Case · 90
Behavioral Health
Rebuilding life after divorce
Member
Mark
Service line
Behavioral Health
Location
Orange County, CA
Duration
12 weeks of structured care
01 —
The outcome
Mark felt adrift and purposeless after a difficult divorce. Through Atlas Health Group's behavioral health team, he gained insight into his grief, uncovered his resilience, and rebuilt forward momentum.
12 weeks to stability
Headline result for Mark.
14 → 4
PHQ-9 score
From moderate depression to minimal symptoms.
4h → 7h
Average nightly sleep
Measured weekly across the program.
12
Sessions completed
100% attendance, zero no-shows.
100%
Reported readiness to step down
Self-reported on PHG outcomes survey.
02 —
Background
Where the member started.
Mark, 47, was referred to behavioral health by his PCP after disclosing low mood, disrupted sleep, and a sense of being 'completely lost' three months into a contested divorce. He had no prior mental health treatment history and was skeptical of therapy.
In their words —
“I came in convinced therapy wasn't for me. Twelve weeks later I'm sleeping, I'm running again, and I actually want to pick up the phone when my kids call.”
— Mark, Behavioral Health Member
03 —
The challenge
What stood in the way.
- 01
Acute grief layered with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score of 14).
- 02
Disrupted sleep averaging 4 hours per night.
- 03
Social withdrawal from longtime friend group and adult children.
- 04
Skepticism about therapy and concerns about confidentiality.
04 —
Our approach
How we built the plan.
Move 01
A matched therapist with experience in life-transition grief, not a generic intake queue.
Move 02
Weekly individual sessions paired with a structured behavioral activation plan.
Move 03
Sleep hygiene and brief CBT-I protocol delivered alongside grief work.
05 —
The solution
Step by step, what we actually did.
- 01
Weeks 1–2 — Therapeutic match and stabilization
Paired with a clinician within 5 business days; established safety plan and sleep baseline.
- 02
Weeks 3–6 — Grief processing and behavioral activation
Weekly sessions plus a daily values-based activity prescription rebuilt structure and meaning.
- 03
Weeks 7–10 — Skills consolidation
CBT-I improved sleep to 7 hours/night; cognitive restructuring addressed self-blame narratives.
- 04
Weeks 11–12 — Step-down and relapse prevention
Transitioned to biweekly maintenance with a written relapse-prevention plan and peer support referral.
06 —
Services involved