Question and Answer Session with Susan Parish-Walker, M.S., L.P.C.
Describe the “The Weekender” outpatient program at The Walker Wellness Clinic.
The program is clinically and custom designed for patients who are medically stable and unavailable to pursue treatment during the weekdays due to their schedule conflicts with academics, occupational, extracurricular or family activities.
Is the program available for local patients as well as ones from out of the city, state or country and if so what accommodations do you have for the patients that are not local?
The program is available for all of the aforementioned patients and airport transportation will be provided for patients who are not local. The Cooper Guest Lodge is located on campus and is within walking distance to The Walker Wellness Clinic.
What types of clinical services will be offered to patients during the weekend and will they be permitted to have flexibility in scheduling their appointment times?
Clinical services will be offered such as psychological and career testing as well as individual, group, and family psychotherapy. In addition, intuitive eating, nutrition sessions, and meal therapy will be offered.
Adjunct therapy will also be available such as cooking classes, art therapy, and music therapy. Yes, there will be flexibility with scheduling appointments with the exception of the group psychotherapy. We believe everyone deserves some downtime during the weekend so there will be no weekend night schedule for patients. However, we will provide an entertainment list of fun activities to pursue in Dallas and make recommendations.
What do I do during my downtime and will I be bored?
We have adopted the philosophy that it is imperative to have a balanced lifestyle and that means not all work and no play! Therefore, you may choose to have a spa appointment such as a facial, manicure and pedicure, or massage at the Cooper Spa on campus. We can schedule these appointments for you in advance.
Moreover, if you are medically stable you may want to have a fitness guest pass at The Cooper Aerobic Center where you can pursue an exercise regimen with a personal trainer or play a game of tennis. You can also run or walk on the lovely track that surrounds the campus and view the beautiful pond.
What about my meals and if I don’t have transportation?
Fortunately, there are two great restaurants on campus. One is The Colonnade which is attached to the Cooper Guest Lodge and overlooks the swimming pool. The other is Tyler’s which is adjacent to the Cooper Fitness Center. If you are participating in meal therapy there will opportunities for you to travel to nearby restaurants at the Gallaria Mall.
Does this program involve family psychotherapy and is it mandatory that parents participate or other family members?
We encourage all of our adult patients to enroll in family therapy and we require that our adolescent patients be enrolled. The clinical rationale is to educate the family on the prevention of formal eating disorders and to help foster healthy family functioning.
What will my parents do if they are staying with me during the course of treatment?
Perhaps mom and dad would like to enroll in the Cooper Wellness Program that also has classes available on the weekends. They too are permitted to get weekend guest passes at Cooper Fitness Center or visit the Cooper Spa. If parents arrive during the week they may want to complete a comprehensive physical exam at Cooper Clinic or seek out a dermatology appointment from the dermatologist on campus. There is never a dull moment if you are on campus at Cooper Aerobics Center and it is our mission to make your weekend stay a memorable and healthy one.