WHY FORM A SUPPORT GROUP
Cancer patients and their families have the need for support for their challenges that are not generally met by the medical community. The local cancer support group provides an avenue to help meet those needs. Cancer patients are helped by coming together with others who are meeting or have met some of the same challenges.
LEADERSHIP FOR THE GROUP
Leaders need a willingness to commit themselves to spending
some time with others and contacting others on a periodic basis.
The person who becomes a facilitator should have compassion for
others, be a good listener, and be an encourager. Ministers,
cancer patients, survivors and spouses, social workers, pastoral
and other counselors, are good candidates to develop as
facilitators.
HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR FACILITATORS
The primary purpose of a cancer support group is to help
cancer patients and their families. The authors' experience
recognizes a spiritual dimension in cancer support groups. This
is equally true for facilitators and participants. However the
spirituality that is common to human beings should be sought
rather than one particular expression of the spiritual
dimension.
Regardless of the belief by any attendee that a certain
alternative treatment is effective for that person, cancer
support group attendees are not medically trained, for the most
part, and are not qualified to prescribe treatment for others.
Care should be taken to refrain from urging others to talk
about anything that the person does not want to share.
It is important that the facilitator keeps the discussion
moving among the group until each person's needs are met. He
should discourage one or two people from monopolizing the time.
A spirit of acceptance of people, as they are, must pervade
the support group meetings.
WHO IS INVITED TO A SUPPORT GROUP
Cancer patients, spouses, teen and adult children,
significant others who are not spouses or who may not be blood
relatives are target attendees.
People of different life styles and backgrounds are affected
by cancer. This realization should help attendees view others
in light of their common challenges and not in light of perceived
differences in life style or background. This concept becomes
reality as we remember the reasons for being a part of a local
cancer support group.
Anyone another attendee wants to invite to the meeting
should be welcome and appreciated for their presence.
The experiences gained at meetings of the group will be
readily shared with others who may be interested in starting
another group in another location.
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