About Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program – Whittier
The residential program offers 24/7 supervision in a safe and therapeutic environment where individuals have access to mental health counseling and psychiatric care. Clients work on learning how to create healthy boundaries and habits, along with how to communicate their needs effectively. Medication management, equine therapy, movement therapy, art therapy, writing therapy, music therapy, and traditional mental health counseling are provided.
Upon completion of the residential program, individuals are encouraged to move into an outpatient level of care that allows them to continue treatment and slowly reintegrate back into their home environment. This commonly takes the form of alumni groups and self-help groups, along with choosing to continue psychiatric care and mental health counseling.
Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program – Whittier accepts most insurance plans, including Amerigroup, Unicare, United Healthcare, ComPsych, Magellan, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Out of network benefits may vary, so it’s important to verify coverage with your provider prior to starting treatment.
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Accepted Insurance















Other Forms of Payment
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient
Inpatient
Aftercare Support
12-Step
Partial Hospitalization Program
Medically Assisted Detox
Treatments
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Programs

Adult Program

Young Adult Program

Military Program
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
Equine therapy, aka equine-assisted therapy (EAT), is a form of experiential therapy that involves interactions and activities with horses. It does not necessarily involve riding horses, but all activities related to horses, such as feeding, grooming, haltering and leading them. A mental health professional frequently oversees the activities (often in conjunction with a horse professional), and helps patients process their thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns during and/or after the interaction.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Trauma therapy is a structured approach used by therapists to help you heal from a past traumatic event. Your therapist works with you to identify the traumatic memory and process the information so you experience emotional healing and a sense of safety and stability.
The goal of couples therapy in California is to strengthen the couple's relationship. The therapist may take one or more approaches to counseling which may include the Gottman method, emotionally focused therapy, behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic couple's therapy.
EMDR is a therapeutic modality originally developed to help process trauma. In an EMDR session, a patient is prompted to undergo eye movements that mimic those of REM sleep. This is accomplished by watching a therapist's finger move back and forth across, or following a bar of light. The goal is repetitive sets of eye movements that help the brain reprocess memory, which can significantly reduce the intensity of remembered traumatic incidents. Associated memories can heal simultaneously, leaving patients significantly calmer, more stable, and more emotionally relaxed.
Family therapy offers a platform for members to have an open dialogue about the challenges that addiction has placed on the family unit. Through guided sessions, therapists can help families develop healthy communication skills and address unresolved issues. By working together toward a common goal, they help to support their loved one's sobriety.
While in rehab treatment, you may work on developing various life skills to help you in long term recovery. These may include resilience, interpersonal skills, and self awareness. The focus will be on developing healthy habits for self care and relationships so you have the skills you need to manage day to day life.
Substances can prevent the absorption of nutrients and cause damage to your body's systems. Nutrition therapy in California addresses the deficiencies in vitamins and minerals that are caused by substance abuse.
Creativity is inherently healing, and can help those in recovery express thoughts or feelings they might not otherwise be able to. Creative arts therapy can include music, poetry/writing, painting, sculpting, dance, theater, sandplay, and more. Unlike traditional art, the final product matters far less than the experience of creation and expression itself.
Amenities
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Gym
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Yoga Studio
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Residential Setting
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Private Rooms
Staff & Accreditations
Staff

Kelly Gonderman, PsyD
Program Director

Sam Edman
Facility Manager

Robert Sperring, MA, LMFT
Clinical Supervisor

Colleen Cunniff, MS, AAMFT
Assistant Program Director

Viviana Cruz
Primary Therapist

Jaclyn Zordani
Primary TherapistMA, ACSW
Accreditations
State Licenses are permits issued by government agencies that allow rehab organizations to conduct business legally within a certain geographical area. Typically, the kind of program a rehab facility offers, along with its physical location, determines which licenses are required to operate legally.
State License: California

The Joint Commission, formerly known as JCAHO, is a nonprofit organization that accredits rehab organizations and programs. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commision's mission is to improve the quality of patient care and demonstrating the quality of patient care.
Joint Commission Accreditation: Yes
Contact Information
11911 Washington Boulevard
Whittier, CA 90606