Tag: Caregivers

with Grace Anderson

Undergoing cancer treatment usually means taking a step back from plants and produce for the sake of our immune systems. As survivors, getting back in touch with nature can aid our healing process both mentally and physically. During this program, we’ll take “getting back in touch” literally, digging our hands into the soil to pot a new plant, tasting fresh produce from the Kitchen Garden, and making our own tea blend. Join us at the U.S. Botanic Garden as we explore the healing power of plants!

Suggested Donation: $15

 

About Grace Anderson

Grace Anderson is an Education Specialist at the U.S. Botanic Garden and a survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Being able to work with plants and enjoy fresh produce after treatment was a vital part of her survivorship. She wanted to share that experience with other survivors and teamed up with the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts to start a program where survivors can celebrate heath through immersion in the world of plants.

This event has been postponed. Please check back for a new scheduled date.

with Chef Laura Pole

Are you or your loved one living with esophageal cancer and the eating challenges that come with it? Are you confused by all the dietary advice? If so, come join chef and oncology nurse, Laura Pole, and learn how to translate your diet prescription into tasty healthy food that you can actually enjoy eating. In addition to preparing and eating delicious food together, Chef Laura guarantees we’ll have fun!

 

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.

with Janice Levitt

REFRESH Whole Food Summer Cleanse

July 12 – 25

Take your knowledge about healthy eating and put it into practice in your own kitchen in this fully supported 14-day clean eating program emphasizing seasonal, natural, whole food cooking.

So many of you are trying to eat more wisely. It’s not easy to change habits: how you shop, what you habitually snack on, what’s in your fridge, what you prepare for dinner. Join us for this 14-day clean eating program that will help you put healthy habits into practice at home in your own kitchen.
You’ll prepare delicious, healthy meals with fresh, seasonal whole foods. You’ll increase your energy, improve your digestion, support your immune system, and feel good knowing you’re fueling yourself with nourishing food and extra self-care. Receive daily encouragement and support via email and a closed Facebook group from health coach Janice Levitt throughout the program, as well as recipes, guidebook, and a done-for-you shopping list so you know exactly what to do. Say goodbye to sugar cravings and discover how good you can feel with the healing power of whole foods. Learn more and register by July 4.

Fee: $129 

You can learn more about this program and register here: REFRESH Summer Whole Food Cleanse.

Please register for this program by Saturday, July 4, as all materials will be sent out on that day, giving you a week to read, shop, and prepare before the clean eating program begins on July 12. By registering through this special link, a portion of the proceeds will benefit Smith Center for Healing and the Arts.

About Janice Levitt

Janice Levitt, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, EML, CHHC, is passionate about helping people to feel vibrant and radiant through whole foods nutrition, a clean lifestyle, and radical self-care. She offers transformational individual and group health coaching programs and four seasonal cleanses, working holistically to support people body, mind, and spirit. She loves guiding people to listen to their body’s messages, find balance, increase energy, lose weight, reduce stress, improve digestion, cook delicious food, or manage chronic illness through making gradual nutrition and lifestyle changes. She also specializes in supporting with people with nutrition and lifestyle changes for thyroid and autoimmune conditions and hormone balance. Janice lives in Takoma Park, MD with her husband Dan and their organic garden. Her favorite room in the house is the kitchen!

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 Sylvia Sturm, EEM-CLP, RM/T

In order to give care, we must remember to take care. Using the Eden Method, this class is designed to introduce caregivers to simple tools for self-care. It will focus on harmonizing and rebalancing the body’s subtle energy systems thrown awry by the challenges of caregiving.

Anxiety, anger, fear, overwhelm, sleeplessness, exhaustion, depression, lack of concentration and health problems are some of the many symptoms brought about by the stress of caregiving and the resulting energy imbalances. Eden Method Techniques to address these imbalances and introduce harmony back into the body’s energy systems are the focus of the class. The techniques are simple tools anyone can use practically anywhere, anytime.

The class is interactive with tools being introduced and then practiced by participants. Dress comfortably!

 

About Sylvia Sturm, EEM-CLP, RM/T

Sylvia Sturm, EEM-CLP, RM/T, heads our Energy Balancing volunteer team. Sylvia is a Certified Eden Energy Medicine Clinical Practitioner and a Reiki Master Teacher. For many years she has managed a Reiki Volunteer group at a seniors’ residence and has served for 6 years as a Reiki volunteer in GWU Hospital. She is delighted to now work with a dedicated and wonderful team to address the balancing of one’s subtle energies in order to allow the body to completely relax. She has an independent practice in Kensington, MD. To learn more about Sylvia and subtle energies, please visit her website www.sylviasturm.com.

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 Susi Wyss

Tap into the healing properties of nature in a supportive environment in this summer-inspired writing workshop led by a therapeutic writing facilitator. Please plan to have on hand an object from nature, as well as paper (or journal) and pen. No writing experience necessary, just an open mind.

