For young adults, sex is an important topic, and pleasure may be the most important aspect of sex. For young adults with cancer, there are unique questions and concerns about sex and sexual health that the medical team may not be adequately answering, and pleasure is likely never discussed. Join us as we have a frank and honest conversation, and provide accurate information to help support a safe, healthy, and pleasurable approach to sex and cancer.
About Hope Connections
Our mission: To help people with cancer and their loved ones deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer through participation in professionally facilitated programs of emotional support, education, wellness, and hope.
Life with Cancer, a program of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, has become Northern Virginia’s leading cancer education and support organization. We offer a variety ofprograms and services for patients, survivors, and their family members to help individuals cope with cancer, its treatments, and survivorship in the best possible way.
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 emailingcarla@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef
Healing in the Kitchen with Laura
Are you ready to get creative with Chef Laura and riff with a twist on a few Thanksgiving favorites? What about all those leftovers that are longing for a transformation between the storage container and your plate?
Join us on November 6 for a fun class that’ll give you new menu ideas for your Thanksgiving Day and the day after and the day after that!
What might be on the menu? It depends on what leftovers Chef Laura finds. Hint: You’re likely see winter squashes, kale, and cranberries transformed before your very eyes!
Suggested Donation: $10
About Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef
Laura, Director of Smith Center’s Nourishment Education Programs, has served as the head retreat chef and nurse consultant since 1997. She is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Integrative Oncology Navigator with over 40 years experience in caring for people with serious illness. She is also a Certified Health Supportive Chef, professional musician and Nia body-mind fitness instructor. Her popular cooking classes are centered on culinary translation: that is, helping participants translate a diet prescription to a plate of nourishing delicious food. Laura is the founder of “Eating for a Lifetime,” a consulting business dedicated to teaching individuals and professionals about health supportive eating and food preparation. In addition to Laura’s work with nourishment, she is the co-coordinator of Smith Center’s Patient Navigation Training in Integrative Cancer Care. Laura also serves as coordinator of the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv.
This program series has been postponed. Please check back for future dates.
with Bobbie Marchand
In the midst of Cancer’s wake, what if you could:
Cultivate practices of self-care that align with your highest values that are nurturing and healing
Manage the feelings and energies of anxiety/fear/sadness/confusion/frustration that inevitably arise
Discover empowering ways to communicate with your circles of support and Medical Team
Know yourself in a deeper, more connected way that prepares you for the journey ahead and within
As a two-time Survivor and the Daughter of a four-time Survivor, Cancer has been a part of my life for decades. It is my hope in this series to share with you, ways we have coped, dealt and healed along the way. Every journey is deeply personal, these tools are universal; for everyone, to take and shape to fit your own unique circumstances. Registrants should bring with them:
A new, fresh journal that’s only for this work
Pen and pencil
Wear clothes that are comfortable
Tools for Living Authentically with Cancer will be offered as a 2-part program series to cancer patients/survivors at any point in their journey.
Program Series Dates:
Saturday, October 30th, 10:00-11:15am ET
Saturday, November 6th, 10:00-11:15am ET
Participants are expected to attend both sessions in the 2-part series.
Suggested Donation: $25/series
About Bobbie Marchand
In addition to being a two-time Breast Cancer Survivor (BRCA1+), she is a dedicated Mom, accomplished Yoga Instructor, avid Cook and Wellness Advocate. As a former Professional Dancer, Bobbie has always leaned into life through the lens of Movement and the Healing Arts; helping her make sense of the un-sensical, finding a sense of purpose in the many twists and turns experienced along the way. She is passionate about uncovering the ways in which Cancer can inform, rather than define our lives as patients; how such a disease has the potential to clear a path to live more fully, humbly and in deeper connection to ourselves and what we truly value in life.
If you missed Part 1 of the workshop series, please email carla@smithcenter.orgfor registration.
with Jamie Katz
Awe in New Zealand by Jamie Katz
Awe is defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary as “an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime”. Awe can be broken down into two unique parts: perceived vastness and mental accommodation. Awe has the potential to create positive changes in the way a person experiences the world by making her feel a connection to something greater than herself.
In this workshop, we will watch awe-evoking videos and write about personal awe-inspiring experiences. Since awe is an emotion that can bond groups of people together, reflecting and sharing your experiences is highly encouraged. In the second part of this series, we will reframe our understanding of awe and learn to incorporate these powerful, emotional experiences into our everyday lives.
Experiencing Awe Workshop will be offered in two parts:
Part 1: Thursday, October 14th, 7:00-8:15pm ET
Part 2: Thursday, October 28th, 7:00-8:15pm ET
Suggested Donation: $10/session or $15/program (both sessions)
Participants are encouraged to attend both parts to get the most out of the workshop. Please let us know in advance if you are unable to attend both parts.
About Jamie Katz
Jamie Katz is an aspiring social psychologist whose past research has focused on the effects of experiencing awe. She is a DC area native who currently works at American University, and she graduated from the University of Richmond in Virginia. Jamie will pursue a graduate degree in psychology so that she can continue to research healing practices and interventions through a deeper understanding of the brain’s processes of experiencing emotions and social connections.
