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: $20
This program is offered for free or at a low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis. Contributions are not required to attend, ensuring accessibility for everyone. If you’re able to donate, we deeply appreciate your support—every contribution directly funds our cancer support programs.
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.
This Meet Up & Support Group will be meeting online with a Zoom community. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailingerin@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C
This monthly gathering is an opportunity to meet other young adult cancer survivors in their 20s, 30s and early 40s. Caregivers of young adult cancer survivors are welcome to join as well. This program is a collaborative initiative of local hospitals, health organizations and cancer support groups.*
The DC Young Adult Cancer Meet Up & Support Group meets Monthly on the 2nd Wednesday from 6:30-7:30pm.
*A warm thank you to our partners that have allowed us to provide a supportive community to more young adults in the DC region:
Bella Warrior
Cancer Support Community
GWU Medical Faculty Associates
First Descents
Hope Connections for Cancer Support
Howard University Hospital
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Life With Cancer
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Nueva Vida
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Stupid Cancer
Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults
Virginia Hospital Center
Washington Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Young Survival Coalition
About Erin Price, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C
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.
WEEK 19
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, please register through Life With Cancer: https://events.lifewithcancer.org/class/110850.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
With Lauren Broschak, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C
In Partnership with Life with Cancer and Hope Connections
The sexual impacts of a cancer diagnosis and treatment for young people can greatly impact overall quality of life. One of the most common experiences is medically-induced menopause. Menopause can have a complex impact on the whole person – from sexual function and relational challenges to emotional well-being and physical changes. In this talk, we’ll explore the various impacts menopause can have on young people and discuss a variety of strategies to help manage the bio-psycho-social experiences of medically-induced menopause.
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 1/25
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.
WEEK 18
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 Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C
This monthly virtual group is for Stage 0 – 3 Breast Cancer patients and survivors and is open to those newly diagnosed, in treatment, or in survivorship. Come join others dealing with the issues and impacts of a breast cancer diagnosis. All meetings are hosted using Zoom.
The Breast Cancer Support Group meets Monthly on the 1st Tuesday from 6:00-7:00pm ET.
About Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C
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 ten-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 the Association of Oncology Social Workers, the Young Survival Coalition, the Georgetown Breast Cancer Advocates, and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
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 52
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 Monday from 11:30am-12:30pm EST from August 19th, 2024 – January 27th, 2025.
Please Note: This class will begin at Week 34 on August 19th.
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.
