| Breast Friends |
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| Written by Amanda Stout | ||||||||||||
| Thursday, 14 June 2012 14:14 | ||||||||||||
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Breast Friends
Karyn Ganaway, Executive Director (left) and Peggy Sullivan, Program Director (right) After the tests, the treatments and trauma of battling breast cancer, how do you get your life back to "normal"? The answer: you don't. A Place to Heal is one local organization dedicated to helping breast cancer survivors learn to thrive after breast cancer treatments.
A Place to Heal offers a 12-week program called "A Time to Heal," which takes a holistic approach to rehabilitation based on the mind-body-spirit model of health. "The program is designed to help women regain physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological and spiritual strength after undergoing treatment for breast cancer," says Peggy Sullivan, Program Director at A Place to Heal.
It is through a grant from the Susan G. Komen Greater Cincinnati Affiliate that A Place to Heal and their program was able to establish in May of 2011. Organizations like A Place to Heal are required to apply for funding every year. "We just accepted our grant award to continue A Time to Heal in 2012," says Sullivan.
What is unique about this organization is that every woman involved is connected to breast cancer in some way. The program was developed by Stephanie Koraleski, PhD and daughter of a breast cancer survivor and Kay Ryan, RN, PhD who is a survivor of breast cancer. "We are all also Breast Cancer survivors ourselves with 5 years to 13 years of survivorship," says Sullivan. The program is also offered free to women who have undergone breast cancer treatment for the first time.
For about three hours a week, participants meet as a group to hash out the issues at the front of every survivor's mind. "Each week a different topic is presented," says Sullivan. "Topics range from nutrition and bodily strength to relationships, femininity and spirituality." She goes on to add that healing takes place through these topics. "While participants may find kindred spirits within the program," Sullivan assures, "we do not consider A Time to Heal a support group." She says the organization is focused on providing women with the tools they need to live a healthy, fulfilling life after having survived breast cancer.
A Place to Heal just recently completed their first class of "A Time to Heal" and are now enrolling for their September class. In the future, they hope to expand their services to more of the Tri-State area. A Place to heal is located in the Cincinnati Mills Mall in Forest Park and office hours are by appointment only. Click here to learn more about A Place to Heal and their program.
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