Cancer survivors can better cope with anxiety and the side effects of their treatment by learning relaxation techniques, the topic of a Connect Education Workshop on April 24. Led by CancerCare professional oncology social worker Richard “Rick” Dickens, LCSW-R, the workshop, “Using Mind/Body Techniques to Cope With the Stress of Survivorship,” is the first in our four-part series of annual workshops focused on survivorship issues.
Register for the workshop.
Rick is a professional oncology social worker with an expertise in mind/body practices. A 22-year cancer survivor, Rick was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He underwent six months of aggressive chemotherapy, and later underwent a bone marrow transplant with bone marrow given from his sister.
Rick first came to CancerCare as a client, and participated in a support group for young adults coping with cancer. Interacting with other support group members helped Rick realize he wasn’t alone in his journey. The group gave him emotional support as well as valuable insight into his diagnosis and life after treatment. Rick was so inspired by the experience that he enrolled in graduate school at Columbia University to pursue a career in oncology social work.
Between his first and second years at Columbia, Rick traveled to India, where he spent the summer volunteering at Mother Teresa’s clinic in Calcutta. His experience in India was “transformative,” Rick says, and helped him find a “soulful peace and deeper connection to all of life.”
He joined CancerCare as a professional oncology social worker in 1997, moderating the support group he’d previously attended. As CancerCare’s Mind/Body Project Coordinator, Rick incorporates practices such as yoga and meditation into his counseling to help people cope with difficult emotions and find a sense of peace.
Rick recently answered questions about using mind/body practices to cope with cancer as an “Ask CancerCare” featured expert.
Learn more about CancerCare’s resources on mind/body and relaxation practices.
