The whole-child approach in psychiatry, psychology, and therapy is a comprehensive and integrated way of assessing and treating mental health issues in children and adolescents. This approach takes into consideration the participant’s physical health, family environment, social context, and developmental level.
We combined the whole-child approach with our unique clinical protocols (below). We have found that this multifaceted approach is crucial in addressing the complex nature of mental health disorders in children, tweens, and adolescents today.
STAR is Plena Mind Center’s specialized treatment for children and adolescents living with OCD, complex anxiety and related disorders. Built on cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure and response prevention (ERP), it gives young people the tools to face intrusive thoughts and fears gradually, with expert clinical support. Parents receive guidance throughout so progress made in treatment carries into daily life at home and school.
Dragonfly is a developmentally specific partial hospitalization program (PHP) designed for younger children experiencing anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and emotional or behavioral dysregulation. Because younger children learn and heal differently from teens, every element, from session structure to therapeutic activities, is matched to their developmental stage. Families are closely involved, helping children build coping skills and emotional regulation that last well beyond the program.
School avoidance is one of the most common reasons families reach out to us, and it rarely resolves on its own. Our protocol uses CBT-informed strategies to address the anxiety and mood challenges underneath school refusal, while equipping parents with practical approaches to morning routines, communication and problem-solving. The goal is a confident, sustainable return to school, supported by clinicians, caregivers and educators working together.
This protocol supports children and adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorders, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions. Our child and adolescent psychiatrists and therapists combine evidence-based therapy with careful medication assessment and management when appropriate, so treatment addresses both symptoms and their underlying causes. Families learn to recognize early warning signs and respond with confidence, building stability that extends from treatment into everyday life.
SPACE is a parent-based treatment for childhood anxiety and OCD, developed at the Yale Child Study Center. Rather than placing the full burden of change on the child, SPACE trains parents to respond to anxiety with supportive, consistent approaches that reduce accommodation and build their child’s confidence. It is especially effective for children who are reluctant to engage in therapy themselves, and works well alongside our other protocols.
Our Tween Protocol is designed for the preteen years, a stage when emotional and social pressures often outpace coping skills. Using evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions, we focus on fostering emotional regulation, enhancing social skills and building self-esteem in tweens. As positive behavioral changes take hold, tweens gain not just better day-to-day functioning but stronger emotional well-being and a more balanced, resilient sense of self.
Our adolescent mental health program offers more than symptom management; it helps teens better understand themselves, build confidence and develop the skills to navigate the challenges of growing up. Through our developmentally responsive IRIS curriculum (Identity, Resilience, Interpersonal skills and Self-regulation), teens engage in evidence-informed therapy, experiential learning and real-world skill building. With dedicated support for teens and caregivers, we help create meaningful change at home, at school and beyond.
The Plena team identifies each participant’s unique and specific needs and creates a personalized treatment plan to help participants thrive.
You don’t need to choose a protocol before contacting us. Every family begins with a comprehensive clinical assessment with our child and adolescent psychiatry team, who identify your child’s specific needs and recommend the right combination of protocols and level of care, whether that’s our partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP) or outpatient psychiatry. Many children benefit from more than one protocol, and SPACE is often paired with others to support parents alongside their child’s treatment.
Yes. Our protocols are designed to work together. A child in the Dragonfly PHP may also receive STAR interventions for OCD, or a teen in IOP may follow the IRIS curriculum while their parents complete SPACE. Your care team builds a personalized treatment plan rather than fitting your child to a single program.
Yes. All seven protocols are delivered by the same clinical leadership across our Chicago and Northbrook centers, so families receive consistent, evidence-based care whichever location is closer to home.
“Plena has been a phenomenal experience for our daughter and our entire family. We could not be more pleased with the entire experience! Your program exceeded our expectations, and we would absolutely recommend it.”
Our care team will assist your child in meeting goals such as developing coping skills, creating an individualized toolbox for long term success and building new foundations for sustained improvements.
