Tag: Cancer Support

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Julie McCarter

In this creative workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to learn and practice mindfulness through the art of image making. In a series of photographic assignments, we’ll focus on our internal experience of the present moment, alongside the visual components of photography.

This workshop will give you the tools to develop your own “practice” of mindful image-making that will be both nourishing and life-balancing. you will also have the experience of creating images that reflect your unique vision/voice that is often deeply meaningful.

Join us to discover new ways of being, seeing and expressing with mindfulness and your camera.

Please select one meaningful object for the workshop. Any camera, including a cell phone, is perfect for this workshop.

Suggested Donation: $20

 

About Julie McCarter

Julie is a fine art photographer and therapist, offering workshops that blend her two worlds of creative expression and emotional wellness. She is based in the Greater Washington DC area. Her photographic work may be viewed at: http://juliefischermccarter.com

Contact email: jfm@juliefischermccarter.com

with Erin Price, LGSW, and Samantha Evans

“Cancer can be a lonely, isolating journey. I found a powerful community of fellow travelers at my Living Well with Cancer retreat and have returned home with hope and renewed energy, knowing we are all connected in a web of healing and love.”

This one day retreat is designed to empower cancer patients who have completed treatment and are in remission. The goal of the retreat is to build community and be a part of a supportive environment for healing.

During this retreat you will experience:

  • A respite from daily life
  • Delicious, whole foods, health-supportive lunch
  • An education session about healthy eating and nutrition
  • A creativity session to tap into greater self-understanding
  • A community of other individuals who have shared experiences

There is a $45 registration fee associated with this Retreat. Please contact erin@smithcenter.org to pay after you have completed the form below.

About Erin Price

Erin serves as Smith Center’s Director of Young Adult and Psychosocial Support Programs. She is trained in Integrative Patient Navigation, a Project LEAD graduate, and holds a Masters in Social Work. A seven-year breast cancer survivor, Erin is passionate about providing support and community to other cancer survivors, especially young adults. She works with Smith Center’s DC Young Adult Cancer Community and is also actively involved in the cancer community through Young Survival Coalition, Critical Mass, the Georgetown Breast Cancer Advocates, National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the DC Cancer Action Partnership.

About Samantha Evans

Samantha Evans is getting her Masters in Social Work at the University of Maryland. She will be joining the Smith Center as a Social Work Intern until April 2020. Samantha is excited to be joining the team at the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. When not studying for graduate school, Samantha spends her free time with her dog, reading, and with friends.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Debra Diamond, Ph.D.

In “Diary of a Death Doula: 25 Lessons the Dying Teach Us About the Afterlife,” psychic medium, and near-death experience researcher Dr. Debra Diamond presents the story of life as a hospice ‘Death Doula’, revealing 25 critical life lessons from those at the threshold of the afterlife, and those who have already crossed over, ultimately revealing a new way of understanding death.
Dr. Diamond will present for ~45 minutes, followed by a question & answer portion.
About Debra Diamond, Ph.D.

Debra Diamond, Ph.D. is a former Wall Street money manager, regular CNBC commentator and Professor at the Johns Hopkins University who left a high profile life to pursue a life of purpose and spirituality. She earned an MBA from The George Washington University and a Ph.D. from the Esoteric Interfaith Theological Seminary. She is a graduate of the Holistic Studies Institute of New York, has completed mediumship training at the Arthur Findlay College in the UK and trained at the Carl Jung Institute in Analytical Psychology in Zurich, Switzerland. Debra is the author of “Life after Near Death: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Transformation in the Extraordinary Lives of People with Newfound Powers” and “Diary of a Death Doula: 25 Lessons the Dying Teach Us About the Afterlife.” Debra is dedicated to the empowerment of her clients.

with Tamara Wellons, Artist in Residence Manager at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

featuring Kinard Cherry

Valentines Day 2020!

Please join us for a new concert series at the gallery hosted by our very own Tamara Wellons, Artist in Residence Manager at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and Washington, DC based vocal artist.

