Alcoholism Treatment Program in Los Angeles

A Program, Not Just Appointments

What Our Alcoholism Treatment Program Actually Is

An alcoholism treatment program is different from "seeing a therapist about drinking." It's a structured pathway: a set number of clinical hours each week, a primary therapist who owns your case, group therapy built around alcohol recovery, psychiatric support when your plan calls for it, and a deliberate taper as you get stronger. At Golden State Rehab, that pathway runs entirely on an outpatient basis at our Westwood center — you get real clinical structure during the day or evening, and you sleep in your own bed.

To understand alcohol addiction itself — signs, effects, withdrawal — see our alcohol addiction treatment page. This page covers the program: how it's structured, what the weeks look like, and how you move through it.

The program fits people across a wide range of situations — the professional whose drinking has quietly escalated, the parent who's tried to cut back alone and can't, the person leaving a detox or residential stay who needs structure before standing fully on their own. Your intake assessment determines where you start; everything after that is adjusted to how you're actually doing, not a preset calendar.

Verify My Insurance

Private individual therapy room at Golden State Rehab

Levels & Components

How the Program Is Structured

PHP Track

Our most structured level: full weekdays of clinical treatment while you live at home. The PHP program is where many people begin when drinking has destabilized daily life — maximum support up front, then a step down as you stabilize.

IOP Track

3-hour sessions, 3–5 days a week, in a morning or evening track. IOP is the program's workhorse level — enough structure to hold recovery steady while you keep working. The evening IOP exists specifically for people who can't step away from a job.

Telehealth Option

The same program, delivered through secure video anywhere in California. Join group and individual sessions from home — useful when commuting to Westwood is the thing that would keep you from showing up consistently.

Weekly Individual Therapy

At least one private session a week with your primary therapist, at every level of the program. Individual therapy is where the work gets specific: the situations you drink in, the history underneath it, and the plan for the week ahead.

Group Therapy

The backbone of PHP and IOP alike. Groups are led by licensed clinicians and filled with people fighting the same fight — which matters, because alcohol recovery in isolation is exactly how most people got stuck in the first place.

Medication Support

When clinically appropriate, our psychiatric team may include anti-craving medications such as naltrexone as part of a treatment plan, with ongoing medication management alongside therapy. Not everyone needs medication — the decision is made with your prescriber, not by default.

Group therapy room at Golden State Rehab in West Los Angeles

The Arc of Treatment

What the Weeks Look Like

Every person's timeline is their own, but the program follows a recognizable arc — structure that's heaviest at the start and deliberately loosens as your recovery strengthens:

Stabilization. The early weeks are about steadying the ground: consistent attendance, honest assessment of where drinking fits in your life, and getting sleep, mood, and routine back under you — with psychiatric support if your plan calls for it.
Skills and relapse prevention. The core of the program: identifying your specific triggers, building refusal and coping skills in group, and doing the deeper individual work on what alcohol has been solving for you.
Step-down. As you stabilize, hours taper — PHP to IOP, IOP to fewer days, then outpatient rehab — so support decreases gradually as real life takes more of the weight, instead of ending all at once.
Alumni and aftercare. Treatment ends; support doesn't. Our alumni program keeps you connected with check-ins, events, and a community that knows exactly what early sobriety asks of you.

Where appropriate, family members are brought into the process — recovery goes better when the people you live with understand what you're doing and how to support it. And throughout, the focus stays on the life you're returning to: work, relationships, and weekends that don't revolve around drinking.

Frequently Asked

Alcoholism Treatment Program: Common Questions

Do I have to stop drinking before starting the program?

Not on your own — and if you've been drinking heavily every day, please don't try to stop abruptly without medical guidance, because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. We don't provide medical detox ourselves, but if your assessment shows you need one first, we'll help you arrange it with a trusted detox provider and hold your place in the program. Treatment with us begins once it's medically safe. If you don't need detox, you can typically start directly.

How long is the alcoholism treatment program?

It varies by person. PHP typically runs a matter of weeks; IOP commonly lasts a couple of months; step-down outpatient care can continue as long as it's useful. Length is driven by your clinical progress — how stable your sobriety is, what your life demands — not a preset calendar. Because the program tapers rather than ending abruptly, "how long" is really a series of gradual transitions, each one made with your therapist.

Can I keep working during the program?

Very often, yes. That's the point of the outpatient structure. IOP runs a morning track and an evening track built specifically for working professionals — 3-hour sessions after typical work hours, 3–5 nights a week, in person or via telehealth. PHP takes full weekdays, so it's harder to combine with a full-time job, but many clients use it as a shorter intensive phase before stepping down to an IOP schedule that fits around work.

Does insurance cover an alcoholism treatment program?

Most major plans may cover PHP and IOP for alcohol use disorder when treatment is medically necessary, and we work with most major PPO plans — but coverage and out-of-pocket costs vary by plan, deductible, and network rules, so we can't promise what yours will pay until we check. Verifying your benefits is free, confidential, and doesn't obligate you to anything — we'll tell you exactly what your plan covers before you decide.

Is the program in person, online, or both?

Both. The program runs in person at our Westwood center in Los Angeles and through secure telehealth anywhere in California. Some clients do everything in person, some do everything online, and some mix the two — attending group remotely on days when getting to Westwood isn't realistic. Consistency matters more than format, so we build the arrangement you can actually sustain.

The program meets at our Westside center — visit our Westwood location and the areas we serve for directions and neighborhoods.

Paying for Treatment

We Work With Most Major PPO Plans

Coverage varies by plan. Our admissions team verifies your exact benefits for free and explains your options honestly, without pressure.

Insurance logos are shown to help you identify your plan and are trademarks of their respective owners; they do not imply endorsement. Coverage varies by plan — verification is free and confidential.