Online IOP for College Students and Emerging Adults in MA & VT
Online Information Series: Understanding the Austen Riggs Center Treatment Approach
Free online sessions for prospective patients, families, and referring clinicians.
Learn about the Austen Riggs Center's residential treatment approach, who may benefit, and what to expect from the admissions and evaluation process. Join our Director of Admissions for a live conversation and an opportunity to ask questions.
About These Sessions
Finding the right psychiatric treatment can be challenging, particularly when previous treatments have not led to lasting improvement.
These free online information sessions are designed for adults considering residential treatment, families exploring options for a loved one, and mental health professionals interested in referring a patient.
Our Director of Admissions will explain what makes treatment at Austen Riggs different, who may benefit most from our approach, and how the admissions and evaluation process works.
Whether you're considering treatment for yourself, supporting someone you care about, or exploring a referral, these sessions offer an opportunity to learn more and ask questions, without pressure or commitment.
What we'll cover:
- The Austen Riggs treatment approach: What makes our open therapeutic community and intensive psychodynamic treatment different from other residential programs.
- Who may benefit from treatment at Riggs: The kinds of psychiatric conditions and treatment challenges for which our approach may be particularly helpful.
- Safety and responsibility: How we approach safety, patient autonomy, and treatment in an open, voluntary setting.
- The patient experience: What daily life looks like, how families are involved, and what to expect regarding length of stay.
- Admissions and evaluation: How the referral, consultation, and admissions process works, including our initial six-week evaluation and treatment program.
Each session includes time for questions and discussion.
Upcoming Sessions
Sessions are offered from 5:00-5:50 p.m. (Eastern) on multiple dates throughout the year. Registration is required, but there's no cost to attend. Select a date that works for you and register in advance—a Zoom link will be sent to you directly.
- Wednesday, November 4
- Wednesday, November 18
- Wednesday, December 2
- Wednesday, December 16
- Wednesday, January 6
What to Expect When You Register
- Free to attend: There is no cost or obligation.
- Live and interactive: You'll have an opportunity to ask questions of our Director of Admissions.
- Registration required: You'll receive a Zoom link after registering.
- Privacy respected: You may join using a first name or preferred display name, without identifying yourself to other attendees.
- Not recorded: Sessions are not recorded.
- Informational only: These group sessions are not therapy or confidential clinical consultations. We ask attendees to keep questions general and avoid sharing personal medical information or identifying patient details.
Who Leads the Sessions
Dr. Ridenour brings deep experience helping individuals and families determine whether Riggs is the right fit—and what to expect if it is.
Prefer to Talk with Someone Directly?
Our admissions team is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (Eastern) for confidential one-on-one consultations, separate from the group sessions.
Please don't include personal health information in your first email—that message is unencrypted. Once we reply from our secure Hushmail account, all further communication will be encrypted end-to-end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Austen Riggs Center? The Austen Riggs Center is a longer-term, open psychiatric residential treatment center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the treatment of adults with complex, often longstanding psychiatric conditions. Unlike most psychiatric programs, Riggs operates as an open therapeutic community—meaning patients have genuine autonomy and responsibility in their own care.
Who are these information sessions for? These sessions are open to prospective patients, family members, mental health clinicians, case managers, and other professionals interested in learning about residential treatment at Austen Riggs. No prior knowledge of the program is necessary.
What happens during an information session? Each session is a live, online conversation led by our Director of Admissions. He will provide an overview of the Austen Riggs treatment model and open the floor for questions. Sessions are designed to help you determine whether Riggs may be an appropriate next step.
How do I register for a session? Sessions require advance registration. Select a date from the list above and follow the registration link to receive your Zoom link by email.
Is there a cost to attend? No. These sessions are completely free.
Can I attend anonymously? Yes. You're welcome to join using a first name or any preferred display name. You don't need to share identifying information during the session.
Will the session be recorded? No. Sessions are not recorded in order to support open and comfortable conversation.
Is this a therapy session or clinical consultation? No. These are informational sessions only and are not a substitute for clinical consultation or treatment. Because they're live group sessions, they're not confidential. We encourage attendees to ask general questions rather than sharing personal or identifying medical information.
What topics are covered? Each session covers how the Austen Riggs therapeutic community works, how Riggs differs from locked or highly structured programs, how we approach safety and relational treatment, and what the admissions and evaluation process involves.
Do all sessions cover the same material? Yes. While all dates cover the same content, you are welcome to attend multiple sessions to hear different perspectives.
Who leads the sessions? Sessions are led by Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP.
What if I want to speak with someone privately before or after a session? Our admissions team is available for confidential one-on-one consultations. You can reach us at 800.517.4447 or by email at admissions@austenriggs.hush.com Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (Eastern). Please do not include personal health information in your first email, as that message is unencrypted. Once we reply from our secure Hushmail account, all further communication will be encrypted end-to-end.
What kinds of conditions does Austen Riggs treat? Riggs treats adults with complex psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and presentations complicated by trauma or longstanding relational difficulties. Riggs tends to be most helpful when other levels of care — including outpatient therapy, PHP, IOP, or residential treatment — have not produced lasting improvement.
Is Austen Riggs right for someone in acute crisis? Riggs is not an acute stabilization program. We are best suited for individuals who are ready to engage in longer-term, intensive work and whose primary need is sustained treatment rather than immediate crisis intervention.