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Support and Networking
Cancer Support Group
This group is an opportunity to connect with other people who are also living
life with cancer. By sharing both
what they have in common as well as the unique ways cancer affects their lives,
group members normalize the challenges they are facing together as well as the
strategies that work in meeting those challenges.
By participating in this Cancer Support Group, you will exchange support
and learn valuable information and coping strategies.
Common topics in the group are understanding the diagnosis; coping with the
side-effects of treatment; communicating with loved ones, friends and medical
professionals; defining a “new normal” with new tasks, roles and
responsibilities; experiencing mood changes; and changes in values and
priorities. Groups are led by a
facilitator who is trained at the Master’s or Doctoral level.
Caregiver Support Group
Caregivers are individuals who, along with their loved ones, are on the cancer
journey. Side by side, they navigate
turbulence and find comfort in one another.
The Caregiver Support Group is a group for those caring for a loved one
with cancer. This group includes
spouses, adult children, and siblings and welcomes you to come and share your
journey with other caregivers and find time to care for yourself.
The group is a weekly group that focuses on the group sharing process,
and sharing of educational information and materials related to caregiving and
self care.
On The Mend
When cancer treatment ends, recovery takes on new meaning.
This 8 week support group is designed for those people who have recently
completed cancer treatment. Changes
during this period may include family, friendship, and/or work roles, often in
light of new priorities, as well as dealing with changes in one’s body and with
an array of feelings that may occur with intensity.
Because cancer often changes people’s lives physically, socially,
emotionally, and even spiritually, all of these areas are open for the exchange
of support and for exploring how you can be active in the healing process as you
move forward “on the mend”.
Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer
Join other women facing metastasis of their breast cancer.
This weekly group will focus on the ongoing challenges that arise from
dealing with treatment, relationships, and facing the future in the midst of
metastatic breast cancer. Group
support can provide a unique opportunity to focus on making sense of the cancer
experience with others who share a similar history.
Reflecting on Spirituality and Cancer
This group is an opportunity to explore the cancer journey and its meaning in
your life. The focus of the group is
to discuss various types of spirituality and personal experiences with cancer in
the context of a larger picture of life.
Participants are encouraged to discuss their experience of cancer in a
spiritual context and how spirituality both affects and is affected by cancer.
Participants include those living with cancer and family and friend
caregivers. This group is not
affiliated with any formal religion.
Women Connected From the Start
This group is designed for women who are starting on their cancer journey and
would like to meet other recently diagnosed women to share experiences and ask
questions of one another. Women who
are in the midst of treatment or who have not yet started treatment are
encouraged to drop in to this group for networking and sharing.
Common topics in the group include information about various types of
treatment; management of physical side effects; tools for coping with stress;
and management of anxiety and depression.
Managing Recurrent and Metastatic Cancer
This group discusses the many unique issues faced by people with recurrent
and/or metastatic cancer, from the life changes brought by living with cancer as
a chronic illness, to existential and spiritual issues commonly experienced by
people living with this stage of cancer.
Life experiences, coping strategies and information are freely exchanged
in this group in ways that support all members in living fully while living with
cancer. Participants with cancer are
welcome to attend alone or to bring family members as well.
Networking Groups
There are two types of Networking Groups, Cancer Specific and Topic Specific.
Cancer specific groups are an opportunity for people experiencing the
same type of cancer to gather for support, share concerns and sxhange
information. Adult family members
are encouraged to attend. Topic
specific groups benefit participants in the same ways, but focus on a particular
issues that has proven useful to discuss in a group in order to support members
in appropraching these issues in ways that are satisfying and productive for
them.
All networking groups are drop in style, no pre-registration is required.
Please consult the program calendar for meeting dates and times of each
group.
Cancer specific groups:
Carcinoid
Lymphoma
Multiple Myeloma
Ovarian
Pancreatic
Topic specific groups:
Couples on the
Journey-Connect with other couples to exchange relationship strategies,
information, and support
Just for the Guys-If you
are supporting a spouse or girlfriend dealing with cancer, attend this group for
support and to learn strategies for better communication and managing stress.
Bereavement Support
Losing someone you love to cancer can be a painful and exhausting journey, but
one in which there is hope for healing.
Coping skills and strength are acquired in a more effective way when you
connect with others going through the same kind of loss and who are also healing
and growing. Wellness House offers
several different bereavement support opportunities to our participants as well
as members of the community at large who have lost a loved one to cancer.
Drop In Bereavement Group:
Available for those who are newly bereaved as an opportunity to connect with
others and begin to receive support soon after your loss.
Transitions for Spouses:
This is a committed group of participants who go through the grieving process
together. The group meets every
other week for four months. Member
share experiences, exchange support and learn coping strategies to use
throughout the mourning process.
Participants are welcome to register for Transitions up to four times and then
can participate in the monthly networking group.
Non Spousal Transitions:
This group is for those who have lost a parent, adult child or an adult sibling.
The group focuses on the sharing process and information is given
regarding grief and loss. This group
also meets every other week for four months with the option of registering for
up to four sessions.
Turtles:
When a death occurs in a family, children are in need of additional support,
nurture, and guidance. Turtles is a
bereavement support group for children ages 6-12 years who have lost a close
family member to cancer. Through
expressive arts and discussion children are able to learn objectively and
concretely about cancer and death, experience the grief process appropriately,
and receive answers to their questions in a supportive and caring group setting.
This group aims to normalize the experience of illness and the death of a
family member and to validate their feelings.
Turtles Parent Group:
When a death occurs children and adults grieve differently, and it is important
that parents are able to understand how and why children grieve. The Turtles
Parent Group is offered simultaneously with the Turtles Group, and helps parents
learn what the grieving process is like for children and how they can best
support them through this difficult time.
Parents are also able to express their grief, and connect with others who
are experiencing a similar loss.
Time Out:
It is important that teens have their own space to grieve. Time Out! For Teens
is a bereavement group for teens ages 13-17 who have lost a family member to
cancer. The group provides teens an
opportunity to connect with others who are going through similar situations, to
explore the impact of the loss, and to develop healthy coping skills to manage
the stress and feelings they are dealing with.
Transitions Alumni Networking Group:
This monthly group is for participants who have completed a full course
of Transitions for Spouses or Turtles Parents.
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