Each quarter Tami will host a series of different accompanying artists and musicians. The first series will debut on Valentine’s Day as we celebrate love with the smooth rhythms of Tami Wellons and her husband, Kinard Cherry.

Tamara Wellons is a vocal music recording artist who has a voice that flows seamlessly from hymns to soulful house music. Upholding her southern Virginia roots and musical tradition, Tamara has performed on prestigious national and international stages, such as London’s Jazz Café, DC’s Blues Alley, Richmond Jazz Festival, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and many more. Her latest project was recorded with bassist, drummer and lead guitarist and husband, Kinard Cherry.

Tickets: $15

with Helen Frederick

The Healing Arts Series

Exploring the concept of site-specific space and working from a probe the instructor will provide, you will experiment with one element that can be repeated, expanded, or interfaced with itself to plan a small artwork. With personally defined activities derived from objects that act as touchstones, you will take a role in exploring a sensorial or physical experience, as seen in the artworks of Material Woman. This may include the act of splicing ropes, yarn or paper; piling up of small three-dimensional objects, using words and your voice, or inviting others to help you create a tiny installation. We live in a country of cultural appropriation where we desire to experience each other in ceremony. Bring one or two objects with you that you feel represent a deep connection about you, a material that you respond to, and may relate to your cultural roots. Participants and the instructor will enjoy conversation before and after your work is created to share some conclusions. No artistic experience required.

Suggested Donation: $15

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. Please register here to receive the Zoom link to participate.

with Michelle Stravitz and Ilana Gamerman

Exercise is so important, especially if you’ve had a cancer diagnosis! Michelle Stravitz and Ilana Gamerman of 2Unstoppable will present the research and share practical guidance, tips, and resources to help you keep moving and stay strong. We know it’s hard and we can help you get started.

Suggested Donation: $15

 

About Michelle Stravitz

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Michelle Stravitz is a PCI-Certified Parent Coach, holds an MS from The GWU, and BS Engineering and BS Economics degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. Founding 2Unstoppable brings together a wealth of experience and passion advising and serving on the boards of various non-profit organizations and running a small management consulting firm. Michelle is the CFO of Spectrum Management Consulting and is also a professional event coordinator. She has served as a peer supporter for women of all ages undergoing treatment for breast cancer, both informally and through organizations such as Sharsheret and Life With Cancer. She lives in Fairfax VA with her husband, four children, and one dog.

About Ilana Gamerman

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Ilana Gamerman is a Registered Nurse with a Masters degree in Nursing Informatics.  Her combined passion for helping people and for exercise is what drives her motivation to help every woman diagnosed with cancer become unstoppable. Ilana’s co-founding of 2Unstoppable is driven by her dedication to fitness, healthcare and helping others. She lives in Vienna, VA with her husband and has three sons.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Miles Braun, MD, MPH

Integrative Medicine helps us to make skillful and healthy choices with regard to diet, exercise, sleep, connecting with others, stress reduction, and avoiding toxins. It also incorporates medical practices from other traditions, such as acupuncture, and the use of natural products and botanicals. Mind-body practices like meditation/mindfulness, massage, yoga and tai chi are key elements. Some other practices, more on the fringe, will also be addressed.

 

About Miles Braun, MD, MPH

Miles Braun, MD MPH is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Oncology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. He is also Director of the Adolescent & Young Adult Integrative Oncology Initiative at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. He served for 20 years in the US Public Health Service at CDC, NIH and FDA, including for more than eight years as a Division Director at FDA. He has more than 100 scientific-medical publications, including many in leading journals and some that affected medical practice in the US and beyond. He also has served in senior positions in the pharmaceutical industry.

This class is now full. Please check back at a later date for a similar program.

with Chef Kara Garrett

Start out the new year on a healthy note! Learn tips to make weekly meal planning easier and together we will prepare simple make-ahead and easy-to-reheat meals for the week.

We will prepare 4 dishes together and you will take home individual portions of each to enjoy for your lunch or dinner. Please bring your preferred reusable storage containers. 

