Workshop to Increase Well-Being and Reduce Stress
for People Coping with Cancer and Its Aftermath: FAQ
What will I gain by attending these workshops?
Transformative Living Practices (TLP) was recently provided to two groups of women with breast cancer as part of a pilot study, and many participants found the experience beneficial. Other research shows that people with cancer who take part in small support groups tend to experience positive changes in physical, emotional, and social functioning. Because some people experience no benefit and others experience significant benefits, we cannot predict what your results may be.
In the TLP workshops you will learn gentle yoga, mindfulness movement, and a kind of meditation that is compatible with all spiritual/religious beliefs. You will also learn practices to encourage actualizing your highest aspirations, release negative emotions, and enhance equanimity and joy. The workshop will include writing in a journal and creating art. If any or all of these sound appealing to you, we invite you to join us.
Do I have to be available for both the Winter and Spring 2010 workshops?
Ideally, yes; but actually, no. These workshops are being offered to you free of charge in return for your being willing to take part in research being conducted on the effects of the Transformative Living Practices workshop. The nature of this research entails random placement into the two different workshops so we can be sure any changes observed are due to the workshop itself and not to outside factors. Even the researchers won't know ahead of time which workshop you will be asked to attend. That's why we ask that you be available to attend either of the workshops. We'll let you know by December 20, 2009 which of the two workshops will be open for you.
What if I can only attend one of the workshops?
That's fine, just let us know which one you're available to attend by marking it on the registration form. It's possible the study design may change, in which case we will be able to accommodate more people who've requested one or the other workshop. We will let you know by December 20, 2009 if we are able to able to get you into your requested workshop.
Do I have to attend all classes within a workshop?
No. It's okay if you know you'll miss one or two of the scheduled classes in a given workshop, just let us know ahead of time. Of course you'll get the most benefit from attending all the classes, and besides, you'll be learning skills you can use in your life outside of class too, so you'll want to get as much as you can.
I still have more questions. Who can I talk with to find out more?
Dr. Kathleen Wall, a cancer survivor herself, is the person in charge of these workshops and the research. She and her staff can be reached by email at wellbeing@itp.edu, or by phone at (650) 493-4430, x7325. The research is being supported by the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (ITP) and the Symington Foundation.
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