Mental Health Referrals From Therapists: Referral to Inpatient Treatment
If you’ve found yourself on this page, there’s a good chance your therapist has suggested that a higher level of care might help you. This thought alone may feel highly unsettling. You might even wonder if it means your therapist can’t help you anymore, but this is likely not the case.
In fact, when you’re referred to inpatient or residential care, it’s a sign that your therapist is tuned in to what you need.
To help you further understand what goes into these referrals and beyond them, this page focuses on:
- Why a therapist may make a referral
- What happens if a therapist makes an inpatient referral
- What happens if a therapist makes a residential treatment referral
- If you can go back to outpatient therapy after you’ve finished higher support
- Whether you should resume therapy with your original therapist
- Where you can find focused mental health treatment
Why Would a Therapist Recommend More Support?
First, let’s start by setting the scene:
Say you’ve been working with your therapist for a while for an issue such as major depressive disorder, and you’ve learned tools that have genuinely helped in your road to recovery. But then you hit a stumbling block: perhaps your symptoms creep back or your medication stops being effective. At this point, your therapist may suggest more intensive support.
Most people’s first reaction is to either blame themselves or their therapist for needing the extra help. Of course, requiring extra support doesn’t mean either of these things; in fact, it’s the total opposite of the two ideologies. Receiving a referral from your therapist means they’re making sure you’re surrounded by the right team for the next phase of your journey.1
Of course, depression isn’t the only reason a referral might happen. Therapists may recommend inpatient care for a number of reasons:
- Sometimes it’s because depression has become so heavy that outpatient sessions alone don’t feel like enough support anymore
- At other times, it may be the presence of suicidal thoughts or self-harming behaviours, where closer monitoring and safety become the priority2
- Severe anxiety or frequent panic attacks can also leave daily life difficult to manage without more structured care
- Or perhaps trauma-related symptoms remain so overwhelming that a higher level of care offers the stability and grounding that’s needed
When the reasons behind mental health referrals are laid out like this, it’s clear to see how referrals from therapists are there to protect and help you move forward with recovery.
My Therapist Has Referred Me For Inpatient Care – What Now?
Your therapist may have told you that they’ve either made or are in the process of making a referral for inpatient care. Understandably, this can leave you with a lot of questions. You may be wondering why this step is being taken, and while your therapist will explain the reasons, it can also help to hear it from another trusted source. Before looking at those reasons, let’s first clarify what inpatient care actually means.
Inpatient care is a short-term, structured treatment designed to help you through a crisis or an acute period of distress.3 You may attend inpatient treatment for just a few days to a few weeks, depending on your needs and how quickly symptoms ease.
The environment is structured and clinical, with medical staff present around the clock to provide reassurance and practical support. Treatment centers on stabilizing what feels most overwhelming in the moment, often through a mix of medication management and crisis intervention.
Throughout your stay, you’re under continuous monitoring, which ensures your safety while also making sure that help is available the very moment you need it.
So, what could make your therapist recommend you for this type of treatment? Your therapist may refer you to inpatient treatment if they have any of the following concerns.
Potential Reasons for Referral to Inpatient Care:
- The therapist feels that you are at risk of harming yourself or others
- Symptoms such as deep depression, acute anxiety, or psychosis reach a level that can’t be managed safely at home
- Outpatient therapy isn’t giving you enough support at this stage
- Medication changes or close monitoring are necessary
- Multiple mental health challenges are overlapping and need more intensive intervention
As mentioned, being referred for inpatient care is ultimately a positive step. It means your therapist has identified that you need extra support to manage what you’re going through, and they’re making sure you get it.
My Therapist Has Referred Me For Residential Care – What Does This Mean?
There’s also a chance your therapist may suggest residential care instead of inpatient treatment for your needs. While both involve living away from home for a period of time, they’re not the same. Inpatient care is designed for short-term crisis stabilization, whereas residential care usually comes after the immediate crisis has passed and offers a longer, steadier space for deeper recovery.
In a residential program, the environment is more homelike and less clinical. Instead of a hospital setting, you’ll stay in a setting designed to feel calm and supportive. This is so you’ve got somewhere you can focus on your mental health without the constant stress of day-to-day demands. The length of stay is usually longer than inpatient, ranging from a few weeks to several months, depending on your progress and goals.
Your time in residential care will be structured, which gives a chance for key therapies to be interwoven into your day. These types of therapies usually center around skill-building activities and educational workshops that help you manage your mental health in daily life.
Community living is also a core part of the experience, as you’ll share the space with others working through similar challenges. Being around others who know full well what you’re going through often becomes just as valuable as the professional therapy itself.
So, in what situations might a therapist recommend residential care? Examples include the following.
Potential Reasons for Referral to Residential Care:
- When you’ve already gone through inpatient stabilization but need more time and structure before returning home
- If outpatient therapy hasn’t been enough and you need a stronger routine to stay on track
- When you don’t have a reliable or safe support system at home
- If complex conditions like trauma require a longer-term focus on recovery
It’s also worth noting that many residential stays place emphasis on the environment in which recovery takes place. These facilities are often located in quieter areas, such as the countryside or just outside city centers, to create a calm and restorative setting. Inside, the focus is on ensuring comfort and stability, with facilities that may include gyms, swimming pools, and modern living spaces designed to support your daily routine and wellbeing.
Will I Be Able To Go Back To Outpatient Therapy After an Inpatient Referral?
