MThis program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, please click the RSVP button above or email olivia@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
With Angelina Genovesi
Gut health is crucial to overall well-being, influencing both our physical and mental health. This student-led, research-based program ‘Maintaining Gut Health’ hosted by the Smith Center for Healing & the Arts will explore the importance of gut health. The session will dive into how gut health affects various bodily functions and how different foods can promote either beneficial or harmful bacteria in the gut.
The presentation will offer an overview of gut functions, gut-friendly food suggestions, and practical tips for maintaining a healthy gut. While the subject matter is research-driven and may be information dense, the content will be broken down into an easy-to-understand format so participants can feel well-informed.
Disclaimer: This is a supportive program focused on gut health designed to complement but not replace medical treatment/advice from the care of your physician. Held at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC, the program provides general research information without recommending any substitutes for effective medical treatments/advice. Participants will engage in a presentation that addresses gut health information and how to be mindful, with participants taking full responsibility for evaluating and safely adapting these options to their needs, please always consult a medical professional first.
About Angelina Genovesi
Hi, my name is Angelina, and I am currently an undergraduate student at American University in my senior year, studying Public Health with an interest in nutrition. Originally from New Jersey, I’ve been passionate about health and wellness throughout my undergrad journey. I am particularly interested in developing strategies for maintaining a balanced lifestyle and diet to enhance overall well-being. Outside of my studies, I enjoy reading, exercising, and spending time at the beach. I look forward to seeing you at my upcoming program on gut health!
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 Kenneth Johnson
We are a group of gay men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer or who are recovering from treatment that offer support to each other. In a peer-led community, we share our experiences and understanding to help one another best deal with our own personal situations.
The Healing Circle for Gay Men with Prostate Cancer meets Monthly on the 4th Thursday from 7:00pm – 8:30pm ET.
About Kenneth Johnson
Kenneth Johnson, of Owings Mills, MD, is a founding member and facilitator of the Healing Circle Supporting Gay Men with Prostate Cancer hosted at the Smith Center since October 2018. Kenneth’s prostate cancer diagnosis in 2016 at the age of 50 began, not with any symptoms of a problem, but due to a vigilant doctor who was aware of black men’s higher cancer risk and encouraged earlier screening. Blood tests showed a rising PSA that triggered the need for a biopsy. Kenneth underwent surgery and radiation later in 2016. Before volunteering with the support group, Kenneth volunteered with many LGBTQ+ organizations and community non-profits in Atlanta, GA.
Professionally, Kenneth retired in 2021 after 34 years of federal service as an information technology analyst. Now, he is often on the highways with his octogenarian parents visiting family and friends around the country. You can catch up with Kenneth at the local gym or track working up a good sweat to offset his time in the kitchen cooking for and eating with his parents. At other times, you will find him enjoying his monthly book club selection, stressing over a Ravens game (or Orioles or Alabama football), chuckling at a corny Hallmark movie, or tackling (and possibly regretting) an HGTV-inspired home project.
Despite the cloud of prostate cancer, Kenneth sees the silver lining as the community of wonderful souls that have befriended him through the Smith Center and the healing circle for gay men with prostate cancer.
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 Lennie Naughton, LGSW
In Partnership with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, GW Cancer Center, Medstar Health & Hope Connections for Cancer Support
This monthly support group is designed for adults diagnosed with cancer who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. The group is facilitated by a culturally competent social worker, who provides a safe space to connect with others and explore your own unique experience with cancer.
Caregivers are welcome to attend with their loved one.
The LGBTQ+ Cancer Support Group meets monthly on the 4th Wednesday from 6:00-7:00pm ET.
About Lennie Naughton, LGSW
Lennie Naughton, LGSW, is a social worker in Washington, D.C. with over 10 years of direct service experience supporting both adults and young people. Lennie specializes in client-centered and trauma-informed care, particularly highlighting those underserved in healthcare systems including people with disabilities as well as transgender and other LGBTQ+ community members. They are also a senior care coordinator at the National Abortion Hotline and volunteer mentor with Trans Mentor Project.
WEEK 21
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. If you have any questions, please email programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Phebe Duff
A community for those who want to explore ways to be present in their lives. This group will examine a different topic each week relevant to members’ lives. We will explore meditation and mindfulness practices that can be applied to life experiences in a supportive way. The group is open to people at any level of experience with meditation and mindfulness. This is a drop-in class, so you can join at any time as topics will differ each week. This is a year-long weekly class that will meet every Wednesday beginning September 18th from 5-6pm EST.
Beginning in January 2025, this class will meet from 5-6pm EST.
Please Note: This class will begin at Week 1 on September 18th.
Suggested Donation: $15/session
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 and Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. 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.
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 emailingprograms@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Sara Richman, LICSW and Jessica Gelfarb, MSW, LICSW
This monthly support group is designed for adult patients/survivors diagnosed with Leukemia or Lymphoma. The group will incorporate education lectures coupled with emotional support.
This group is open to people of all ages (18+) who are at any stage of the disease process.
It is hosted by and offered in partnership with the GW Cancer Center.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Support Group meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday from 11:00am-12:00pm ET.
About Sara Richman, LICSW
Sara Richman, LICSW is a licensed and certified oncology clinical social worker (OSW-C). She received her masters in social work (MSW) at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Prior to working at GW, Sara was an oncology clinical social worker at MedStar Washington Hospital Center where she worked with all types of blood cancers and disorders. She is happy to be a co-facilitator of this group.
