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03/06: BC Cancer Agency brings “Skills for Healing” weekend retreat to Kelowna
Unique retreat explores mind-body connection to help empower cancer patients
Kelowna, B.C. – For people living with cancer, they not only face the challenge of fighting the disease, but also the resulting distress, anxiety and fear.
To address the psychological distress faced by many cancer patients and their families, the BC Cancer Agency will host the “Skills for Healing” weekend retreat in Kelowna on March 9 to 11. The two and a half day retreat, led by Dr. Rob Rutledge, radiation oncologist at the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre, aims to educate and empower cancer patients through knowledge, skill-building and community support and sharing.
Participants will learn about stress reduction techniques, negotiating the medical system, meditation, and the mind-body connection through a combination of educational presentations and practical exercises.
“Dr. Rutledge is a passionate and dynamic public speaker with a wealth of experience talking about health promotion, the science of the mind-body connection, and spirituality and health,” says Sue Harrhy, counsellor at the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior. “Psychosocial therapy plays an important role in a person’s cancer journey, and we are so pleased to offer Dr. Rutledge’s ‘Skills for Healing’ weekend retreat for the first time in B.C.”
“The idea behind the retreat is that is that we need to look beyond the physical treatment for cancer in order to successfully care for patients,” says Dr. Rutledge, who pioneered the retreat in 1999 and has since delivered the program in nine cities across Canada. “Cancer, like other life-threatening diseases, strikes all levels, and it’s important that we help patients heal physically, psychologically and emotionally.”
“I hope to provide cancer patients and their supporters with skills that will allow them to tap into their own strength and to re-frame the difficult experiences they are living with,” adds Dr. Rutledge.
The “Skills for Healing” weekend retreat, sponsored by Sanofi-aventis through the BC Cancer Foundation, will take place in Kelowna from March 9 to11 (Friday: 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Sunday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.). Please register by calling Wendy at 250.712.3963. A $40 deposit is required (bursaries available).
Dr. Rutledge and a BC Cancer Agency oncologist will also deliver a free public lecture on mind-body-spirit medicine on Thursday, March 8 at the Ramada Lodge Hotel from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. No registration is required. Please call 250.712.3963 for more information.
The BC Cancer Agency, a part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency.
For more information, please contact:
Jinny Wu
Communications Specialist
BC Cancer Agency
604.877.6272
Toll-free: 1.800.663.3333, ex 6272
jwu2@bccancer.bc.ca
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