What is your background?

To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Ask them for advice on how to get the most out of the sessions.

Also check out organizations like these, which host their own groups: When you investigate support groups, ask the leader the following questions: Visit a few different groups. An advertisement in your local paper and on online cancer support forums will also garner attention for your group. If you can combine your breast cancer support group with a book club, so much the better! One way to cope with the worst parts of chemo – and the fear and anxiety that often accompanies chronic illness – is to read books by survivors. But if your fellow group members are negative and pessimistic, they can bring you down and make you feel even worse. Being surrounded by people who lift you up and comfort you can be very helpful during your cancer journey. After reading this Professional Brief, you will be i… The next tip for starting a support group for breast cancer survivors describes what a “program model” actually means…. To find a breast cancer support group in your area, you can start by asking your doctor or social worker for a recommendation. Or you can search the internet.

But because many breast cancer survivors have not had support group skill training, they may not always know how to respond to difficult group situations. Encourage reluctant members to participate by addressing them directly and asking their opinions about a topic. What You Need to Know Before Becoming a Personal Trainer, Dealing With Guilt When You Caused Your Pet’s Death, Why You Shouldn’t Wear Underwear – A Surprising Health Tip, Mastectomy Recovery – 10 Tips for Sleeping After Surgery, 6 Signs It’s Time to Put Your Dog to Sleep, 10 Meaningful Gift Ideas for Someone in a Wheelchair, Best Jobs for Introverts and Quiet People, 17 Gift Ideas for Women After Mastectomy Surgery. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors.

To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.

How often do you meet? Rather than hanging out with friends, you’re staying home and recovering from the emotional and physical stresses of your treatment.

A professional health care person isn’t necessary, but can be helpful. Who runs them, when do they meet, who are they for, and what is their focus? Or you can search the internet. Plan for 10 minutes at the end of each session to summarize the main points that have come out of the discussion. You can get copies of confidentiality agreements from your contact at a national cancer support group, the hospital or clinic your group is affiliated with, or you can download a confidentiality agreement template from the Internet and tailor it to your group's needs. Get specific about the details of your group. It offers help for people coping with cancer after treatment, and their caregivers. Or, will your cancer support group focus on different topics every week? Here’s what the coordinators of the Living Well Beyond Cancer support group are doing: “This free program is conducted as a weekly 2.5-hour workshop that is offered for six weeks, led by two trained local peer leaders with cancer and care-giver experiences. Not everyone has a large Twitter or Facebook following – but that can be an excellent way to recruit members! If your group allows family members to attend, bring along your partner, child, or any other loved ones who are involved in your care. Cancer support groups are meetings for people with cancer and anyone touched by the disease. Do I need to come to every meeting? At the same time, even without official training, people who’ve had breast cancer often have enough life experience to be comfortable when group dynamics get challenging.” – from Support Groups.

If you can combine your breast cancer support group with a book club, so much the better! “There is always hope. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. It’s important to make sure that the support group you choose meets your needs. Schedule one-on-one meetings before accepting new members into the support group. The highly interactive sessions are designed to help people gain confidence in their ability to control their symptoms and to live the best possible life after cancer…Participants will learn to work with a health-care team, set goals and make plans to achieve them, solve problems and handle difficult emotions, and manage symptoms, treatment side effects and medications.” – from Learn to live well beyond cancer by Cecilia Nasmith.

Can anyone who has breast cancer join, or is it just for women? That’s what the support group called Living Well Beyond Cancer is modeled on. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. A breast cancer diagnosis can turn your world upside down.

These tips for starting a breast cancer support group are from my class on Group Therapy (I’m getting my Master’s of Social Work at the University of British Columbia) and from my internet searches on breast cancer support groups. They can have many benefits. Will you focus on a specific struggle people face (eg, working while coping with breast cancer, staying intimate with your partner during chemotherapy treatments, helping kids cope with their moms’ cancer treatments, etc). Support groups are held in: Some groups are designed solely for people with breast cancer. You don’t need to be affiliated with a hospital or health organization to start (or attend) a breast cancer support group. Here’s what BreastCancer.org says about groups organized by breast cancer survivors: “Breast cancer survivors bring personal experience to support groups they organize. % of people told us that this article helped them. What have I missed – what do you think should be added to these tips for people starting a breast cancer support group? Monitor the mood and emotional tone of the group. In this article, she offers eight self-care tips for managing the condition that she has…. Finally, although a support group can be very helpful, don’t make it your sole source of emotional care. Help members to confront feelings and problems in a non-harmful way.

