The Gateway Institute is a great place in southern California to seek treatment if you are struggling with OCD or other anxiety-related disorder(s). I have struggled with OCD and depression for over 3 decades, and have sought (Exposure and Response Prevention) treatment and counsel from them over the years, both of which have helped me to have a much better quality of life and manage my struggle with OCD. I have done three Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) with Gateway. During the last IOP (in August 2024), I had the privilege of working with therapist Ann-Margaret Mercier. She really gets the treatment modalities, genuinely cares about you as an individual, is compassionate yet firm in dealing with OCD, and wants to help you get better and succeed in treatment. In addition, her attention to detail, willingness to help, warmth, encouragement, and kindness are extraordinary. I highly recommend her as a therapist. In addition, the support groups that Gateway facilitates (for teens and adults) are also very helpful and beneficial. Thank you, Gateway, for providing much-needed hope, treatment, and tangible help to people who struggle with OCD! read more

The Gateway Institute is an exceptional place for OCD specialized care in Orange County. The therapists get what it is like to have lived experience and as a result, have decided to go back in the field, give back and help others learn how to function again. All the staff we have worked with at the Gateway Institute are high-quality, caring, intentional and want to help those seek recovery. I can vouch strong recommendations for Jim (the Director) and both Chris and Ann-Margaret (OCD therapists) in helping our family not feel alone, obtain new skills and continue on this path to recovery. We have done multiple Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) every five years or so to reduce the compulsions from over 100, to 70 to 30 and continuing to reduce to 10. For Jim, thank you for your leadership and starting the Institute. We are greatly appreciative of this place to receive OCD specialized care. You hire and train high quality therapists for OCD care. For Chris, thank you for all your care and support in previous IOPs, support groups and more. You have helped our family tremendously for many years, with getting our marriage back and Keith to working again with reducing the compulsions. Plus you have been an advocate for our marriage work as we try to give back. You rock as a therapist, advocate and leader in this space. For Ann-Margaret, thank you for your help and care in supporting both my husband and I in this last IOP. You are an incredible therapist and woman. I have learned several things from you. Thank you for the multiple requests in helping me navigate the difficult process as a caregiver and supporting us in his recovery plus your attention to detail, psycho education, and expertise. We are forever grateful for you. read more

I highly recommend The Gateway Institute if you have a child or loved one suffering from severe OCD. Last August, my then 15-year-old daughter attended Gateway's 3-week intensive outpatient program. Gateway's IOP was truly life changing for her and for myself as her primary caretaker. Fast forward a year--my 16-year-old daughter continues to thrive and manage her OCD like a pro. She has returned to living her life to the fullest and is pursuing her life dreams. OCD will always be there, but with the right tools and coping skills, OCD becomes part of the background, and is no longer front and center. I could never thank Ann-Margaret and the rest of the staff at Gateway enough for all they've done to support and guide my daughter back to just living her life and not under constant control of OCD. read more

Our experience was very disappointing. The therapist assigned to my son was not trauma informed. His ptsd was severely triggered by the therapist when she reprimanded him harshly. He was overwhelmed with a particular session, and physically exhausted by chronic illness. Sadly, we had to leave a week early and were not able to recover the fees. We placed a lot of trust in this institute as it appeared the therapists were well qualified to handle the complexity of my son's case. However, we were misled. My son declined significantly after his time at Gateway. And, we lost a lot of money. The only compliment I have to offer is the receptionist was very friendly and helpful. read more

