Couple & Family Support Program

Cancer Lifeline has been offering Family Meetings to clients for close to 20 years now and it remains one of the most powerful and useful resources for families living with cancer. Families meet with one of our Masters prepared oncology nurses and each person has the oppurtunity to speak, uninterrupted, about what they are thinking and feeling.

We know communication among family members often suffers when cancer enters their lives. They Family Meeting provides an opportunity for family members to hear each other's worries, concerns and perspective. Often, once the concerns are verbalized and eleborated, families find they are all on the same page.

This support can take the form of Family Meetings or conference calls. Cancer Lifeline is happy to honor any and all definitions of family. Meetings can be done with partners, other family members, groups of friends, neighbors, etc., as long as at least two people are involved.

Families may ask for these meetings to:

• Open lines of communication
• Clarify concerns
• Help family members deal with the impact of cancer and make decisions about treatment
• Learn about community resources
• Learn how to get what is needed from doctors or the health care system

Face-to-face meetings are available to families living or being treated in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. Telephone meetings are available for families living beyond that area.

Before the Meeting or Conference takes place...and after you have requested a meeting, a staff member will contact you to clarify issues and establish who will participate at the meeting. This prelimnary phone call is important since it helps define how family members can get the most from the time spent with the family consultant.

This and all other programs of Cancer Lifeline are FREE of charge.

   © 2007 Cancer Lifeline

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