If you’ve stepped away from outpatient treatment to get more intensive care, it’s only natural that once this chapter is done, you’ll want to come back to what feels familiar. Outpatient care can give you this sense of routine again, but how you make the move depends on whether you’ve just finished inpatient or residential treatment. Here’s how each usually works.
Outpatient Therapy After Inpatient Treatment
If you’ve spent time in inpatient care, the natural next step is almost always a transition back to outpatient therapy. In fact, you’ll usually be encouraged to do so once your immediate symptoms have stabilized. This is because outpatient therapy gives you the chance to build on progress made in inpatient treatment week by week. You’ll be able to take what you learned in a structured environment and start weaving it into everyday life, while still having the safety net of regular professional support.4
Outpatient Therapy After Residential Treatment
By the time you’re ready to step out of residential treatment, you’ll likely have gained a whole range of new tools that can help you deal with real-life situations. Outpatient therapy then becomes the place where you keep these skills sharp.
As an example, let’s say you’ve been diagnosed with severe social anxiety. You may have practiced techniques in residential care that helped you face situations you once avoided. Outpatient therapy lets you test these techniques in the “real world” and return to your therapist to talk through what worked, what didn’t, and how to tighten up any gaps.
The truth is, the strategies you learn in higher levels of care don’t always stay relevant forever. Life changes, and with it, so do the triggers you face. Outpatient therapy gives you the chance to adapt and create relapse prevention plans that match where you are right now, not just where you were during treatment.
Should I Go Back to My Previous Outpatient Therapist?
If you’ve built a good relationship with your previous outpatient therapist, it’s natural to want to return to what feels comfortable and familiar. You may have had deeply personal conversations with them, and the thought of starting over with someone new can feel exhausting.
That said, the focus now should be on making sure you’re getting support that matches what you need most. Therapists, like doctors, can’t be experts in everything. They may offer genuine help and care, but if your struggles move into areas outside their expertise, they’ll often recommend a specialist. Just like how you might go to your primary care physician for an ear problem, if the problem escalates, they’ll refer you to an ENT specialist for focused care.
So while it’s not “off-limits” to return to your original therapist, be open to the idea of working with someone new if your situation calls for it.
Mission Connection: Focused Outpatient and Residential Therapy
At Mission Connection, we specialize in outpatient programs that are tailored for people navigating complex mental health challenges. Our locations also offer intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and partial hospitalization programs (PHP) across the US and are built with flexibility in mind.
We regularly treat those managing:
- Trauma-related issues
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Schizophrenia
- Psychosis
- Self harm
- Anger issues
When it comes to treatment, therapy at Mission Connection includes evidence-based approaches like CBT and DBT, which give you practical tools to handle overwhelming thoughts and emotions. Depending on the support you need, you may also work with us through individual sessions, group therapy, or family-based support. These are all led by our licensed mental health professionals who understand how to guide recovery step by step.
We also know life doesn’t always make it easy to show up in person. This is why we offer telehealth options for patients across the US. Through secure video sessions, phone calls, or even online messaging, you can stay connected with your therapist from home while still receiving consistent care.
If you’ve been referred to specialized outpatient treatment and are wondering where to turn next, Mission Connection can be this bridge. Reach out to us today, and let’s start shaping a treatment plan that works for you.
FAQs
Hopefully, the role of therapists in referral to inpatient treatment is clearer for you after reading the information on this page. However, if you still have concerns, the following responses to frequently asked questions may help clear these up.
What is the Role of the Therapist in Therapy?
The therapist’s role is to create a space where you feel safe enough to reflect and explore new ways of coping. Therapists work with you to make sense of what’s happening and guide you toward healthier patterns. If they’re concerned that the level of care provided during sessions isn’t the right fit for your needs, they may consider referrals to a more intensive treatment.
Why Are Referrals Important in Mental Health?
Referrals can help give you the extra support you need when outpatient therapy isn’t quite enough. Your therapist may notice that you’d benefit from extra support, which could be through more intensive care. Referrals can help guide you towards and provide you with the best level of help for your needs.
What Are the Goals of Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment?
The aim of inpatient care is stability. In these settings, you’ll be given a chance to step away from daily pressures and have access to round-the-clock medical support. Treatment goals also focus on your safety, as well as the chance to begin therapies that help you move forward once you return home.
How Important Is it for Psychologists to Treat Problems and Help People Stay Healthy and Prevent Problems in the First Place?
It’s hugely important. Spotting early signs and helping people build resilience before things escalate is vital. Preventative support might involve stress management, building coping skills, or anything that aligns with your recovery goals. Sometimes, to prevent a problem from becoming worse, a psychologist or therapist may refer you to a different form of treatment.
References
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2019). Chapter 5—Effective Referrals and Collaborations. Nih.gov; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64299/
- Johnson, S. (2022). Acute psychiatric care: approaches to increasing the range of services and improving access and quality of care. World Psychiatry, 21(2), 220–236. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20962
- Barnicot, K., Michael, C., Trione, E., Lang, S., Saunders, T., Sharp, M., & Crawford, M. J. (2020). Psychological interventions for acute psychiatric inpatients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 82, 101929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101929
- Lyman, D. R., Kurtz, M. M., Farkas, M., George, P., Dougherty, R. H., Daniels, A. S., Ghose, S. S., & Delphin-Rittmon, M. E. (2014). Skill Building: Assessing the Evidence. Psychiatric Services, 65(6), 727–738. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201300251