I attended the anxiety treatment in the past for about 3 weeks. It is a very overrated program. I have read self- help books and online sources that were a lot more helpful than this program. I had Kaiser so I did not have to pay anything for this program but if I did not have insurance, I would have had to pay over $12,000 dollars. This program really is not worth the cost and is way overpriced. When I was attending the program, my therapist mostly focused on one technique to overcome anxiety. Implementing that technique just made me overthink more, made my compulsions worst, and worsened my anxiety. Even if it gave me lower anxiety, it was only temporary and made my compulsions and overthinking worst in the short and long run. My anxiety is a lot better today because of using my own method and implementing tips I learned from self- help books and online sources, not because of Gateway. For me, using Gateway's method of forcing myself to think, say, or write about an upsetting thought over and over again caused me more anxiety and made me feel more bothered by my thoughts, distracted me from the present, made me more likely to do compulsions, and it felt really unnatural for me. Looking back, I erroneously believed I ended up not doing any compulsions at all or doing very little compulsions the last few days I was there at the IOP program. I realized I was wrong looking back because I felt for me, just thinking about my upsetting thoughts alone felt like a compulsion in itself because it felt like I had to implement Gateway's advice of forcing myself to think about something repetitively in order to lower compulsions in the long run. Ironically, I felt that doing an action in an attempt to eliminate compulsions and fear felt like a compulsion in itself already. It felt like I was doing an action repetitively in order to try to solve the problem which was anxiety and compulsions. In my subconscious and conscious mind while I was at Gateway, implementing their exposure and response prevention technique made me perform more compulsions and made me more upset about a thought. I felt this was true at all times in Gateway, including the last week I was at Gateway. For me, just distracting myself by thinking about something else, doing other things, and forcing myself to not compulse not only helped me lower compulsions in the long and short run, but it felt less upsetting to me, felt more natural, and made me be able to be more present in what I am currently doing in life. One of the anxiety disorder specialists I saw later on after I left the Gateway program told me that in my situation with anxiety, Gateway's technique of exposure and response prevention was not an effective treatment plan for me. That specialist offered me other strategies that I found more useful. read more

My name is Amelie, I am 19 and have been struggling with ocd since I was 3 years old. This year it reached a new level of severity, I was basically struggling with every ocd theme all at once, every aspect of my life was completely controlled by ocd, and I was at risk of losing my life to this disorder. I knew I needed a more intensive form of treatment, but I am from New Zealand where there is a huge lack of intensive treatment options for ocd. I traveled all the way to California with my mum to do an intensive outpatient programme at the gateway institute and it has changed my life. I couldn't recommend it more to anyone who is struggling with ocd. This treatment was hard work, it was the most difficult thing I have ever done but I can honestly say it has saved my life. My therapist Ann-margaret was INCREDIBLE. Deciding to seek treatment on the other side of the world was the scariest thing I've ever done, but from the moment I first emailed her she went above and beyond to support me and make me feel safe. She really was everything I hoped she would be, and made the whole process so much less terrifying, I couldn't recommend her more. She is extremely dedicated, kind, compassionate, and non judgemental, I felt like I could talk about anything, knowing she would never judge me. She helped me do exposures I NEVER imagined I'd ever be able to do, and was there for me every step of the way. She also shared some of her own lived experience with ocd which was so important to me, it meant so much and made me feel so understood. Most importantly she gave me hope that things could get better, that I won't feel this way forever, I can honestly say she has saved my life. Of course because of the complexity and severity of my ocd, I still have ALOT of hard work to do to really get it under control, and some themes are more difficult than others, but I have made so much progress already, which never would have been possible without Ann-Margaret and the gateway institute!! Doing this treatment at gateway has given me the fundamental tools I need to finally take back control from ocd, you learn SO much, and gain life long skills to cope and live a full life despite this disorder. If you are motivated to learn how to take back your life from ocd, this is your sign to come to gateway, it is so unbelievably worth it!! Remember that the biggest risk of all, is letting ocd be in control! read more

I had high hopes for this program. After struggling with OCD for more than half my lifetime. I felt like this was going to be very helpful in my time of need. Unfortunately, I have been let down beyond compare. I feel ever more hopeless than before leaving the program. They promise you consistency, communication, outside support, etc. I felt like none of those aspects where part of my treatment. If I could, I'd ask my insurance company to have wasted the 16,000 dollars on a different program that is actually worth my while. read more

I have had OCD since I was 10 years old. It got much worse with the start of the pandemic and has spiraled out of control. I have tried a lot of different programs and therapies, but Gateway's was the best. My therapist, Brad Wilson, helped me get my life back through ERP therapy. My OCD severity score started at 33/40 (extreme OCD) and I finished my Intensive Outpatient Program with a 4/40 (subclinical). I recommend this program to anyone struggling with OCD. Brad and Gateway gave me the tools I needed to live my life without OCD interference. read more

