ANXIETY · ORANGE COUNTY
Anxiety and panic IOP in Orange County
Anxiety can shrink your world one avoided place at a time: the 405 at rush hour, a crowded store, a meeting at work. Kin Wellness, in Fountain Valley, runs an intensive outpatient program for Orange County adults whose anxiety or panic has grown past what weekly therapy can handle.
Groups meet by video, Monday to Friday, in a morning track (9 AM to 12 PM) or an evening track (5 PM to 8 PM). Individual sessions can be by video or in person at our office.
WHEN TO STEP UP CARE
When anxiety needs more than a weekly session
People usually come to us when anxiety has started making decisions for them. They have stopped driving on freeways, missed work after panic attacks, turned down plans, or gone to urgent care sure something was wrong with their heart. An IOP gives you several hours a week to learn skills and practice them, with a therapist you see at least once a week.
Finding that help locally can take time. The state's January 2026 workforce report estimates Orange County has about 59 full time licensed therapists for every 100 needed. Because our groups meet by video, starting doesn't depend on a local office having an opening.
PRACTICE IN REAL LIFE
Practice happens where your anxiety happens
Anxiety improves when you face what you avoid, a little at a time and with a plan. In group you build an exposure ladder, from easiest to hardest. Then you practice in your own life: a short drive on the 405 or the 22, a grocery run at a busy hour, speaking up in a meeting. You bring back what happened, and your therapist helps you plan the next step.
Because groups are by video, you can join right after a practice step from home, or between work and the evening track. The full list of anxiety groups is on our anxiety treatment page.
What anxiety care looks like at Kin
Small groups three to five days a week, using CBT and ACT skills for panic, worry and avoidance.
Individual therapy at least once a week, by video or in person in Fountain Valley.
Medication, if you choose it, with Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD, by video or at the office.
Progress checks every two weeks with the GAD-7, and often the PHQ-9, since anxiety and depression often go together.
QUESTIONS
Questions people in Orange County ask about anxiety care
I can't drive on the freeway right now. Can I still do the program?
Yes. Groups are by video, so there is no drive on group days. Individual sessions can also be by video until driving feels more possible, and driving can become one of your practice steps.
Is there an anxiety IOP near Irvine or Huntington Beach?
Our office is in Fountain Valley, at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11. Groups meet by video, so you can join from anywhere in the county.
Will I have to talk in front of a group?
You can start by listening. Groups are small, and many people with social anxiety find that speaking up becomes one of their first practice steps.
Can I keep working?
Most people do. The evening track runs 5 PM to 8 PM for people who work during the day.
Do you take my insurance?
Most major PPO and HMO plans are accepted, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare. We check your benefits before you commit. We do not accept Medi-Cal or Medicare.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), call 911, or call OC Links at 855.625.4657 for a county mobile crisis team. Our program is not an emergency service.
Clinically reviewed by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Clinical Director. Medically reviewed by Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD, Medical Director. Last updated October 2026.
Related: Anxiety treatment · Virtual IOP in Orange County · Evening IOP · ADHD and OCD
WHO YOU WOULD WORK WITH
A small team you will actually get to know
Kin Wellness is run by its clinicians. The people below are the people in your groups, and the full team is on the Team page.
Cofounder and Clinical Director, LCSW #80761, Ph.D Candidate
Paola Mercado Demeza, AMFT
Cofounder and Lead Clinical Therapist, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #15190. Supervised by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Ph.D Candidate
Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD
Angelina DeSanto, LCSW
Medical DirectorLET US HELP
Tell us how to reach you
Tell us how to reach you and someone from our team will call you back. The first conversation is short and confidential: what has been going on, what your questions are, whether this is the right level of care for you, and what it would cost with your insurance. There is no obligation to enroll, and if it is a fit you can start right away.
Prefer to call?
949.706.8610
Office hours Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM Pacific. In person care at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, Fountain Valley CA 92708.