Schedule and Group Descriptions

Program Schedule

Below is what a typical week at Magnolia Creek looks like. Please note that the schedule is subject to variation and change.

Magnolia Creek residents have 5-7 weekly individual sessions with their primary therapist, our Clinical Director, Medical Director, Director of Nursing, Dietitian or Psychiatrist. They spend close to 20 hours of group therapy each week, in addition to physical training, expressive arts, yoga and movement, spiritual counseling, and experiential activities.

Groups with a Psychological Focus

Core Group

Led by our Clinical Director, core group is the main group therapy process at Magnolia Creek. The group provides a venue for residents to identify issues related to their eating disorder symptoms, to practice communication skills, to share assignments and projects, to discuss progress in recovery and to process relationship issues.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Group

CBT/DBT focuses on identifying the eating disorder voice as a cognitive distortion and developing methods of "talking back to the eating disorder". The group explores and corrects the relationship among thoughts, feelings and behaviors and provides education and practice for emotional regulation. The group also allows residents to learn behaviors to better prevent/cope with stress, negative thoughts, emotions and potential relapse.

Body Integration Group

Residents learn how to become more comfortable in their own bodies and recognize and address distortions in their body image and awareness. They learn to separate their body from their identity while integrating body, spirit and mind.

Goals Group

Residents reflect and assess goals from the previous week and propose new goals for the coming week, as they progress through the recovery process. The proposed goals are then submitted to the multi-disciplinary treatment team, who review the individual plan to ensure that the goals are appropriate for her current stage of recovery.

Commitment Group

Staff members work with residents to create a contract that directly reflects their commitment to recovery.

Multi-Family Group

Led by our Clinical Director, multi-family group is open to local and visiting families of our residents. This group explores family dynamics that may be impacted by eating disorders and provides a forum for both residents and their families to discuss the treatment process.

Groups with a Medical and Nutritional Focus

Health, Body, and Wellness Group

Led by our Director of Nursing, this group educates residents about their bodies' needs and basic physiology, addressing both the impact of eating disorders on the body and ways to promote healing and wellness.

Wellness Etiquette Group

Led by our Dietitian, this group focuses on listening to the body's needs and signals in choosing and eating foods. It encourages a mindful and intuitive approach to eating, free from limiting rules and restrictions.

Groups with a Spiritual Focus

Soulful Spirit Group

This group encourages spirituality, helping residents develop a personal spiritual foundation upon which to build their recovery.

Mindfulness Group

This group focuses on the quality of awareness that a person brings to everyday living.

Groups with an Experiential Focus

Experiential Group

Experiential therapy utilizes symbols and metaphor to help residents explore healthy coping skills and build connections. This group focuses on exploring self in relationship to environment and learning to trust self and others.

Empowerment Group

This group focuses on developing a sense of purpose and commitment to recovery. Residents are encouraged to take ownership of their treatment and recovery process.

Expressive Arts Group

In this group, residents use art to provide a creative outlet for difficult emotions. Research has shown that art therapy provides an aspect of emotional healing that may not be attained by other therapeutic modalities.

Groups with a Physical Focus

Physical Training

Our Nutrition and Wellness Specialist works with the residents to develop an exercise regimen suited to their bodies' needs and abilities. There is an emphasis on making exercise a healthy but balanced part of their overall lifestyle.

Yoga and Movement Group

Residents participate in gentle hatha yoga, which builds strength, flexibility, and balance in their bodies and their lives. The group also uses other forms of movement, such as dance, to allow for creative expression through the body and develop the mind-body connection.