Join Smith Center staff for a social hour of community and connection!
Tea and Conversation will be held Monthly on the 2nd Friday from 10 – 11am.
Upcoming Dates:
Click here to learn more about Smith Center staff.
Need a little dose of green to destress and reconnect with yourself? Restorative nature-based practices are available to you, even if you are stuck at home. Certified forest therapy guide, Ana Ka’ahanui will guide you through the experience of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese term for “forest bathing.” Shinrin-yoku is a nature therapy practice that has its roots in ancient Shinto traditions and modern medicine, to support wellbeing. Contemplative but more active than meditation, shirin-yoku has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure, boost immunity, and enhance mood and creativity.
Ana will lead this session virtually from a beautiful nature spot in the DC metro area, inviting you to engage your senses in a restorative and relaxing immersion experience from home. You are invited to join from inside your house or apartment, yard, or balcony, wherever you can view a spot of green for the session.
Suggested Donation: $10
Capital Nature is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing nature into the lives of Washington Metro area residents and visitors. We are a fiscal 501c3 project of Green Spaces for DC.
We believe people are healthier, and our communities more resilient when nature is part of our lives. We envision a Washington DC region where a culture of nature engagement and stewardship thrives—where daily contact with the natural world supports human wellbeing and ecological health across our communities.
Capital Nature provides information on the region’s many available, but not always known, nature events: from forest walks to citizen science adventures to educational workshops and stewardship projects. We collaborate with partners and friends to create new opportunities for nature engagement, and invite all to share their stories of experience with the natural world.
Through Capital Nature’s Biophilic Practice Group, we develop nature-based designs and strategies for wellbeing and community health.
Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui is Co-Founder and Director of Tours & Experiential Programs for Capital Nature, a regional nonprofit that promotes nature engagement in the Washington DC metro area. She is a certified forest bathing guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and is passionate about sharing the practice, which is needed now more than ever. Ana is also a Virginia Master Naturalist and committed to connecting people to nature through citizen science and other biodiversity initiatives such as the global City Nature Challenge.
Did You Know?
Smith Center is pleased to announce the launch of a special series of talks designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the center. Each of the talks will highlight one of eight healing practices that research and practice tell us is important to the health and well-being of cancer patients/survivors, and their loved ones.
The topics include: Eating Well, Moving More, Managing Stress, Sleeping Well, Creating a Healing Environment, Sharing Love and Support, Exploring What Matters Now, and Expressing Oneself.
For each topic, we will have two expert speakers. One will provide a clear and concise review of the science behind the given topic: what we do and do not know about the topic, the impact of this practice on cancer-related quality of life and mortality specifically, and national recommendations for action. The second speaker will “translate” this information into an action plan (e.g., provide user-friendly tips about how to integrate this aspect of healing into your daily life). At the end, there will be time for a question and answer period.
Did You Know? will be hosted Monthly on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm.
Upcoming Dates:
In honor of our 25th Anniversary in 2021, we are suggesting donations for this series in fractions or multiples of the number “25.” E.G. $2.50, $12.50, $25, etc.
Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy – Reiki, Energy work, Buddhist Psychology
Paul Jacobsen received his doctoral degree in Psychology from Michigan State University and completed post-doctoral training in psychosocial oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was subsequently recruited to the Moffitt Cancer Center where he served as founding Chair of the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior and later as Associate Center Director for Population Science. For over 30 years, his research has focused on using knowledge from the behavioral and social sciences to understand and address quality of life and quality of care issues in oncology. Dr. Jacobsen is the author of more than 300 journal articles and has been the recipient of numerous research grants from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. In 2016, he entered public service as an Associate Director at the National Cancer Institute where he directs the Healthcare Delivery Research Program. In this position, he leads a team whose mission is to advance innovative research to improve the delivery of cancer-related care.
This program was born out of our SC Writes program offered to young adults living with cancer. The effect of writing and sharing our writing in a safe and sacred space with each other has been healing and inspiring. In SC Writing Space, each week, there will be a writing prompt, fifteen-minutes of off-screen writing time, and the remainder of the hour will be left for reading and sharing. This healing program offers a place for supporting one another and we stay clear of writing critique. Come and experience writing and sharing together.
All ages, people living with cancer and non-cancer program participants are welcome. This program will be limited to 6 participants. Register for one, or as many sessions as you would like. Please let us know if you are unable to attend, as space is limited.
SC Writing Space will be offered bi-monthly on Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30pm.
Each session is limited to 6 participants, so register early!
