Adolescent Behavioral Services Uses Unique PBT Model

What sets Lightfully apart from other adolescent mental health treatment programs is their niche in primary mental health and clinical treatment approach using the Process Based Therapy (PBT) model.

Lightfully is set to open their first adolescent-only residential treatment center for adolescents aged 12-17 in California soon as well as PHP and IOP opening in October.

PBT views clients in a more data-driven way and focuses less on the diagnosis of the adolescent, as well as using less “big words,” says Megan Ledet, Vice President of Adolescent Programming at Lightfully.

“We ask them do they have problems with their thoughts or emotions or problems with relationships,” says Ledet about the effort to eliminate difficult language.

“It’s approaching the way we’re addressing care and how we could think of it differently. PBT says instead of diagnosis, treatment, or wellbeing, it’s saying there’s more of a process,” she says.

PBT pulls from other aspects of other methods of therapy, even from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Lightfully’s therapists are trained at the onset of their employment on 12 different types of interventions that they feel are important for adolescents because it’s skills based.

Lightfully’s virtual IOP option will be offered as part of the continuum of care for those who need primary mental health treatment. Research indicates that for clinically appropriate clients, virtual online intensive outpatient therapy is as effective as in-person intensive outpatient therapy.

Lightfully is hoping to address a growing need during this youth mental health crisis.

“Kids are suffering more and at higher levels. COVID has been one aspect with their entire routines uprooted but also social media and technology. These kids have been bombarded with much more information and don’t have the skills to navigate it,” says Ledet.

Photo Sources: Lightfully