This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Phebe Duff and Virginia Barnes Ricketts, MS, LCPC
offered in partnership with:
This presentation is designed to help cancer patients reduce suffering from the pain and stress associated with their illness. The presentation integrates mindfulness and psychoeducation. Both are evidence-based strategies for improving well-being and quality of life in patients experiencing pain. Participants will learn ways to cultivate a sense of peace in their lives while living with cancer.
About Phebe Duff
Phebe Duff is a long-time meditator and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) facilitator. She completed the Community Dharma Leader program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA and the Dharmacharya program offered by the Venerable Pannavati at Heartwood Refuge in Hendersonville, NC. Phebe has facilitated MBSR courses for a wide variety of populations since 2005. Since retiring after a 30+ year career in human resources and as a professional musician, Phebe has taught meditation and MBSR for Wellness House of Annapolis, a cancer support organization providing various kinds of emotional and other support services to people recently diagnosed with cancer or living
with cancer, family members and caregivers of cancer patients and people who have lost a loved one to cancer. Working with the cancer community and sharing the practices of meditation and mindfulness to support their healing journey has been the best experience of her teaching career.
About Virginia Barnes Ricketts, MS, LCPC
Virginia is a psychotherapist in private practice in Annapolis, Maryland serving adults and adult families with a broad range of mental health needs. Virginia has worked for the past five years as a counselor and group leader at Annapolis Wellness House where she has been able to combine her professional training with her personal experience as a breast cancer survivor. Virginia is committed to sharing with her patients the most current information in psychological science, and works to translate research into useful understandings of human behavior. Virginia brings insight into conscious and unconscious mental processes so that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be understood in the most constructive ways. Her goal is to help patients develop strategies for more effectively navigating and enjoying their lives, while continuing to grow as human beings.
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Jenn McRobbie
offered in partnership with:
Going through cancer as a young adult is already tough, but do you sometimes feel like your family and friends just don’t understand what you’re dealing with? Are you feeling extra stress in your relationships as a result of your cancer experience? Join us for a presentation and discussion on how to better communicate and manage expectations with friends and family.
About Jenn McRobbie
Jenn McRobbie is a lifestyle and fitness coach, speaker and author. In 2013, Jenn was serving as a volunteer supporting cancer survivors as they worked to regain their fitness when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38. Jenn turned her intensely personal and vulnerable experience into a springboard for sharing a message of resilience and positivity. Her book, published in March 2015, is an Amazon best-selling book entitled, Why is She Acting So Weird? A Guide to Cultivating Closeness When a Friend is in Crisis. It is her treatise on empowering friends to rise and lift each other during crisis. Since the publishing of her book, Jenn has traveled the United States and Canada conducting workshops and speaking about her experiences in order to help survivors find common ground with their friends and family as they maneuver through a diagnosis together. In addition to being an advocate for cancer survivors and their friends and family, Jenn loves fitness. She believes that there is an intrinsic connection between physical wellness and mental wellbeing. Using a combination of fitness techniques, mindfulness, and her own experiences coming back after major surgeries, Jenn encourages people to focus on functional movement and corrective exercise. Her favorite past time is teaching classes at her local Orangetheory Fitness Studio.
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, please click <here> or email programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Brennan Streck, PhD, RN, MPH in partnership with Hope Connections
Brennan Streck, PhD, RN, MPH, Oncology Nurse and Cancer Prevention Fellow at the National Cancer Institute will help us to better understand the roles and responsibilities of your cancer care team. She will cover how to approach difficult conversations, self-advocacy, and health literacy issues. Brennan looks forward to answering your questions! We are delighted to be co-hosting this program with Hope Connections.
About Brennan Streck, PhD, RN, MPH
Brennan Parmelee Streck, Ph.D., R.N., M.P.H. is a Cancer Prevention Fellow (CPF) in the Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch (BBPSB) of the Behavioral Research Program. Dr. Streck’s research interests focus on the mind-body connection in cancer survivors. She is especially interested in the psycho-emotional impact of cancer and cancer treatment on aging trajectories of survivors. Her work emphasizes the mechanisms which underlie the mind-body connection in this context (physiologic, social, and behavioral), and underscores the contribution of psychological health to morbidity throughout survivorship. Her previous work focused on dyadic processes and interdependent health among patients with cancer and their caregivers, co-depression among patients and partners, and clinical considerations for reducing patient/family distress during palliative chemotherapy decision making. Dr. Streck received her M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the George Washington University, Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Cizik School of Nursing, her M.S.N. in Nursing Education from Duke University, and her B.S.N. from The University of Texas at Austin.
