therapist etc. Other staff members were very professional but most importantly nice and understanding. This program offers a wide range of activities and sessions. There is incredibly peaceful yoga, the yoga instructor is (assuming they still work there) very meditative, and always caters to the clients wants. All of the clinical workers I noticed to be highly trained and nice. Additionally there was a gender specific group, they even had a dietary group that was oriented towards healthy food groups, grocery shopping/ meal planning strategies. In every field, in every group (cognitive behavioral therapy was the only exception that I found miserably boring, but i think that would have been the case anywhere on the planet and had nothing to do with the staff teaching the necessary materials), in every session, I felt supported and heard. Although I didn't pay for it, if I knew my child was in need of intensive therapeutic care for one reason or another, I would sleep happily and comfortably if i knew my kid was in the same comforting environment The Dorm provided me when I went.

The Dorm’s IOP treatment is really immaculate. The attention that each individual receives is really impressive. The entire staff works hard to make sure that from the time you walk in to the time you walk out, you’re treated with nothing but the utmost care. Highly recommended!

The Dorm can’t provide care for the clients they already have but are continuing to admit a new client almost every day. They don’t offer the majority of things they say they do. Don’t expect to get any quality therapy - numerous groups are 13+ people, constantly being split and rejoined, therapists are overworked, and the whole situation is an utter mess. They pretend they care until your paperwork is signed and the cash starts rolling in, then they forget about you. On paper The Dorm looks incredible, but in actuality they don’t live up to any of the things they say they do. They charge as though they do! They will do whatever it takes to get as much money from you as possible.

This place is amazing! They are so friendly and helpful. Their program is a mix of personal therapy, group therapy, addiction treatment, eating disorder management, and social interaction. Their location is in a very convenient location only a few blocks from the DuPont Circle metro station. The atmosphere is clean, modern, an has a lot of natural light. They have a kitchen, pool table, group room, conference room, and yoga room. The main hangout area has two couches, a few chairs, board games, and a smart tv. The staff is very kind and understanding yet willing to call you out on your bs.

Terrible place, don't waste your time or money. I was a client there in the past year and the majority of clients I spoke to did not find it to be helpful but rather were only there because their parents do not listen to them and assume that throwing money at a problem will fix it and that the value provided by the Dorm is related to the cost. It is not.