Programs and services

Our programs provide choice in recovery, with flexible pathways and access to clinical teams and psychiatrists. Each program includes comprehensive discharge and aftercare planning to support continuity of care.

Processing program (Brisbane only)

Designed to support individuals in exploring the underlying contributors to their mental health concerns, with a focus on trauma-informed care.

Embody

Explore the mind-body connection through psychoeducation and guided movement-based activities.

Anxiety and mood disorders

Designed to support individuals managing symptoms of anxiety and depression within a therapeutic environment.

Dual diagnosis

Structured support for individuals experiencing both mental health and substance use challenges, delivered through integrated care.

Art therapy

Use creative expression in a safe, facilitated group setting to explore thoughts, emotions, and personal insights.

The Avive Therapeutic Journey

From survival to self‑leadership: a trauma‑informed recovery pathway designed to heal the body, mind and life, meeting each person where they are and providing support every step of the way.

Flexible, clinically guided entry points

  • Direct entry into Foundations (inpatient)
  • Transition into day programs from inpatient care or the community
  • Placement in Emerge after stabilisation work (coming soon)
  • Join Thrive following other intensive programs (coming soon)
  • Timeframes and programs may vary or be tailored to individual needs. Patients can join where clinically relevant following assessment.


Stage 1: Foundations

  • 21‑day inpatient stay or 28-day stay with medical detox (flexible depending on needs)
  • Building stability in body, mind and emotion

Patients are enrolled in Embody to provide physical and emotional stability to engage in therapy alongside one of two therapy streams: Anxiety and Mood Disorders or Dual Diagnosis.

Foundations is psychiatrist‑led, trauma‑informed and evidence‑aligned, combining group therapy, education and personalised electives to prepare for deeper therapeutic work.


Embody

A psychoeducational and somatic program that helps patients reconnect to body signals to regulate emotion and reduce distress. Drawing on interoception science and exercise physiology, Embody aims to reduce allostatic load and restore emotional equilibrium.

Includes:

  • Psychoeducation on embodied emotion and nervous‑system function
  • Personalised movement and exercise programming
  • Tools to improve interoceptive accuracy and self‑regulation
  • Supportive group environment to reconnect with internal safety


Therapy streams

Delivered alongside Embody, patients participate in one of two focused therapy streams:

Anxiety and mood disorders

  • Understand how emotions work – not just how to manage them
  • Build self‑awareness and cognitive flexibility
  • Practise behavioural activation and values‑based planning
  • Link physical, emotional and relational wellbeing


Dual diagnosis

  • Understand the role of substances in emotional survival
  • Break shame cycles and restore choice
  • Learn nervous‑system‑friendly relapse‑prevention strategies
  • Integrate identity work with harm‑minimisation or recovery goals


Electives

Inpatients also benefit from tailored therapeutic electives coordinated by the allied‑health team. Electives may include:

  • Art therapy
  • Diversional therapy
  • Nature walks
  • AA/NA off‑site meetings
  • Educational lectures


Stage 2: Day programs

  • 8–12 weeks, half‑day weekly
  • Extend, strengthen and prepare


Once foundations is complete, patients graduate to ongoing care through Avive’s structured day programs that provide flexible, clinically held environments that support continued stabilisation, connection and integration.

Programs include:

  • Anxiety and mood recovery
  • Dual diagnosis recovery
  • DBT skills program
  • Veterans program
  • Creative arts and expression


Flexible, weekly group programs help patients continue progress, connect with others and prepare for deeper work or reintegration into daily life.


Stage 3: Emerge (coming soon)

  • 21‑day inpatient stay
  • Feel, witness and transform


With foundations and day programs complete, patients may return for Emerge,  Avive’s closed, psychiatrist‑designed trauma‑processing intensive for those clinically ready to explore and integrate trauma safely.

What to expect:

  • Somatic and emotional release
  • Processing trauma through body, story, expression and group witnessing
  • Integration and identity repair
  • Reclaiming meaning, values and self‑leadership
  • Emerge provides a contained, transformative environment to help patients move through old patterns and rebuild self‑agency.


Stage 4: Thrive (coming soon)

  • 8 weeks, one day weekly
  • Integrate, reconnect and rebuild your life


Thrive supports long‑term integration by helping people apply insights, strengthen relationships and create a meaningful future.

Program structure:

  • Week 1 – Unpack: Awareness and groundwork; mapping emotional patterns, protective strategies and survival beliefs
  • Week 2 – Feel: Somatic and emotional release through story, expression and witnessing
  • Week 3 – Rebuild: Integration and identity repair; reclaiming purpose and capacity for self‑leadership


Includes:

  • Identity and boundary work
  • Relational safety and group feedback
  • Purposeful reintegration into life and community
  • Sequential or direct entry is available following clinical assessment


Why Avive’s therapeutic journey works

Avive’s journey follows a trauma‑informed, neuroscience‑aligned model that reconnects the nervous system, strengthens emotional regulation, processes trauma safely and supports lasting change. Each phase builds on the last, creating a whole‑person pathway from survival to self‑leadership.


Important information

This page contains general information only and does not replace professional medical advice. Avive Health provides voluntary, hospital‑based mental health care for adults. If you are in crisis, call 000.

How foundations can support you

Our anxiety and mood disorders stream can help if you:

  • Experience persistent anxiety, depression or mood disorders affecting daily life
  • Struggle with social situations and need a supportive environment
  • Seek peer support and benefit from shared experiences, or
  • Are committed to personal growth and ready to take proactive steps to improve your life.


Our dual diagnosis stream can help if you:

  • Rely on alcohol or other drugs, which is impacting daily life
  • Experience co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, PTSD or mood disorders
  • Struggle with relationships and responsibilities both personally and professionally, or
  • Want to learn practical tools and life skills to navigate challenges, prevent relapse and maintain long-term recovery.


Our embody program can help you to:

  • Understand the impact of chronic stress and trauma on physical and mental well-being
  • Understand the relationship between exercise and mental health
  • Identify and overcome cognitive, physical and contextual barriers to exercise, and
  • Re-learn and be aware of your conscious and sub-conscious bodily sensations, so you can begin to trust your body again

I need help for

myself

I need help for

someone I care about

I need help for

my patient or client