Is a Support Group Right for You?  

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Support4Families

Individual Support

Life can be complicated. A cancer diagnosis can complicate a person’s life even further. Talking with a social worker can be helpful when a person is experiencing significant stress related to cancer. Family members and caregivers can also experience stress related to the cancer diagnosis or death of a loved one. When you need to talk with a professional, our team is here to support you and your family.

Support Groups

The support groups we offer reflect the needs. Contact our program staff if you are still looking for a support group that meets your needs. We may also start new groups when there is expressed interest. Here are examples of the support groups we offer:

 Advanced Breast Cancer       Living with Advanced Cancer

 Bereavement                           Gynecological Cancer

 Caregiver Support                  Men’s Cancer

Is a Support Group Right for You?  

When you are going through something as serious as a cancer diagnosis or someone you love has cancer, the world can seem lonely and isolated. Perhaps the only people who can truly identify and empathize with what you are going through are people who have gone through the experience themselves. This is why support groups can be such a helpful resource.

Joining a support group can be meaningful in helping you navigate the emotional, physical, spiritual, lifestyle, and logistical issues you encounter as a patient, family member, or caregiver throughout the journey. The benefits of being in a group can occur regardless of the type of cancer, stage, or extent of the illness. Some people join at the time of diagnosis or after treatment begins, and others join when treatment is finished, and some will find a support group if their cancer recurs. Family members and caregivers may need support at different points in time.

Research has shown that groups empower people to:

• Develop a new attitude towards their illness
• Make changes in their lives that they think are important
• Access resources valuable to the cancer experience
• Partner with their physician to make active choices
• Face the challenges of caring for a loved one with cancer
• Connect with others grieving the loss of a loved one

Additionally, support groups can:

• Help you feel better, more hopeful, and not so alone
• Give you a chance to talk about your feelings and work through them
• Help you deal with practical problems, such as problems at work or school
• Help you cope with the side effects of treatment

Purpose, community, and empowerment are three things every person battling cancer needs; support groups provide all these essential resources. Some people are reluctant to join a support group because they feel uncomfortable sharing anything about themselves, even though all group members are in a similar situation. It’s important to realize that there are more remote support group resources than ever, including telephone and online meetings that allow you to share and participate however you’re comfortable; however, it’s also worth going to at least one or two meetings to see if the model is right for you. When you attend a support group for the first time, like in any social situation, there may be uncertainty or hesitancy to participate. Give yourself permission to listen and actively participate in the process. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If you are thinking of joining a support group, but are unsure, here are some things to consider:

• What is the size of the group?
• Who attends the group?  (Survivors, Bereavement, Recurrent, Advanced, Etc.)
•  How long do the meetings last?
•  How is the meeting structured? (layout, activities)
• What is the main purpose? (To share feelings? Offer tips to solve common problems?)
•  Is active participation required?
•  Can I just sit and listen?
• How long has the group been together? How often do new people join?

At Crossroads4Hope, we offer meaningful support groups that fit your specific needs. Our model for groups emphasizes attitudes and behaviors that empower people with cancer to become partners with their healthcare team in making treatment decisions and to be in charge of how they will live with, through, and beyond their cancer diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.  We provide a safe space for people with cancer and their loved ones to feel less alone. As people participate in learning and sharing, they also gather strength for their journey through cancer, affirming life and sustaining hope.

Here is what you can expect:

• All groups are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals.
• Groups are typically limited in size to 7-10 people.
• Group members can talk not only about cancer treatment issues but also about emotional concerns, life changes, and living with uncertainty.
• Information shared in all groups is confidential.
• The duration of a support group varies between 1.5 hours – 2 hours.
• The frequency of a group may be weekly, bi-monthly or monthly.
• Groups are virtual during the pandemic. Post-pandemic, there will be a mix of in-person and virtual groups.

The additional stress of a cancer diagnosis, for yourself or a loved one, complicates nutrition and healthy eating even further. People in active treatment have difficulty tolerating food, which makes it challenging to maintain healthy and nutritious eating habits. Family members and caregivers can experience stress, especially when it comes to cooking meals. Complicating matters further, families are dealing with more than one chronic disease.

Achieving Long-term Behavior Change

Everyone knows what they need to do to eat healthy, including staying away from processed foods and increasing the number of vegetables and whole grains they eat. Despite the fact that there is no shortage of information, experts around the world have struggled to help people achieve long-term behavior change. We have cracked this “healthy” nut. Success in achieving sustained change must include three components: Evidence-based Psychosocial Support, Evidence-based Nutrition Education, and Experiential Learning.

Monthly Education Seminars, Workshops, and Interventions

We use an interdisciplinary team to facilitate our programs, including a registered dietician, nutritionist or chef, and a member of our clinical team. We conduct all programs in a group setting to help build social connections and include family members and caregivers so that together they can find the motivation and support to embrace change.

We have collaborated with the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), an international organization whose research provides the basis for the evidence underpinning our nutrition interventions.