Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors

Overview

The Mass General Cancer Center is pleased to offer the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine’s highly regarded Stress Management and Resilience Training: Relaxation Response Resilience (SMART-3RP) training in an online format on Zoom. This program is designed to help patients cope with the many emotional, social and physical challenges that emerge after cancer treatment. It teaches patients a variety of mind body, positive psychology and cognitive behavioral tools to help enhance their resiliency and overall quality of life.

Who We Serve

This program is most suitable for the following patients:

• Individuals who have completed cancer treatment
• Individuals who are living with cancer as a chronic illness

*To participate, patients must have a Mass General provider and must be able to join classes virtually from Massachusetts.

What To Expect

This program combines stress coping strategies from mind body medicine, positive psychology, and cognitive behavioral treatment to help increase patients’ capacity to manage the many life stressors (cancer and non-cancer related) experienced after cancer treatment. We emphasize coping and resiliency building, with the common understanding that the end of treatment often presents a new set of unexpected challenges and life changes. Our goal is to help support that transition to help patients feel control in the uncontrollable.

Program Structure

The program consists of nine 90-minute skills-based group sessions led by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist on Zoom. The first session focuses on establishing treatment goals and a plan for achieving these goals based on the program structure. Thereafter, groups meet weekly and learn a range of stress management tools, with each session building on each other. Because individuals come with shared experiences given their cancer history, groups are supportive by nature; however, sessions are held with a spirit that supports learning and the application of learned techniques to identified stressors. Specific content areas include the following:

• Self-care strategies
• Health behavior promotion (e.g., healthy eating and exercise)
• Relaxation, mindful awareness and adaptive thinking strategies
• Stress reduction
• Management of treatment-related physical and emotional symptoms
• Management of late effects of treatment
• Enhanced sense of control, optimism, acceptance, and well-being

How to Register

This program is billable to insurance, but copays likely apply. Please contact your insurer to inquire about coverage using billing code 90853. Click here to register. This program also has a nonrefundable $65 materials fee that is not billable to insurance. This fee covers the cost of the program manual, which will be shipped to you after you register.

Program Dates

Groups are held at least 3x per year: fall, winter and spring. Depending on volume, we may also hold one summer group. General program dates (times TBD) are as follows:

• Fall Sessions begin early October
• Winter Sessions begin mid-January
• Spring Sessions begin mid-April
• Summer Sessions begin early July

Click here to see group times and to register.

If you are interested in being placed on our waitlist for a future group, please email mghsurvivorship@partners.org with your preference.

Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Survivors

We also offer the virtual SMART-3RP program in an eight-week format for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors aged 18-39. This program is designed to address the physical, social, and emotional changes AYA survivors may experience after cancer treatment ends.

For more information and to register, click here (scroll down to "Mind Body Program for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Survivors").

Meet the Team

Our team is committed to helping patients manage the many challenges that arise after cancer treatment.

Giselle Perez, PhD
Program Director, Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors
Associate Director, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivor Program
Director of Adolescent and Young Adult Research
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Elyse Park, PhD
Founder and former Director of the Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors
Staff Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry
Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Daniel Hall, PhD
Staff Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry
Group Facilitator, Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors

April Hirschberg, MD
Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry
Group Facilitator, Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors

Zeba Ahmad, PhD
Staff Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry
Group Facilitator, Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors

Blane Zhu, BS
Program Coordinator

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the program for?
This program is for adults who have completed their cancer treatment or who are living with cancer. It is not recommended for newly diagnosed patients; however, there are some exceptions. For more information about whether this program is the right fit for you, please send questions to mghsurvivorship@partners.org.

What is the goal of the group program?
This program is designed to support patients who have completed cancer treatment by providing critical tools to help them cope with the experience of their diagnosis and treatment as well as adjust to life after treatment.

What will group sessions be like?
During each group session, we will introduce a variety of mind-body and cognitive behavioral tools to help you adapt to and navigate some of the challenges that you may experience with the transition to post-treatment survivorship as well as other ongoing life challenges. We will also introduce other practical strategies for managing life stress and developing healthy physical activity, nutrition and sleep habits.

Will the groups talk specifically about cancer?
Conversations during sessions might naturally focus on the challenges of cancer survivorship. However, we also often talk about other chronic life stressors and goals. Importantly, this program encourages you to set goals and build skills that will be most relevant to you.

Where is the program held?
All classes are currently held online via Zoom. Upon registering, you will be sent a Zoom link which will be used for all 9 sessions.

Can I join at any time?
We invite participants to join for the full 9-week program. New groups start approximately every 3 months. Please contact mghsurvivorship@partners.org for information about the next group start date.

What if I can’t make it to all the sessions?
We understand that things often come up that may make it difficult for you to attend – that’s ok! If you have to miss a session, let your group facilitator know prior to the session either via email or phone. Sessions do build on skills learned from earlier sessions, so we encourage you to review any missed material before the next session.

Do I have to be a Mass General patient to join the program?
Yes, we offer the program to adults who receive their care at a Mass General location.

Will I be billed for the group sessions?
Most health insurances provide coverage for this program. However, some patients will have a co-pay. We strongly encourage you to contact your health insurance carrier to find out whether you will have any co-pays or deductibles to consider for group therapy code 90853.

Are there any additional program fees?
There is a $65 fee for the program manual. We ask that you pay the materials fee in advance of the first group session. If you decide to join the group, we will provide you with detailed information about how to submit this fee online.

When will I receive the program materials?
You will receive the materials prior to the first group session.

Can my friend/family join?
Unfortunately, because this group is geared toward individuals who have completed treatment, we are unable to accommodate individuals without a history of cancer. There is, however, the original program at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. If you believe your family/friend is interested, ask your group facilitator for more information.