Pillars4Life: What You Can Expect

October 11, 2013 Providence Regional Cancer Center Spokane

In an earlier blog post, we introduced Pillars4Life, a 10-week online training course designed to offer coping skills to manage the emotional components of cancer. This unique program provides patients and caregivers with skills to help overcome their fears, gain a sense of control and create inner peace. It’s not a support group, it’s a series of training sessions moderated by a specially trained guide.

Every week for the duration of the course, you and 11 other patients and caregivers come together online, from your home or office, to identify stressors impacting your quality of life and learn strategies to cope. To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s a breakdown of each weekly session.

SESSION 1: Assessment We want to help you feel better, but first we need to know how you’re feeling now and why. During the first session, you’ll take inventory of issues you’d like to work on, which will help you keep track of your progress as you move through the 10 sessions.

SESSION 2: Introduction This introduction provides an overview of the effects of stress, introduces you to the core concepts of the program, and teaches a few simple tools that you can use to feel better immediately.

SESSION 3: Hope You’ll identify the unique constellation of stressors that are impacting your quality of life and clarify what’s in and out of your control.

SESSION 4: Balance You’ll learn to balance the roles and responsibilities in your life and we’ll teach tools for feeling emotionally balanced, as well.

SESSION 5: Inner Strengths We’ll help you identify your strengths, as well as your needs. You’ll learn how to use your inner strengths to cope with stressors and discover how to get your needs met.

SESSION 6: Self Care You’ll explore your beliefs about taking care of yourself and your relationship with your body, and learn about balancing your needs with those of others.

SESSION 7: Support We’ll explore how supportive your relationships feel and help you make a plan for giving and receiving the support you need.

SESSION 8: Spirit You’ll discover what Spirit means to you and learn tools for cultivating a deeper connection to your source of comfort, inner peace and inner wisdom.

SESSION 9: Life Review We’ll help you identify the gifts and lessons from your past, explore what gives your life purpose, meaning and joy, experience a unique tool for facing fears around end-of-life and set goals for your future.

SESSION 10: Closing In this final session, we will review the coping skills and tools taught over the previous 10 weeks and discuss ways you can incorporate these tools and skills into your daily life moving forward.

If you or someone you love is struggling with the emotional challenges of cancer, Pillars4Life can help you take control and find peace during your difficult time.

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

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