Pillars4Life: Thriving in the Face of Cancer

September 25, 2013 Providence Regional Cancer Center Spokane

A cancer diagnosis brings with it many worries. How will I handle the side effects of treatment? How will this affect my family financially? These concerns can overwhelm you and make the emotional aspects of cancer harder to deal with. You may have feelings of depression and hopelessness, fear and anxiety.

But there is help.

The Pillars4Life Program can help you thrive in the face of illness and take your life back from cancer.

What is it?

Pillars4Life is a 10-week online training course, designed to improve the quality of your life as you navigate through your cancer journey. This proven method teaches both patients and caregivers a set of skills to overcome fear, gain a sense of control and create inner peace. Each week, you and 11 other patients and caregivers come together, from the comfort of your own home, in an online course led by a specially trained Pillar Guide.

Patients who were taught the skills of The Seven Pillars of Personal Recovery™ program saw an improved quality of life even though their disease continued to progress, according to a 2008 study by the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. Thousands of patients have reported improvements in coping with issues like despair, helplessness, fatigue and hopelessness.

Pillars4Life uses the same curriculum from the Duke Study and teaches patients and caregivers valuable life skills in an online course.

What It’s Not

Pillars4Life isn’t a support group. We don’t share cancer stories, which can be frightening and depressing. Instead, each 75-minute session is designed to help you feel better. We identify the stressors impacting your quality of life, and you’re given solutions to cope with those stressors.

Our Objective

The Pillars4Life program is designed to:

  • Teach patients and caregivers new tools and skills to take care of themselves.
  • Assess the needs and desires of patients and caregivers and learn how get those needs and desires met.
  • Activate each individual’s personal strengths and support systems.

The Seven Pillars of Personal Recovery™

The Pillars4Life Program is based on The Seven Pillars of Personal Recovery™. We empower you to take control of your cancer journey, feel better mentally, emotionally and spiritually and connect to a community of patients and caregivers dedicated to living fully in the face of cancer.

What Do You Need to Participate?

You can join the Pillars4Life training course in one of two ways:

  • Teleconference: To join by phone you need a telephone – either a landline or cell phone with sufficient minutes.
  • Video conference: To join by video conference, you need a computer and high-speed internet access. A web-camera is optional, but you’ll also need a telephone (a landline or cell phone with sufficient minutes).

Thanks to the LIVESTRONG Foundation, this program is offered to you at no cost.

How Can You Register?

To learn more or to register for Pillars4Life, visit the program website.

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