Menu items will include:

  • Zesty Veggie & Black Bean Enchiladas 
  • Vegan Homestyle Lasanga
  • Meditteranean Grain Bowl with Baked Falafel
  • Tuscan Vegetable Soup

When registering, please indicate any guest(s) that will be joining you, and if you have any food restrictions or allergies. All items will be vegan, gluten-free and soy-free. 

This class is limited to 10 participants. Be sure to sign up early!

Suggested Donation: $25

 

About Chef Kara Garrett

Kara Garrett Cancer Support Program Coordinator

Kara is a health-supportive chef based in Washington, DC. Following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, she embraced the challenge of finding a balance between her foodie lifestyle and eating well with cancer. She has adopted a flexible diet plan that focuses on plant-based, sustainable whole foods, but does not restrict indulgences of things she loves. She is passionate about working with others to encourage healthier food choices that energize the body and the soul.

Kara graduated in August 2017 from the Chef Training Program at Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC and spent one month as the sous chef at The Ananda Ashram Yoga Society of New York in Monroe, NY. She is currently enrolled in the Developing Healthy Communities: Nutrition, Behavior, and Physical Activity graduate program at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

with Danielle Ferris, MS, OTR/L, CLT

45-minute Group Exercise class. Pump It Up PINK! Features a full body workout set to upbeat music. Using The Strength ABC program, based on the PAL Trial, participants will participate in progressive weightlifting through a series of core, upper body and lower body exercises using light weights. Exercises involve mat work on the floor level and in standing. Modifications to exercises are available based on individual needs. Following the class, participants will participate in informal education session with tips for management of lymphedema, risk reduction tips and Q&A.

Pump It Up PINK! Is a 45 minute full body group exercise class created from the Strength ABC program. The Strength ABC program is based on the Physical Activity and Lymphedema (PAL) Trial which assessed the safety and efficacy of slowly progressive weightlifting for breast cancer survivors with or at risk for lymphedema. The results of the PAL trial were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology among other peer-reviewed scientific journals. This weightlifting intervention decreased lymphedema exacerbations by 50%; decreased the onset of lymphedema by 70% (among women with 5+ nodes removed); improved body composition, body image, and upper body symptoms; and prevented the decline in physical function that is observed to occur in breast cancer survivors.

Upcoming Classes:

  • March 11

Suggested Donation: $10

 

About Danielle Ferris, MS, OTR/L, CLT

Danielle Ferris is an Occupational Therapist with a speciality in oncology rehabilitation. She provides one on one treatment sessions to clients at Body Wellness DC in Dupont Circle. She has experience in evaluating and treating differential diagnosis related to pre/post breast cancer treatments. Danielle is recognized by the Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy as a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT). She has also completed training through Klose Training related to breast cancer rehabilitation, and is certified to implement and train individuals in the Strength After Breast Cancer exercise program.

This class is now full. Please email programs@smithcenter.org or call (202) 483-8600 to be added to the waitlist.

with Laura Pole, RN, MSN, PCNS

Winter is a good time for treating yourself to some healthy pleasures. including eating delicious cozy winter foods. Brilliant winter squashes and root veggies, gorgeous greens and dark chocolate will make their way into the pots, pans, your plate, over your taste buds and into your happy bell. We’ll savor all this in each other’s good company. Join Chef Laura in this invitation to “feel good”.

*Please Note: Every individual’s needs are unique. We aim to offer a variety of health-promoting options for each individual to consider, but do not prescribe the specific dietary content of any program for anyone.

Suggested donation: $25, includes a health-supportive meal and all recipes

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Laura Pole

Laura Pole, RN, MSN, comes with a diverse educational background including a Masters degree in nursing, chef certification, and professional music training. For over 20 years, she has been merging her careers as a health supportive chef, professional musician, oncology clinical nurse specialist, and a palliative care educator. Laura serves Smith Center in several ways: Director of Nourishment Education Programs, Director of Professional Trainings in Culinary Translation and Co-Creator/Coordinator of Patient Navigation Trainings. Laura is also on faculty for the nationally acclaimed Cancer-Fighting Kitchen workshops.