This program series 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 carla@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Jamie Katz
Awe in New Zealand by Jamie Katz
Experiencing Awe: 2-part Workshop
Awe is defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary as “an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime”. Awe can be broken down into two unique parts: perceived vastness and mental accommodation. Awe has the potential to create positive changes in the way a person experiences the world by making her feel a connection to something greater than herself.
In this workshop, we will watch awe-evoking videos and write about personal awe-inspiring experiences. Since awe is an emotion that can bond groups of people together, reflecting and sharing your experiences is highly encouraged. In the second part of this series, we will reframe our understanding of awe and learn to incorporate these powerful, emotional experiences into our everyday lives.
Experiencing Awe Workshop will be offered in two parts:
Part 1: Thursday, October 14th, 7:00-8:15pm ET
Part 2: Thursday, October 28th, 7:00-8:15pm ET
Suggested Donation: $10/session or $15/program (both sessions)
Participants are encouraged to attend both parts to get the most out of the workshop. Please let us know in advance if you are unable to attend both parts.
About Jamie Katz
Jamie Katz is an aspiring social psychologist whose past research has focused on the effects of experiencing awe. She is a DC area native who currently works at American University, and she graduated from the University of Richmond in Virginia. Jamie will pursue a graduate degree in psychology so that she can continue to research healing practices and interventions through a deeper understanding of the brain’s processes of experiencing emotions and social connections.
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 carla@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis at any age is a shock to the system. But for a young adult, it is even more unexpected, traumatic, and often finds us stumbling in the dark. Explore the impact that a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship has on a young adult. We will also review the unique barriers to the young adult cancer population, what’s “normal,” and when to ask for help. Learn some basic coping strategies for dealing with life when it feels like you are struggling just to tread water every day. Facilitated by Oncology Certified Social Worker, Courtney Weaver, LSCW. Courtney is an oncology clinical therapist with Inova’s Life with Cancer program.
About Hope Connections
Our mission: To help people with cancer and their loved ones deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer through participation in professionally facilitated programs of emotional support, education, wellness, and hope.
Life with Cancer, a program of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, has become Northern Virginia’s leading cancer education and support organization. We offer a variety ofprograms and services for patients, survivors, and their family members to help individuals cope with cancer, its treatments, and survivorship in the best possible way.
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register through www.lifewithcancer.org or email Lauren.Broschak@inova.org.
Sometimes, words aren’t enough to describe the emotional impact of cancer on young adults. Join us as we discuss emotional health, explore how art therapy can support young adults coping with cancer, and engage in an art experiential activity.
About Hope Connections
Our mission: To help people with cancer and their loved ones deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer through participation in professionally facilitated programs of emotional support, education, wellness, and hope.
Life with Cancer, a program of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, has become Northern Virginia’s leading cancer education and support organization. We offer a variety ofprograms and services for patients, survivors, and their family members to help individuals cope with cancer, its treatments, and survivorship in the best possible way.
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org
with Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef
Come cool down in Chef Laura’s summer kitchen where you’ll learn to make:
Better than Chicken, Tempeh Salad,
Causa with Un-Tuna Salad, Sweet Potatoes and Avocados,
Quinoa Tabouli, and
Carob-Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
Suggested Donation: $10
About Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef
Laura, Director of Smith Center’s Nourishment Education Programs, has served as the head retreat chef and nurse consultant since 1997. She is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Integrative Oncology Navigator with over 40 years experience in caring for people with serious illness. She is also a Certified Health Supportive Chef, professional musician and Nia body-mind fitness instructor. Her popular cooking classes are centered on culinary translation: that is, helping participants translate a diet prescription to a plate of nourishing delicious food. Laura is the founder of “Eating for a Lifetime,” a consulting business dedicated to teaching individuals and professionals about health supportive eating and food preparation. In addition to Laura’s work with nourishment, she is the co-coordinator of Smith Center’s Patient Navigation Training in Integrative Cancer Care. Laura also serves as coordinator of the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv.
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must emailinfo@hopeconnectionsforcancer.orgto register.
Join DC Metro Young Adult Cancer community partners: 2Unstoppable, Hope Connections, Life with Cancer and Smith Center for inspiration and support to help you stay active after diagnosis, during treatment, and long into survivorship.
About 2Unstoppable
2Unstoppable is a non-profit organization founded by two women with a personal history of Breast Cancer and who realized the many benefits of staying active during and after treatment. We now want to help other women on their cancer journeys experience a better quality of life and improved outcomes through exercise.
Our mission: To help people with cancer and their loved ones deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer through participation in professionally facilitated programs of emotional support, education, wellness, and hope.
Life with Cancer, a program of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, has become Northern Virginia’s leading cancer education and support organization. We offer a variety ofprograms and services for patients, survivors, and their family members to help individuals cope with cancer, its treatments, and survivorship in the best possible way.
This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org
with Erin Price, LICSW
Looking for more opportunities to connect socially with other young adult cancer survivors? Join us for our February social.
This month we will be playing Jackbox Party Pack games. Games include Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, and Guesspionage.
Play using your phone, tablet, or computer.
YA Social Hour will be hosted monthly on Fridays from 6:00-7:00pm. Each month will have a new “theme” – please see below for the currently scheduled social hours.
