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A new program offered in Wichita is giving cancer patients and their loved ones an opportunity to strengthen their spiritual health when faced with a life-threatening illness.
Since August, more than 65 people – including some from across and outside Kansas – have taken the Spiritual Strengths Cancer Care program at the Magnificat Center, a retreat center on the campus of the Congregation of St. Joseph, program director Mary Costello said.
Research continues to show that taking care of one’s emotional and spiritual health when facing a life-changing condition – as both a patient and a caregiver – can have a positive impact on the healing process. It’s a concept that Andover couple Bruce and Sarah Cooper, who have been in both roles during their 35-year-marriage, feel helped them deal with their bouts of cancer.
The Spiritual Strengths Cancer Care program, based on the work of nationally known spiritual gerontologist Richard P. Johnson, is meant to complement one’s medical care, Costello said. Johnson, who lives in St. Louis, teaches the monthly courses at the Magnificat Center.
“A lot of health care is focused on the mind and body,” Costello said. This program offers courses that “inspire the soul and lift the mind to see cancer differently,” according to the program’s website.
While it is offered at a Catholic retreat center, it is not a religious program, nor is it tied to any denomination, Costello said. The program focuses on cancer support but can be applied to dealing with any chronic illness, she said.
The program includes an online assessment that provides a profile of an individual’s spiritual strengths for dealing with illness. During the subsequent two three-hour core courses, Johnson helps individuals interpret those results and build upon those strengths.
Participants also can choose to take any of the eight elective courses that include caring for someone with cancer, staying positively centered and dealing with depression.
Two of the electives are specifically geared toward caregivers, but the program uses a broader meaning for that term: “That can mean anyone who cares about someone with cancer, and not just the hands-on caregiver,” Costello said.
In March, a certification class will be offered for anyone who wants to share the information learned in the program, Costello said.
Sleeping rooms at the Magnificat Center are available for $45 a night to anyone traveling to Wichita to take the program.
Recently, the program received a $50,000 grant from the Guadalupe Foundation to offer scholarships to offset the course costs and make it more accessible to anyone wanting to take the program. The online profile costs $29.95, the core classes are $75 each, and the electives are $50.
