Woman to Woman Peer Mentor Program
Find a trained survivor Mentor to offer one-on-one emotional support and guidance.
Staying Connected: Online Support Sessions for Gynecologic Cancer
Staying Connected Support Series
Gynecologic cancer patients, survivors, friends, and family are invited to join us for our wide-ranging virtual support programs facilitated by our compassionate and experienced Patient Support team.
In This Section
Welcome to Staying Connected
OCRA’s Staying Connected Support Series is an international, online program that offers an opportunity to exchange support, gain new insights, and form meaningful connections with others whose lives have been impacted by gynecologic cancer. In addition to weekly and monthly psychoeducational sessions, the program also offers monthly community building activities, including a Book Club, an open discussion around a shared reading, and Express Yourself!, a fun arts session sparking creativity and conversation. All Staying Connected sessions are facilitated by oncology social workers.
Need Help Now?
Are you in crisis? If you need help due to a medical emergency, please call 911 and notify your physician. If you are feeling suicidal or are having an emotional emergency, please call or text the suicide prevention hotline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
Weekly Sessions
Click each title for more information and to register.
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Join our weekly psychoeducational support session facilitated by an Oncology Social Worker, for those newly diagnosed with gynecologic cancer, or those who have completed front-line therapy. Discussions focus on navigating diagnosis and treatment, coping with treatment symptoms, completing therapy, and finding a new normal.
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Join us for a weekly psychoeducational support session, facilitated by an Oncology Social Worker, for those diagnosed with endometrial and uterine cancer who want to connect with others with their diagnosis.
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Join us for a weekly psychoeducational support session, facilitated by an Oncology Social Worker, for partners, spouses, parents, adult children, and friends of those diagnosed with gynecologic cancer.
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Join us for a weekly psychoeducational support session, facilitated by an Oncology Social Worker, for those diagnosed with a recurrence of a gynecologic cancer who want to connect with others about navigating options, integrative therapies, quality of life, and strategies for living well after recurrence.
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This weekly psychoeducational support session, facilitated by an Oncology Social Worker, is for those diagnosed with gynecologic cancer, and focuses on themes that include goals of care, advance care planning, legacy-making, and dying well.
This group is currently on hiatus but will return in the spring. Please check back for availability.
Monthly Sessions
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Being a young adult with cancer, or being a young adult survivor, is a unique and often lonely experience. Meeting other young adult patients and survivors to discuss your experiences and share support can be life-changing.
This group will be held monthly on select Tuesdays at 7PM ET.
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OCRA’s monthly expressive arts sessions are an inspiring opportunity to ignite your creativity and create, explore, and share with others. Meetings are 90-minute sessions held via Zoom, facilitated by Tracy and Nancy, two Oncology Social Workers with decades of experience between them. Each month’s session will include a themed therapeutic activity combined with discussion.
We send links upon registration and resend links the day of the event. Please call us at (212) 268-1002 if you have not received the link in advance of the session.
Please note: the registration deadline for US participants is one week prior to the date of the session. The deadline for international participants is two weeks prior to the date of the session. Due to international shipping constraints with our supply provider, we may not be able to send supplies to registrants in countries outside of North America. If this is the case for you, we will reach out to you after you register to discuss alternative options.
April 24 at 3 pm ET: “Magical Garden”
Join us on Thursday, April 24 for our April Express Yourself! This month’s theme will be “Magical Garden”. The deadline for US participants to register is Thursday, April 17; for international participants, the deadline is Thursday, April 10.
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Community is strengthened through shared discussions and interests. Please join us for our monthly Book Club, which provides a space to connect with others diagnosed with gynecologic cancer around a shared reading. Sessions are facilitated and are 90 minutes long. Each month’s book selection will be mailed to registered participants in advance of the session. Participants should come to Book Club having read the selected book and ready to share their thoughts and reflections on the book’s themes.
Please note: The registration deadline for US participants is one week prior to the session, and the deadline for international participants is two weeks prior to the session. If we are unable to ship the book to you, we will reach out after you register to discuss alternative options.
April 15 at 3 pm ET: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Join us on Tuesday, April 15 for our April Book Club! This month, we’ll be reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. The deadline for US participants to register is Tuesday, April 8; for international participants, the deadline is Tuesday, April 1.
Special Sessions
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Closed 12-week program starting Wednesday, April 2 at 7 pm ET
Please join us for a one-time opportunity to participate in 12 weekly sessions on Wednesdays from 7-8 pm ET dealing with issues facing caregivers and other family members who have lost a loved one to cancer. This program will focus on understanding the grieving process, coping with the reality of grief, learning to adjust to life after loss, and finding ways to continue to honor and live with and without your loved one. The group will provide a supportive environment for individuals to connect with others while learning to process and manage their loss. This program will be facilitated by an oncology social worker with whom you will be required to complete a pre- and post-one-to-one meeting. Space is limited so please register now.
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Durante abril y mayo, ofreceremos grupos los lunes por la noche a las 7 pm ET y los jueves al mediodía a las 12 pm ET. Cada grupo tendrá una duración de una hora y será un espacio para apoyarnos mutuamente, aprender más sobre los diagnósticos y tratamientos, y encontrar fortaleza en las experiencias compartidas. Es necesario inscribirse para cada sesión.
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April 30 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET: Coping with the Unknown
When faced with great uncertainty- whether related to your diagnosis, current events, other personal stressors, or a combination- having a toolbox of healthy coping skills can be an essential component to maintaining your emotional well-being. During this Roundtable, we will share strategies for stress reduction to help you cope with the fear of the unknown.
Community Agreements
Community Agreements have been developed to protect you and all participants, and the sanctity and privacy of these groups. Adherence to these agreements is required to attend our sessions:
- Please register in advance for each session*
- Please plan on attending the group from the start through the entire program (once group has begun no further members will be able to join)
- Please attend the group in a private and quiet setting, and plan to remain on video for the duration of the meeting
- Please protect members’ confidentiality
- Please respect all members and offer feedback without judgement or negativity
- Please register for one Staying Connected session per week based on the topic that best fits your needs. Our monthly Express Yourself and Book Club may be attended in addition to one weekly group.
- Please do not share your Zoom link with anyone else. Your Zoom link is individual to you; two participants can not use the same link.
*About Registration
We recommend you register at least 24 hours in advance, but no later than 15 minutes in advance of the session. Your meeting link will be provided upon registration. If you have not received your meeting link by the morning of the session, please contact ehynes@ocrahope.org during business hours for assistance.
Thanks to the support I receive through the many groups that OCRA provides and their dedication to furthering research in this fight for our lives, my life is flooded with extra hope. My future is bright. Thank you, OCRA, for allowing me to express myself.
– Leslie
Staying Connected is generously sponsored by
This program is also made possible by the generous support of the Shirley Z. Johnson Trust.
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