Tag: Living with 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 Gina Petonito

For Indeed, with hardship comes ease
Indeed, with hardship comes ease.
Al-Inshirah 94:5-6

Cancer! The word evokes fear and dread. And then the unthinkable happens. You get your diagnosis, and just like that, your life turns upside down. You enter a realm of tests, procedures, infusions, radiation, and operations. You are surrounded by people: caregivers, healing professionals, family, and friends. Yet, you feel all alone. Sisters, you can find companionship on this journey. In a healing circle. The Smith Center for Healing and the Arts has graciously agreed to sponsor a healing circle just for us: Muslim Sisters. The Circle will provide a safe and accepting space, where we can share our stories and heal together. Yes, we are patient. But healing circles allow us to persevere. Let’s let our healing circle provide us with the ease Allah (SWT) promises and that we so richly
deserve.

This circle will meet on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month from 9:00-10:30am EST. Meetings will continue for 12 weeks.

About Gina Petonito, PhD

Gina Petonito is a retired university professor, current business and life coach, and a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with Stage IIa, ER/PR+ invasive ductal carcinoma in November 2021, upgraded to Level IIIa after surgery. She underwent treatment throughout 2022 and is currently cancer free. Determined to have a productive life despite the arduous procedures, Gina completed an 83,000-word historical fiction manuscript, and moved forward with her
businesses Writing Your Way and Academic Womxn Reclaim Your Power.

A convert to Islam since 1984, Gina created a gratitude series for Muslim women, titled 99 Days of Gratitude: A Practice for Sisters. This practice, uploaded to YouTube focuses upon one of the Beautiful Names of God each day, and suggests related supplications, gratitude items, and affirmations. The practice allowed her to place cancer into its proper perspective as one negative in a life of abundant blessings, ma sha Allah. Nevertheless, cancer often plunges a person into loneliness, which support can alleviate. I firmly believe that together we sisters can strengthen each other in our deen and in our worldly life. Together, we can come to terms with cancer, be patient AND persevere.

Gina lives in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area and spends her free time at home with her beloved family. She enjoys studying history, reading, writing, and connecting with women all over the globe.

This program is being offered in a virtual format only.  

In order to receive the Zoom invite, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C & Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 4 of this 4 part series discusses the importance of healthy lifestyle in preventing cancer recurrence and risk reduction. We will talk about the various aspects of healthy lifestyle that have evidence related to cancer prevention: diet, weight management, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, and alcohol use.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

About Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C

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 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 only now. To receive the Zoom link to join, please register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 3 of this 4-part series provides information on the importance of Social Support. This includes managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and finding (and using!) the right healing resources.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

As a reminder, this program is being offered in a hybrid format. It will be hosted in-person at Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s Siegel Auditorium and will also be live-streamed virtually for those who cannot attend in-person.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C & Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 2 of this 4-part series will focus on offering strategies to manage fear of recurrence, tips to improve sleep, and discuss ways to reduce stress.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C

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 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.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

This program is being offered in a hybrid format. It will be hosted in-person at Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s Siegel Auditorium and will also be live-streamed virtually for those who cannot attend in-person.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

Please indicate in the notes if you plan to attend virtually or in-person.

with Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 1 of this 4-part series will focus on offering an introduction to survivorship. We will review important definitions, discuss transition to recovery challenges and the importance of developing a survivorship care plan.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

This program is hosted virtually via Zoom. No prior registration required.

with Susan Salek

Come together as an LGBTQIA+ community for a weekly morning meditation sit. 

We will settle in for a few minutes, then meditation (guided and silence) for 20 minutes and end with around the virtual circle with a few words of gratitude.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 884 6869 2145
Passcode: 917135

Note: Because this is an online sit, participants are encouraged to find space of relative quiet, limiting the amount of interaction with others in the environment as much as possible. Participants may join by internet or via phone. 

This program is hosted virtually via Zoom. No prior registration required.

with Susan Salek

Come together as an LGBTQIA+ community for a weekly morning meditation sit. 

We will settle in for a few minutes, then meditation (guided and silence) for 20 minutes and end with around the virtual circle with a few words of gratitude.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 884 6869 2145
Passcode: 917135

Note: Because this is an online sit, participants are encouraged to find space of relative quiet, limiting the amount of interaction with others in the environment as much as possible. Participants may join by internet or via phone. 

This program is hosted virtually via Zoom. No prior registration required.

with Susan Salek

Come together as an LGBTQIA+ community for a weekly morning meditation sit. 

We will settle in for a few minutes, then meditation (guided and silence) for 20 minutes and end with around the virtual circle with a few words of gratitude.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 884 6869 2145
Passcode: 917135

Note: Because this is an online sit, participants are encouraged to find space of relative quiet, limiting the amount of interaction with others in the environment as much as possible. Participants may join by internet or via phone. 

This program is hosted virtually via Zoom. No prior registration required.

with Susan Salek

Come together as an LGBTQIA+ community for a weekly morning meditation sit. 

We will settle in for a few minutes, then meditation (guided and silence) for 20 minutes and end with around the virtual circle with a few words of gratitude.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 884 6869 2145
Passcode: 917135

Note: Because this is an online sit, participants are encouraged to find space of relative quiet, limiting the amount of interaction with others in the environment as much as possible. Participants may join by internet or via phone. 

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, LCSWA 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, LCSWA

Mindy Brodsky

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.

About Lauren Broschak, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C

Lauren Broschak

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.