Suggested Donation: $20

About Susi Wyss

Susi Wyss is a public health professional, author, therapeutic writing facilitator and—most of all—a believer in the healing power of words. Her public health career has spanned more than 25 years, most of it addressing women’s health in Africa. She is the author of The Civilized World, a novel set in Africa that was named “A Book to Pick Up Now” by Oprah Magazine. In addition to her collaboration with the Smith Center, she has led writing-for-healing workshops at the DC Rape Crisis Center and at Crossings Healing & Wellness in Silver Spring.

This event is being hosted virtually via Zoom. In order to participate live and receive the Zoom link, please purchase tickets below or email carla@smithcenter.org.

Join us to celebrate the beauty of life and survivorship. Come enjoy music, poetry and stories performed and shared in honor of cancer survivors, and in memory of our dear friend and colleague, Fatima Djalo Johnson.

Please stay tuned for an updated list of performances, speakers and other fun opportunities!

Fatima Djalo Johnson touched the lives of so many people around the world in countless ways. Her bravery to reach for the stars and to create a life of joy and fulfillment was truly inspiring. Knowing Fatima meant learning to see life through a brighter lens, to face challenges fearlessly, and to never surrender hope. Fatima lost her battle with cancer on February 12, 2019, two days before Valentine’s Day, a reminder to all who knew her to love and live as big as we can and to never take a single day for granted. The 1st Annual Survivor Voices was Fatima’s effort to uplift those who had persevered through cancer. It is our hope that the event will live on in her honor and carry her light for years to come. 

In honor of what would have been Fatima’s 31st birthday this year, tickets to Survivor Voices are available in increments of $31. Please be as generous as you can.

 

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

with Chef Cathryn Pethick

Nourishing Ourselves in Harmony with Summer, the Season of Pitta: An Aryuveda-inspired Cooking Class with Chef Cathryn Pethick

The fundamental principle of Ayurveda is that our habits, lifestyle routines and dietary choices should ebb and flow with the seasons, in harmony with the cycles of Nature. Our bright, hot and humid summer climate is the time to stay cool and hydrated with appropriate food and preparation choices, and support our energy in being relaxed and grounded. The tastes Ayurveda recommends for summer are those foods that are naturally sweet, bitter and astringent, using fresh, local produce, and just lightly seasoning to allow their wonderful natural flavors to shine through.

Join us in creating a summer menu that features all the farmers’ markets best offerings at the height of the season! We will talk about Ayurveda, provide a dosha quiz for you, and demo some beautiful food and cooking technique for you to put to good use at home!

Suggested Donation: $25

About Cathryn Pethick

Cathryn Pethick, AYS, teaches yoga and Ayurveda in the Washington, DC metro area, and is a long-time professional chef. She is an Ayurveda Yoga Specialist through the Himalayan Institute, teaching the self-care basics of the traditional Indian science of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic cooking to groups and private clients. Since 1997, she has taught both traditional and gentle hatha yoga classes for adults and children, therapeutic classes for seniors and special-needs students, and restorative yoga. It is her deepest desire to offer tools that bring balance and well-being into the lives of those she touches.

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 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 Johnathan Gilbert, L.Ac., NCCAOM

Nearly two thousand years ago a series of Chinese medical classics were written with the idea of not only treating illness but also exploring our place and meaning in the world. In this lecture Jonathan Gilbert will be looking at a few of these ideas and images and explain how they can be relevant to our lives today.

 

About Johnathan Gilbert, L.Ac., NCCAOM

Photo of Jonathan Gilbert, Acupuncturist

Mr. Gilbert’s journey into Asian philosophy began with martial arts at the age of 9. By 13 he began training in movement and meditation at the Kitaido School of Movement in England, under the guidance of Head Instructor Ken Waight. From the ages of 16-18 Jonathan also studied Shiatsu massage, a Japanese form of healing, and earned his diploma from the British School of Oriental Therapy and Movement in 1988.

In 1991, Jonathan Gilbert enrolled at the London Academy of Oriental Medicine London (LAOM), England, one of the foremost schools of Oriental Medicine in Europe. Graduating from the Vietnamese school in 1995, Mr. Gilbert pursued a masters study in “Stems and Branches Theory” with world-renowned Professor Truong Thin, the Director of Traditional Medicine for South Vietnam. Jonathan lived in Vietnam while completing his post-graduate training at The Traditional Medical Institute (TMI), a 500-bed state teaching hospital Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. At TMI, Jonathan worked in collaboration with Western-trained medical doctors, observing the blending of Oriental Medicine with Western medicine.

Jonathan’s first private practice as an Oriental Medicine physician began in London in 1996. In 1998, he moved to the United States and eventually set up practices in Towson, MD, and Arlington, VA. Board-certified in the U.S. in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), Mr. Gilbert has served as the Senior Consultant of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Maryland in Baltimore.

Jonathan’s passion for creating an integrated medical clinic came to fruition in 2005, with the opening of The Gilbert Clinic in the Bethesda area, near Washington, D.C. The clinic blended Western Medicine with TCM and psychotherapy by using traditional Asian medical principles. For 5 years this model proved incredibly powerful in the treatment of chronic illness.

Since 2011, The Gilbert Clinic’s focus has been dedicated to providing excellent traditional Vietnamese / Chinese herbology and acupuncture, Jonathan’s Gilbert’s expertise and passion.