Upcoming Dates:
Kiersten has served as the Cancer Support Program Director for Smith Center since 2014. Before coming to Smith Center, she had the privilege to serve individuals and families living with cancer at Wellness House of Annapolis. Kiersten aims to offer programs to reduce stress and help participants to see the world we live in from different perspectives. She thoroughly enjoys teaching yoga and creativity classes at SmithCenter and encourages gentle movement and creativity in the healing process. Kiersten is a certified yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance and also has her YCAT (Yoga Therapy in Cancer and Chronic Illness) Professional Certification through the Integral Yoga Academy. She has completed Patient Navigation training through Smith Center’s Institute for Integrative Oncology Navigation and has also completed the Commonweal Healing Circles: Advanced Cancer Support Training. Kiersten is also certified in CLIMB®(Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery) a program that aims to build upon the strengths of children and increase his/her ability to cope with stress associated with a parent’s illness. She believes in a holistic approach to healing, human relationships and is grateful for each and every day. In her spare time, you may find Kiersten laughing with friends, cycling, taking art classes, practicing yoga and spending time with her husband Shane, son Liam, and dogs Hooper and Pablo.
Nature has an amazing power to heal. If you’ve ever taken a walk to clear your head, sat on a beach to take in the refreshing air, walked under the trees, or tended a garden, you know how restorative time in nature can be. Especially when dealing with cancer, nature can be healer, friend, and counselor, helping to bring us back to wholeness.
Smith Center invites you to join our friends at Capital Nature to explore practices, both ancient and new, that connect us to the potential healing power of nature in our lives.
Stella will introduce Capital Nature’s work in this innovative field, and Ana and Melanie will introduce forest bathing as a healing practice. Their section will include a short nature immersion experience. Brenda will share her work East of the River in DC where activists are bringing healing and justice to their communities through nature engagement.
Capital Nature is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing nature into the lives of Washington Metro area residents and visitors. We are a fiscal 501c3 project of Green Spaces for DC.
We believe people are healthier, and our communities more resilient when nature is part of our lives. We envision a Washington DC region where a culture of nature engagement and stewardship thrives—where daily contact with the natural world supports human wellbeing and ecological health across our communities.
Capital Nature provides information on the region’s many available, but not always known, nature events: from forest walks to citizen science adventures to educational workshops and stewardship projects. We collaborate with partners and friends to create new opportunities for nature engagement, and invite all to share their stories of experience with the natural world.
Through Capital Nature’s Biophilic Practice Group, we develop nature-based designs and strategies for wellbeing and community health.
Stella Tarnay Is co-founder and Executive Director of Capital Nature, a nonprofit with a mission to bring nature into Washington DC-area residents’ lives. She leads Capital Nature’s partnership efforts and co-creates programs with Ana that promote wellbeing, stewardship, and a joyful connection with the living world. Educated as an urban planner, Stella also leads Capital Nature’s Biophilic Practice Group. She is a practicing member of the Shambhala DC meditation community.
Melanie Choukas-Bradley is the author of seven nature books focused on the Washington, DC area. She leads nature walks and talks for many organizations, including Smithsonian Associates, the US Botanic Garden, the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Nature Conservancy. Melanie is on the Advisory Board of Capital Nature.
Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui is Co-Founder and Director of Tours & Experiential Programs for Capital Nature. She is a forest bathing guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and is passionate about sharing the practice, which is needed now more than ever. Ana is also a Virginia Master Naturalist and committed to connecting people to nature through citizen science and other biodiversity initiatives such as the global City Nature Challenge.
Brenda Richardson is an eco-feminist and community advocate for health, mental wellness, education, welfare reform and environmental justice. She is also a consultant that specializes in community engagement, training, facilitation and government relations. Brenda is a founder of the Friends of Oxon Run Park and is on the Advisory Board of Capital Nature. She is anxious to re-ignite spirits to help re-imagine our new future.
The year 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. In celebration of this momentous achievement, we are launching a series of special conversations. Across the course of the coming year, members of our Smith Center family will join us to reflect upon Smith Center’s roots, examine its present programs and impact, and imagine what the future may hold for us at Smith Center and the larger world of integrative healing.
Our second conversation will be held Monday, March 8th from 6 – 7:30 pm (Eastern Time). We are honored to feature Shanti Norris, Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Smith Center. Shanti will be interviewed by Smith Center’s Executive Director, Lisa Simms Booth.
We hope you will join us for the conversations in this special series. Please feel free to circulate this announcement and share with others the details of this upcoming conversation.
Tickets for this event will be $25 and will help raise money for Smith Center’s 25th Anniversary Fund.
Smith Center’s 25th Anniversary Conversation Series will be hosted throughout 2021.
Selected Themes:
Tickets for each conversation will be $25.
Shanti Norris served as Executive Director of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts from 1996 – 2017. She initiated the Smith Center hospital Artist-in-Residence program and Healing Arts Gallery. She ran the weeklong retreats for people with cancer, and oversaw new initiatives, including the Faith-based Community Navigation project at Smith Center. Former Vice President of Kent Homeopathic Associates, she has an extensive background in complementary medicine and mind-body approaches to healing. She has taught meditation, yoga philosophy and stress reduction for over 35 years and underwent a formal ten-year mentorship with a renowned yoga master. She is a three-term member of CARRA, the patient advocacy program at the National Cancer Institute and a graduate of Project LEAD from the National Breast Cancer Coalition. She is a graduate of the Georgetown University Nonprofit Leadership certificate course and the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute in Minneapolis/St Paul. She is a former board member of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare and Chaired their Annual Conference in 2004. She is a founding board member of The Art Connection in the Capital Region and a founding member of Arts in Healthcare Advocates (AHA.) She is a frequent speaker on the healing power of the arts. Her formal art training began at New York University and The Cooper Union in New York City and includes running the fine art studio of artist Peter Max. She is a member of ArtTable, the mother of three adult children, and is a painter and sculptor.
