Overview

Overview

Our fast-paced, hectic daily lives present a multitude of responsibilities and challenges -- earning a living, raising children, providing care to extended family members, participating in community activities, as well as dealing with loss and change. These pressures can be frustrating – and occasionally may even become overwhelming and difficult to manage without support and help.

Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Psychiatry and Psychology can help people in distress develop skills to deal with life’s difficulties more positively. Our wide range of inpatient and outpatient programs deliver personalized care to help individuals with psychological, emotional and social difficulties and are designed to address even the most complex issues with compassion, respect, dignity, sensitivity, and understanding.

Do you need help?

Adults exhibiting any combination of the following could benefit from our services:

  • Feelings of depression.
  • Inability to handle stresses at home or work.
  • Abuse of alcohol or other drugs.
  • Changes in sleeping and eating habits.
  • Interpersonal relationship problems.
  • Loss of interest in sex.
  • Unexplained fearfulness.
  • Mood swings.
  • Being angry much of the time.
  • Memory lapse.

Appointments

To make an appointment, please call 216.636.5860.

Biofeedback & Relaxation Training

Biofeedback & Relaxation Training

Biofeedback equipment is used to aid in learning total body relaxation. It is also used to gain control over aspects of physiological functioning which result in problems of tension and physical pain. The stress management aspects of the program include talking about how stress may influence emotional and physiological reactions in your life and learning how to cope effectively with the usual stressors in everyday life.

Many people feel that their lives are too hurried or fast-past, yet lack an understanding of what it means to slow down, relax, or "take it easy". You may feel a need to have more control over your life in this regard but not know how to take an occasional break from your fast-paced schedule. Learning to make time for yourself is a new kind of education. The ability to achieve states of deep relaxation, and the skill of reducing tension in many daily situations are personal resources which you may want to develop. You are not abnormal if you need training in order to relax. Learning to relax is like learning any other skill, we often need a coach to help in the learning process. Learning a new skill requires four conditions:

  1. The ability or potential to make the response.
  2. Motivation to learn.
  3. Positive reward for learning.
  4. Getting feedback on making the right response.

Biofeedback facilitates learning by giving precise, immediate information about muscle tension, heart rate, etc., as a person attempts to relax. People are "stressed out" in ways that lead to:

  • Physical symptoms.
  • Feelings of tension and anxiety.
  • Performing tasks badly.
  • Bad habits, such as overeating, alcohol consumption, or smoking in an attempt to reduce stress.
  • Difficulties in their relationships.

In addition to helping individuals with specific problems, our group is available for helping organizations in ways to enhance productivity, health, happiness, and quality of life. To this end we offer on-site training seminars, consultations, and lectures in the following areas:

  • Stress Management.
  • Effective Communication.
  • Enhancing Self-Esteem.
  • Assertiveness Training.
  • Managing Difficult People.
  • Goal Setting and Visualization.
  • Peak Performance.
  • Reducing Anger, Aggravation and Type A Behavior.
  • Regaining Control of Your Life and Time.
  • Coping With Change.

Make An Appointment

We see patients who refer themselves or are referred by a family member or friend, by their family physician, a community agency or other Cleveland Clinic personnel. To make an appointment or referral during business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), please call: 216.444.6115 or 800.223.2273 ext. 446115.

Former Patients call: 216.444.5812 or 800.223.2273 ext. 45812

24-Hour Help Line

For 24-hour information and referral advice, please call 216.444.8739 or 800.223.2273 ext. 48739.

IOP Groups for Mood Disorders

IOP Groups for Mood Disorders

Cleveland Clinic Center for Behavioral Health has added the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) to our extensive service offerings. This comprehensive, adult behavioral health program, which is conveniently delivered at Lutheran and Marymount hospitals, has been created to address the unique needs of patients who can benefit from more concentrated services while maintaining active lives in the community.

Innovative Program Design

The IOP has been designed to treat adults who are suffering from mood disorders and varying levels of depression but are still functioning in their daily lives. Our supportive, caring and structured approach allows us to help our patients reduce mood disorder symptoms, regain their lost confidence and achieve greater levels of functioning. Overall, we aim to help our patients return to work, resume their daily activities and restore their role as a contributing member of their family and community.

The IOP is an ideal fit for those who need additional support beyond a weekly therapy session. The program is available four days per week and requires attendance for three and a half hours each day. The program is generally four to six weeks in duration, but may be shortened or extended based on a patient’s individualized needs, treatment plan and assessment results.

Individualized Treatment

The hallmark of the IOP is our commitment to delivering high-quality, personalized behavioral health care. Our first step in treating a new patient is to conduct a complete psychosocial assessment to determine their personal goals for completing the program. This comprehensive tool also enables us to evaluate the patient’s symptoms, personal and family psychiatric history and suicide risk. We also use the assessment to measure family support and identify stressors and individual strengths.

Other features of the program include:

  • Individualized medical monitoring by a nurse.
  • Individualized coordination of medical and behavioral monitoring with each patient’s private physician.
  • Transparent and frequent communications with referring physicians, including regular patient progress reports.
  • Group therapy focused on illness management as well as behavioral and emotional life skill development.
  • Family support and discharge planning.

Group size, which generally ranges from eight to 12 patients, is limited to 15 participants to ensure that patients receive the personal attention of our staff.

Our program staff is a team of experienced licensed independent social workers, counselors and psychiatric nurses who have access to the treating psychiatrists.

Our patients consistently rate our program’s overall quality as excellent.

Flexible Program Schedule

To accommodate our patients’ independent lifestyles, we deliver a flexible program schedule with daytime and late morning sessions. Our daytime programs are held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and our late morning sessions from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Convenient Service Locations

The IOP is delivered at two of Cleveland Clinic’s most accessible regional hospitals, Lutheran and Marymount. The Lutheran IOP is held four days per week during the morning hours; the Marymount IOP is held four days per week during the morning and four days per week in the late morning hours.

Referral and Contact Information

To refer a patient to our IOP program or to obtain more information about sessions at each location, please contact the following:

ECT Services

ECT Services

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure in which electric current is carefully applied to the brain to trigger a seizure. It is typically used to treat patients who are suffering from a number of psychiatric conditions, especially severe depression and catatonic (rigid, unmovable) states. It works by relieving symptoms that are not responsive to other treatments.

Is it time to consider ECT?

ECT is a safe, effective and FDA-approved treatment. Although it is most commonly used to treat the often painful and debilitating consequences of severe or treatment-resistant depression, it is also used to treat certain neurologic, psychotic and manic symptoms.

ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed or suicidal patients, in patients who suffer from mania, and in other mental illnesses. It is generally used as a treatment option in the following circumstances:

  • Severe depression is unresponsive to other forms of therapy.
  • When a patient doesn’t tolerate the side effects of psychiatric medications.
  • In older patients who are taking multiple medications for other illnesses and who are not able to take additional medications for depression.
  • When a patient is so ill that his or her life is in danger.
  • Those who have been successfully treated with ECT in the past.
  • In patients who pose a severe threat to themselves or others, and it is dangerous to wait until medications take effect.

For more information, please download our ECT flyer below.

Understanding Electroconvulsive Therapy ECT

Appointment

Specialists from Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Behavioral Health perform ECT at Lutheran Hospital and at Marymount Hospital, Cleveland Clinic hospitals.

To make an appointment or refer a patient for ECT at Lutheran Hospital, please call 216.363.2297.

To make an appointment or refer a patient for ECT at Marymount Hospital, please call 216.587.8335.