Counseling and Support Groups

Duke Cancer Patient Support Program’s (DCPSP) counseling staff, a trained part of the medical team, is available to help patients and family members cope with the psychosocial aspects of cancer.

DCPSP currently offers the following support services:

• Family, couples, and individual counseling
• Support groups

Support Groups

When facing a chronic disease, patients, families, and friends need all the emotional help they can get.

Cancer can isolate patients from loved ones and can strain relationships. This is where support groups help.

We offer the following support groups:

• Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Support Group
• Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
• KidsCan!
• Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma Support Group
• Look Good Feel Better
• Lung Cancer Support Group
• Prostate Cancer Support Group 

Studies show that those who participate in support groups have much less anxiety, depression, and pain than those who do not attend groups.

Support groups allow patients, families, and friends an opportunity to express fears and concerns in an open, supportive environment. An important part of recovery is receiving support from others who have been through a similar experience and, likewise, sharing your experience with those in treatment. It can be very reassuring to find that others share similar feelings.

The Duke Cancer Patient Support Program (DCPSP) offers several support groups in the hospital and in the outpatient clinics for Duke patients and those treated elsewhere in the community. Groups are facilitated by trained counselors and provide ongoing emotional support for patients and loved ones.

All information expressed in the group is private, and members are not pressured to share feelings unless they wish to.

Please call 919-684-4497 before coming to a support group for the first time.

For further information, please call 919-684-4497 or e-mail CancerSupport@mc.duke.edu

Upcoming Events

• Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
  Tuesday November 25, 2008, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  A weekly support group for those with gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers.
• Prostate Cancer Support Group
  Thursday November 27, 2008, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  A support group for those with prostate cancer.
• Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Meyloma Support Group
  Monday December 01, 2008, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  A support group for those with leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma.
• Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
  Tuesday December 02, 2008, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  A weekly support group for those with gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers.
• Lung Cancer Support Group
  Thursday December 04, 2008, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  A support group for those with lung cancer.
• Look Good, Feel Better
  Monday December 08, 2008, 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM
  The Look Good … Feel Better program is designed to educate women receiving cancer to assist in coping with changes in their physical appearance that may result from their illness or treatment.
• KidsCan!
  Monday December 08, 2008, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  A support group for children dealing with cancer.
• Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
  Tuesday December 09, 2008, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  A weekly support group for those with gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers.
• Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Meyloma Support Group
  Monday December 15, 2008, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  A support group for those with leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma.
• Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Cancer Support Group
  Tuesday December 16, 2008, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  A weekly support group for those with gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers.

Counselors

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke University Hospital
  2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710
• Morris Cancer Clinic
  Morris Building, 200 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710