Our gathering will address the challenges of financial stress that so many of us experience during our cancer experience. Our speaker Nancy Novack, PhD, has a unique perspective on the relentless cancer-related financial pressures both as a clinical psychologist serving hundreds of cancer patients and in her own personal life as an ovarian cancer patient. She was motivated to “Find the Money” after sharing stories with many cancer patients during her treatment at Stanford. She felt that their financial anxiety and distress were ‘in the way’ of their healing processes. This was unacceptable to her. She started Nancy’s List as a tool to disseminate information about financial resources for the cancer community.
Submit your questions for Nancy with your registration, so that we may be certain to answer your special questions/concerns. You may email your questions to Kiersten at kiersten@smithcenter.org.
I am the luckiest lady in the world. I truly enjoy defying medical statistics and being the poster child for Stanford’s Cancer Center.
I made a vow to make a difference for people living with cancer, for those who love and care for them, and for the children who have a cancer diagnosis or love someone who has. My simple and profound wish is that no one will ever go through cancer alone. I started Nancy’s List to help my community cope with the epidemic of cancer.
For me, cancer changed everything. It generated my growth. It taught me the essence of gratitude. I adore the generosity of strangers. It defined my calling and refined my purpose as a psychologist. It gave me the opportunity to offer hope to those who have lost theirs. I found my courage and resilience.
Read Nancy’s full story here: https://nancyslist.org/name-nancy-novack/
Caregivers are nurturing people who are often so busy caring for others that they neglect themselves, but remember the airplane warning: you have to secure your oxygen mask first before you can help others. Please join us for an evening of exploring methods of self-care and taking time for you! We will take a moment to breathe, discuss self-care plans, complete a simple art project (no artistic abilities needed), reflect, and socialize with other caregivers.
Supplies needed:
- Blank piece of paper
- Colored pencils/pens
Allie is a master’s in social work candidate with a specialization in clinical behavioral health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work and is anticipating being licensed in both Maryland and Washington, DC following graduation in 2021. She is completing her advanced year placement at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. Her clinical work is focused on young adults with cancer, survivors, and caregivers, with emphasis on holistic methods of mental health care. Allie uses eclectic modalities focused on trauma-informed and strengths-based care with her clients at Smith Center. Her passion for this work began as a result of her own medical issues and experience with the healthcare system. This led her to begin volunteering with children with cancer and subsequently pursuing a master’s in social work.
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.
A typical legal will is about property and assets you will leave behind. But what about the intangible parts of you that you hope your loved ones will remember?
Join us for a program where you will create your own “ethical will,” also known as a legacy letter, love will, or life letter. Share wisdom and feelings with your next of kin, chosen family, or community in writing or any creative medium that speaks to you. These are nonlegal letters to people important to you that reflect your voice, your experiences, your personality and your values. We all experience thinking about and preparing for death in different ways. The ancient practice of crafting an ethical will can be a gift not only for the recipient(s) in the future, but also for you in the present in that it can provide sacred gifts of meaning and spirit.
This three-part workshop series aspires to create a safe space for you to gain confidence in your ability to share your values with loved ones in meaningful ways. Activities will include writing exercises, group discussion, reflective practices, and practical information to help ensure you complete the workshop with a beautiful product that will give your voice life long after death.
Participation is appropriate for adults of all states of health, ages, and faiths. You don’t have to consider yourself a “writer” to participate! Our activities will be fun, simple, and supportive.
Suggested Donation: $10/session or $25/series
A typical legal will is about property and assets you will leave behind. But what about the intangible parts of you that you hope your loved ones will remember?
Join us for a program where you will create your own “ethical will,” also known as a legacy letter, love will, or life letter. Share wisdom and feelings with your next of kin, chosen family, or community in writing or any creative medium that speaks to you. These are nonlegal letters to people important to you that reflect your voice, your experiences, your personality and your values. We all experience thinking about and preparing for death in different ways. The ancient practice of crafting an ethical will can be a gift not only for the recipient(s) in the future, but also for you in the present in that it can provide sacred gifts of meaning and spirit.
This three-part workshop series aspires to create a safe space for you to gain confidence in your ability to share your values with loved ones in meaningful ways. Activities will include writing exercises, group discussion, reflective practices, and practical information to help ensure you complete the workshop with a beautiful product that will give your voice life long after death.
Participation is appropriate for adults of all states of health, ages, and faiths. You don’t have to consider yourself a “writer” to participate! Our activities will be fun, simple, and supportive.
Suggested Donation: $10/session or $25/series
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Smith Center for Healing and the Arts is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. (EIN/tax ID number: 52-1977976).