About Jessica Gelfarb, MSW, LICSW
Jessica is a licensed clinical social worker who has experience working with patients and families facing a range of medical diagnoses in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from University of Michigan and her masters degree in social work from University of Maryland with a focus on clinical and medical social work. Jessica recently joined the team at the George Washington University cancer center as an oncology social worker. Prior to her role at GW Jessica worked extensively with organ transplant patients at Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute and co-led the institute’s transplant support group. She has also spent time working on cardiology and intensive care units throughout her career. Jessica initially became interested in pursuing oncology social work after attending the Association of Oncology Social Work’s annual conference a number of years ago as well as observing first- hand the widespread impact that cancer has on so many individuals and families. She is passionate about partnering with patients in order to provide psychosocial and emotional support as they navigate their diagnosis and treatment.
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 Mindy Brodsky, LCSW and Lauren Broschak, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C
This bi-monthly cancer support group provides participants with the opportunity to explore their experience with cancer in a safe group setting with a trained social worker and to connect with others who are facing a similar challenge. This group is designed specifically for individuals that have been diagnosed with cancer.
The Cancer Support Group meets Bi-Monthly on Mondays from 6:00-7:30pm.
About Mindy Brodsky, LCSW
Mindy Brodsky specializes in trauma-informed, strengths-based counseling with a passion for integrative health and healing. Mindy honors her clients as the experts of their lives, and she strives to provide a supportive and safe environment. After a career in social justice advocacy and her own challenging health journey, Mindy aspires to meet her clients where they are to help them achieve their goals. She also has her Grief Educator Certification.
About Lauren Broschak, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C
Lauren is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in DC and Virginia. She has both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Social Work, and has been working full-time in oncology social work for over six years. She developed her passion for oncology in Michigan where she worked at Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit supporting those touched by cancer. Since moving to the Metro DC Area she has worked at the GW Cancer Center in Washington, DC and is now an Oncology Clinical Therapist at Life with Cancer in Virginia. Lauren is passionate about supporting this community, and specializes in sexual wellness after cancer and working with Adolescents and Young Adults.
WEEK 2/25
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. If you have any questions, please email programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Phebe Duff
On February 10th, the Mindful Cancer Journey class will begin a new series working with the book Neuro Dharma by Dr. Rick Hanson. Rick has written a powerful book that synthesizes 2,600 year old meditation practices with current neuroscience to strengthen the neural circuitry of our brains to enhance contentment and inner peace. We will do a variety of practices, see videos of Rick explaining his work and a variety of other activities. There is no obligation to purchase the book and each class has been designed as a stand-alone program for those who have to miss a class. We hope you will join us!
This series will run from 02/10 – 08/11/25
Suggested Donation: $15/session
Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.
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 and Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. 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.
In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.
We are a demand-driven and patient-led online community support group for young women and men (diagnosed between the age of 18 – 45ish) with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in the DC, MD, and VA area. We have created this group as a means of providing both a safe community support space for people with MBC, as well as peer-led and expert-led information on living with breast cancer. This group is new and independent of any established breast cancer organization, though we are are in complete gratitude to the Smith Center for hosting us.
We facilitate our group in a democratic and participatory manner; in essence, our group is your group! Interested new members, kindly contact programs@smithcenter.org for an informal intake before coming to your first meeting.
Beginning in April 2024, the group meetings alternate between the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 6-7pm ET and the 3rd Saturday of the month from 10-11am ET. The group now meets on Zoom only.
WEEK 20
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. If you have any questions, please email programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Phebe Duff
A community for those who want to explore ways to be present in their lives. This group will examine a different topic each week relevant to members’ lives. We will explore meditation and mindfulness practices that can be applied to life experiences in a supportive way. The group is open to people at any level of experience with meditation and mindfulness. This is a drop-in class, so you can join at any time as topics will differ each week. This is a year-long weekly class that will meet every Wednesday beginning September 18th from 5-6pm EST.
Beginning in January 2025, this class will meet from 5-6pm EST.
Please Note: This class will begin at Week 1 on September 18th.
Suggested Donation: $15/session
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 and Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. 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.
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 Gayle Danley, national & international poetry slam champion
Gayle Performing in Frederick, MD
Slam poetry began in Chicago’s bars and coffeehouses in the late 1980’s. This phenomenal blend of spoken and written word turns every willing soul into a poet while providing relief from the stresses of the day. Master teaching artist Gayle Danley has shared her down-on-the-floor style of performance poetry all over the country in classrooms, lecture halls, theatres and even on CBS’ 60 minutes.
Join her for much laughter, emotion, comfort, understanding and instruction in the art of slam poetry. Her 4-step process has been tried in the fire and proven to be an effective antidote to the blues of the day and the isolation that threatens to drive us mad!
Suggested Donation: $15
Poem for my Sisters With Sons:
Breathe:
Pull a clean fist of air inside your self
and let it rest there
wide and unfrightened inside your belly
asking for nothing
Remember when the baby boy was there
Stirring and fighting and kicking things around
inside of you.
And where is he now?
Kicking at air
asking for everything
Defiance rippling on the edge of his skin
Beautiful as water
And do not worry if your brown boy
doesn’t smile enough
as long as he still smiles at you:
over dinner
over the news
from beneath a curtain of hair tangled and sprawled,
it is enough
Does he still know your name?
Good.
Does he still reach for you when there is blood
Does he still make you want to kill him on Monday mornings
Soon after crushing the competition at Asheville’s National Poetry Slam in 1994, Gayle Danley entered America’s classrooms teaching thousands of children how to access their emotions through the force of words. She performed and taught her way from Maryland Young Audience’s Artist of the Year, to National Young Audience’s Artist of the Year. She’s also both a former national and international poetry slam champion. CBS 60 Minutes profiled her work with middle schoolers as well as the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post and New York Times.
For the past five years, Gayle’s Grieffriend sessions have helped women who are living with AIDS, widows, incarcerated youth and those struggling with drug addiction and recovery use poetry to cope and bravely face life’s challenges.
Gayle was recently named Maryland Library Association Poet of the Year.