Find out what the new member expects to gain from the support group. Cancer support groups generally meet once a week or once a month. A support group gives you a place to share your feelings, get advice, and vent without being judged. Other support groups are led by breast cancer survivors. Another source of information are breast cancer blogs. Ask for tips about organization of meetings, confidentiality agreements, and typical length and frequency of meetings. You need only have the desire to connect with others and share how you’re coping with your breast cancer diagnosis and treatments. Sit in on some meetings to see which group suits you best. You don’t need to be affiliated with a hospital or health organization to start (or attend) a breast cancer support group. They’re held in person, online, and over the phone. Create an atmosphere of trust by reminding members at the beginning of each session that the information shared in the group is confidential. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.

You feel like you’re being judged whenever you share your feelings.

Eventually, you should get to know the group well enough that you feel comfortable opening up about your experiences. Though friends and family rally around you, they might not know exactly what you need or truly understand what you’re going through. Ask for tips about organization of meetings, confidentiality agreements, and typical length and frequency of meetings.

All rights reserved. Inform the new member that signing the agreement is a requirement for joining the group and allows group members to feel safe sharing personal information. Do you want a nurse, oncologist, cancer support worker, or care giver to help you run this support group? Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Where will you meet, when, for how long, who will lead, and what will you discuss during your meetings? Leaders are also responsible for maintaining a safe atmosphere within the group and keeping group discussions flowing in a positive manner. Is it OK for me to stay quiet and observe in my first few sessions? Often, you’ll sit in a circle to give everyone in the group the ability to interact. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker.

Talk with the national contact about ways to fund your group.

I’m in Vancouver, BC; when I Googled breast cancer blogs Vancouver, I found ReThinkBreastCancer. Add value to the information the members gain from talking about a specific topic by providing articles and reading recommendations that will deepen their knowledge on a subject. “I just had deep faith and a positive attitude and said, ‘It’s small, they found [the breast cancer] early, I’m going to be fine,’” said Ruthanne Francis, a facilitator at the Thunder Bay Breast Cancer Support Group’s monthly meetings. © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Also lean on family and friends, mental health professionals, and your doctor for advice and comfort during your treatment. How to get the most out of your support group, Live for Today with Metastatic Breast Cancer, New Breast Cancer App Helps Connect Survivors and Those Going Through Treatment, This Breast Cancer App Offers Help, Hope, and a Community of People Just Like You, From Cost to Caregiving: 10 Things to Know When Starting Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment, My Life Before and After Metastatic Breast Cancer, 7 Tips for Finding Life Balance During Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer Survivor Ericka Hart Bares Her Double Mastectomy Scars to Challenge Perceptions and Empower Others, 12 Tips for Coping with Side Effects of Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment, How to Tell Loved Ones You Have Metastatic Breast Cancer, 8 Self-Care Tips for Women Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer, churches, synagogues, and other places of worship. There are also support groups that cater to specific groups — such as men with breast cancer or women in a particular stage of cancer. Who are the participants? For instance, there’s a new cancer support group called Living Well Beyond Cancer in Cobourg, Ontario that is just starting up, and it’s associated with The Canadian Cancer Society. Since cancer is less common among young adults, younger cancer patients can feel even more isolated. Contact physicians and other health care workers who provide services to cancer survivors and ask them to speak on a specific topic or to participate in a session in which the group members get to ask questions about issues such as long-term care and alternative treatments. Cancer can feel completely isolating.

Do survivors and family members attend meetings? There are many different types of support groups and many places to find them. Are there new or existing cancer support groups in your area? We have found support groups to be a cost-effective method of service delivery for large numbers of patients and family members.

Should I Get Another Dog After My Dog Died? For more tips for helping women survive breast cancer, read 17 Gift Ideas for After Her Mastectomy Surgery. This is where a breast cancer support group can help.

A great place to start is with Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors. At first, you might prefer just listening. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Involve the other members of your care team.