I am glad you are here!
If you are looking for emotional support because you or someone close to you has been touched by cancer, in a safe and supportive atmosphere, I am here to help you at this challenging and confusing time.
Psycho-Oncology
Psycho-oncology offers psychological care for people affected by cancer, as well as their families, partners or care-takers. It provides a holistic approach aimed to increase overall well-being of cancer patients and help them cope and adjust with the emotional impact of cancer from the initial stage of diagnosis, through their treatments. Psycho-oncology concerned with understanding and treating the social, psychological, emotional, spiritual, quality-of-life and functional aspects of cancer that go beyond medical treatment.
Why Is Psycho-Oncology Needed?
Diagnosis of cancer can create overwhelming emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, and worries that can effect patient's ability to deal with challenges of everyday life. Without emotional support, cancer patients and their families often struggle and feel isolated and lonely in coping with this significant issues. Psycho-Oncology aims to provide mental and emotional support and help patients better cope with the challenges associated with the disease.
What I Offer for Cancer Survivors and their Families
Mindful Thrive Therapy offers individual and couples therapy, as well as a wide range of groups and workshops to support your emotional well-being. At Mindful Thrive Therapy, we’ll help you reduce the impact of cancer in your life by providing integrative therapies, such as Expressive Art Therapy, Mindfulness Meditation, and Guided Imagery. These therapies are provided in addition to traditional psychotherapy and they will help you improve well-being and quality of your life during and after cancer treatments by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
During the first session, a detailed assessment will be taken to evaluate the therapeutic support/counseling services you need. Also, if you have an existing mental health condition, we can help you by providing extra support and care. We offer a holistic treatment approach personalized based on your needs and goals and could include cognitive-behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness based stress reduction.
If you or a loved one feels depressed, anxious, and overwhelmed and it is hard to express worries, we look forward to being a fellow traveler with you on this journey to improve your emotional health and wellbeing.
What you can Expect from our Services
This especially designed services for cancer patients and their families will:
- Help you get in touch with your feelings and learn to talk about them
- Reduce your symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Teach you strategies to feel less afraid and more hopeful
- Help you deal with stress and improve your emotional well-being
- Help you manage relationships with family and friends
- Encourage you to ask for and accept help
Expressive Art Therapy
For Cancer Survivors and their Caregivers
Patients coping with cancer and their families often experience a complex range of emotions including anxiety, depression, sadness, fear, and frustration. For some people, it may be difficult to express their feelings in a traditional therapy or in a support group. Art therapy can help patients express their feelings, emotions, and thoughts without having to verbalize them through different creative outlets like writing, sculpting, painting, drawing, drama, music and dance. Based on research, when individuals with cancer participate in Creative Arts Therapy, their quality of life increases during therapy by reducing depression, anxiety, stress and pain.
No previous artistic experience or training needed to participate.
Healing Art Journaling Group
Art Journaling is a medium that helps you process the life-changing impact of the cancer journey. Art journaling is a fun and creative process that goes deeper than words. It is a visual diary that uses images, simple drawings, collage, paint, doodles, find objects, words, and more to express yourself. Anyone can do it, even if you believe you can’t draw; no artistic talent is necessary because art journaling is about “the process,” not the product. It’s a place to play, explore, and experiment. Art journaling can help you reduce stress, release anger, resolve conflicts, get in touch with your feelings, and give voice to your soul. This support group is a safe place to be creative and share your stories. Come join us to discover how the creative process of art making can be healing and how it can transform your thoughts and emotions to give you a sense of joy and well-being.
No previous artistic experience or training needed to participate.
HealthRHYTHMS Drum Circle
Drumming is a simple way to heal and calm your mind, to remove stress and to cope with cancer in a group of supportive and like-minded people.
Mindful Thrive Therapy offers HealthRhythm drum circle group that presents drumming and percussion as a medium to help you express and process difficult emotions concerning cancer in a fun and sympathetic environment. HealthRHYTHMS is an evidence-based approach that has been shown to be helpful for a variety of physical and emotional challenges, such as cancer, chronic pain, to help strengthen the immune system, and to decrease stress, depression, and anxiety.
Psychology and science have identified both drumming and mindfulness meditation as a therapeutic intervention for stress-reduction and pain management to support cancer patients. Mindfulness and drumming can be combined in the same session and use the drum’s beat as a powerful source of focus during mindfulness meditation.
This six-week HealthRhythm Drum Circle Group incorporates physical exercise, communication, creativity, self-expression and spirituality in a relaxing and fun environment.
No prior musical experience is needed to join this group. Drums will be provided, but you may bring your own drum and percussion instrument if you like.
Program Benefits Include:
Pain reduction
Reduce depression and manage anxiety
Reduction in blood pressure, respiratory rates and anxiety
Stress reduction
Sense of community and support
If you feel one of our programs would be beneficial for you, your family, or someone you know, or would like to receive these services at the comfort of your home, please explore our website to learn more, or contact Ava Shokoufi at 818 - 667- 4334.
Want to get started? Click here to request a FREE 30 Minute Consultation.