I cannot begin to describe how blessed I am to be a patient at The Gateway Institute. Karen is amazing and she has truly helped me to fully understand myself and my OCD. The tools and advice help me on a daily basis. There is a lot of work involved when it comes to facing OCD head on but the first step is discovering your not alone AND talking to someone who gets you and understands you. I am and always will be a work in progress but I have made leaps and bounds in my treatment and feel so much more confident about myself and look forward to learning more and more at every session. Take that leap of faith if you are struggling with OCD and put the work in. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. read more

Our son was treated for OCD at the Gateway Institute, and we could not be more thankful for their help. They were so instrumental in our journey of finding help with something we knew nothing about. Their intensive program was literally lifesaving. They were easy to get in touch with on the phone and with email. Even a year after the treatment, and they had been paid in full by me, they replied to every one of my emails, and returned calls when I was battling the insurance company for reimbursement. This is not an inexpensive option, but for us it was worth every penny. read more

I was diagnosed with OCD after having my son. I was terrified to talk about the intrusive thoughts that were popping up and was lucky enough to go to a doctor who listened to my story and promptly sent me to The Gateway Institute where I met the most amazing therapist and human being, Karen Alonso. Karen helped me understand how OCD works, how the amygdala in patients with anxiety and OCD triggers a fight or flight response, how to identify compulsive behaviors, how to respond to thoughts and shift behavior, and ultimately led me through ERP. I ultimately decided to do an outpatient intensive with her and it was a game changer. Since then, I've gone in for occasional booster sessions and it's always helped nip it in the bud. I cannot recommend Karen enough. I just love her so much! Aside from being super knowledgeable, she has an incredible sense of humor which helped me laugh at whatever ridiculous obsession I had. She also has so much empathy and compassion for her patients, but she doesn't let you make excuses for your behavior, which I needed. Part of having OCD is learning that you are responsible for your behavior and she hammers this home by calling out when you're participating in compulsions. She has an inner strength to her that you want in your therapist in order for treatment to work and I'm so, so grateful to her for her continued guidance and generosity. read more

I will forever be thankful for the Gateway Institute and the team of people that helped my daughter get relief from her OCD. My 13-year-old daughter was diagnosed with OCD and within months OCD had taken over her life. We were referred to Gateway when we could not get adequate help in Washington. By the time we arrived at Gateway she was performing 9 hours of rituals a day and barely sleeping. Gateway was the first hope we had in months. My daughter did the IOP, within 3 weeks she had the skills to better handle her OCD and our family now knows go to properly support her. She worked with Chris but all the therapist there are fabulous. When you get to a point that you or somebody you love needs treatment it is hard to jump in. I will hands down say going to Gateway was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Gateway makes it so easy to get treatment. read more

My son was officially diagnosed with OCD when he was 8 years old and is now almost 13. OCD is debilitating and affects the whole family. When we were referred to Gateway, I was literally jumping up and down for joy! We were finally getting the intensive help we have been desperately needing! Karen was our IOP therapist and for 3 weeks, she literally became part of our family. She spent hours in our home walking our son through every room of our house starting at the front door. She dug deeply into his "OCD story" unraveling layers and layers of obsessions and compulsions providing him with tools and a meticulous plan to help. I am beyond grateful for her genuine care for our whole family, for her kindness and patience as we too were learning how to support, encourage and manage our frustrations. Karen's wealth of knowledge, experience, creativity and intuition is priceless. I love her and am forever grateful for her willingness to share her gifts with us. read more

I'm so grateful I was able to get help with my OCD from Matt and the Gateway Institute. I just completed my Intensive Therapy with Matt and he helped me so much to understand OCD and give me the tools I need to continue to recover from OCD. I highly recommend Matt, he has helped me change my life, the program is life changing. read more

Matt has been my counselor for the past three weeks of the Intensive Outpatient Therapy program. I can not tell you how much he has made me blossom into the old happy person I was. I absolutely recommend Matt he's not just a therapist he's a life coach. He has helped me get tools to deal with my OCD and be able to live my life again. The staff is incredible as well they are wonderful and so caring. I want to thank Matt and the incredible staff for everything. Matt is absolutely incredible anyone who has him as there counselor is in amazing hands. I came out of this program with practically no anxiety. Knowing how to deal with my OCD head on. Thank you so much to the staff of The Gateway Institute and To Matt I'm so lucky to have gotten the chance to work with you. You changed my life in the best way possible. I'm so thankful for your support Your an incredible person. read more

The Gateway Institute is fantastic. If you are struggling with OCD, regardless of the type of OCD OR your specific worries/concerns, Gateway can change your life and help you live again. I personally worked with therapist Karen Alonzo. She was absolutely great to work with and truly helped me overcome OCD and start to enjoy life again. I know everyone who reads this and is struggling will have doubts...I know I did...but please trust me and Gateway. It can save your life and get you back to enjoying all the wonderful things the world has to offer. You do not need to struggle with OCD...I battled it for 25 years. I tried everything...and thanks to Karen and the Gateway Institute I finally feel like I have overcome this crippling disorder. I know people struggling are reading this and are speculative and probably saying "my obsessions are different", because I know I thought that too! However finally deciding to give this place a chance has changed my life forever. I can't thank Karen enough, she is awesome and I hope others take this review to heart and get the help needed. You DO NOT have to continue struggling with OCD. It is beatable and you can overcome it. Do yourself, family and friends a favor and contact Karen/Gateway...it will be one of the best decisions you ever make. THANKS AGAIN Karen! You changed my life forever and I will never forget that! read more

We had our daughter in the 3 week intensive OCD program and felt that they gave her a lot of help. The staff was kind and caring. The owner could be called directly when we had questions. Tiffany was her therapist. She fulfilled above our expectations. We were impressed with the fact that she took the time to study our religious faith to better understand our daughter. We recommend the Gateway Institute. read more

The Gateway Institute was an answer to our prayers. As parents, we did not want to label our child as having OCD and struggled with the decision to seek help. But the symptoms grew to the point where we were dealing with suicidal thoughts and it began affecting our entire family and our relationships. We finally sought professional help and were referred by a therapist to Gateway's intensive program. It was an amazing experience and we saw our child begin to break free of the intrusive thoughts with the help of his therapist Brad, who was not only gentle and encouraging, but was also firm and persistent. Our ten year old child said even though Brad was an adult, he could relate to his therapist like a friend, and he helped tremendously because he gave him tools to use to help him overcome OCD. Even before the end of the three week therapy period, our child was already the boy we knew before the OCD started. Brad also explained to us as parents the basis behind ERP (Exposure & Response Prevention) therapy that was used to help our child. It was not easy at first, and can even cause more anxiety initially because you have to be exposed to what you may fear, but if you do the work and hang in there, you will be on "freedom road," sooner than later. We also really appreciated Brad's soothing demeanor, and he was fun as well and helped us as a family understand each other better. Everyone in the office was incredibly pleasant and kind, from Juhree who did the initial intake to Selena at the front desk, and also the director Jim, who went above and beyond to help us work out insurance coverage details--which helped us get the entire treatment covered by Kaiser. We highly recommend Gateway. read more

Please do your research before spending the exorbitant amount of money to attend this program. It is a very cookie cutter program, doesn't go outside of the box. I found the director to be quite cold and not very helpful or caring. I found very poor follow through and overall treatment not good. I feel they will sign you or your child up even if they don't feel it is a good fit! This was a terrible experience and i wouldn't recommend it to anyone! read more

We came to The Gateway Institute after our daughter had received years of counseling elsewhere for severe anxiety which had progressed to OCD and BDD over time. The intensive outpatient program was life changing for our daughter and our family. Thanks to the help of her amazing counselor, Chris Trondsen, and the caring staff at Gateway, our daughter was able to get back to school, friends, and the social life she had missed. Chris it the first therapist who truly understood and related to what our daughter was experiencing. He didn't focus on "talk therapy," rather gave her the necessary tools to use to help change the behaviors of the brain. That made all the difference. Chris is always available to our daughter and family whenever we reach out to him and he has our daughter's full and complete trust. She still checks in with him often to make sure she is on track. Our family can not recommend The Gateway Institute any more highly. They were a God send to us at a very difficult time. read more

Words cannot express the impact that The Gateway Institute has had on my life. I am nearly 25 years old and have been suffering from OCD and BDD for about 3/4 of my life. After seeking treatment at Gateway, I am finally starting to discover who I really am, without OCD and BDD. I have a better life than I ever could have imagined possible because I put my trust in the staff at Gateway. Truly a life changing experience. read more