Support Groups & Healing Circles

WomenCARE Support Groups

Offering a safe haven where women with any type of cancer will find mutual support, shared experience and open hearts. All support group meetings are held at WomenCARE offices.

  • Drop-In Group:Open to women with cancer from diagnosis through treatment and the healing process. Led by Vickie Assunto & Jan Elpers. Meets every Tuesday from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
  • ARM-in-ARM:Open to women with Advanced, Recurrent or Metastatic cancer. Led by Sally Jones & Shirley Marcus. Meets every Monday, 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  • Entre Nosotras: Open to Spanish speaking women with cancer from diagnosis through treatment and the healing process. Groups are led in Spanish and meet at our Watsonville office. Please call 761-3973 for details. Led by Chila Correa. Meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m & the 2nd Saturday of the month 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
  • Friends & Family: Open to friends and loved ones (men & women) of people with cancer. Led by Mike Tozer & Donna Cavallaro. Meets 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Post Treatment: Meets for 6 months and is a closed group after the second meeting. Please call if interested.

Healing Circle Workshops

Providing comforting ways to cope with cancer through art, writing, meditation, and more. Please call the WomenCARE office at (831) 457-2273 before attending any of these groups, both to verify location and times, and to provide us with necessary client information for the group facilitators.

  • Art for Healing: No art experience necessary, just a willingness to play with art materials and listen tenderly to ourselves. Led by Wendy Traber.
  • Complementary Treatment Forum: an educational and collaborative group for women who want a safe place to learn, sort through and share information about the many complementary cancer treatments. Led by Bonnie Jones, Nutritionist and Katayoon Hakim. Meets the 4th Saturday of every month, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at WomenCARE’s Soquel office.
  • Emotional Freedom Technique: E.F.T. is a powerful tool to help one cope with life with cancer by addressing the emotional challenges that might go along with a diagnosis. Sometimes called "psychological acupressure," it is a simple tapping protocol used on specific acupuncture points on the face and body. Led by Nancy Lowe, a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine practicing since 1987 and teaching at Five Branches University of Traditional Chinese Medicine since 1994. Meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month, 2:30-3:30 at WomenCARE’s Soquel office.
  • Guided Imagery:Learn self-hypnosis to help you calm, sleep and promote relaxation. Led by Carol Jensen. Meets second Wednesday of every month, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. at WomenCARE’s Soquel office.
  • Mindfulness Meditation: For women newly diagnosed, recovering or coping with the effects of cancer or chronic illness. Meeting are held at Land of the Medicine Buddha and are led Jampa Sangmo (Michele Indiana Anderson), a Tibetan Buddhist Nun. Meets the 1st Wednesday of every month, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
  • Writing Circle: Open to the writer in each of us, this group allows for creative exploration in a supportive space right where you are. Each session is a surprise. Our creations prompted by writing activities and the stories of our lives--bring your notebook, invite your muse. Meets the 2nd Saturday of every month, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at WomenCARE's Soquel office
  • Singing Your Soul Song: In this class we will sing songs from other cultures and of our own sounds from within, journal, and find the inner voice that supports our well-being. Your journaling may lead to simple words that become your personal Soul Song. Participants don't need to have a good singing voice or any musical experience. Michelle Hodah Newman has been singing her whole life, has taught music and has directed theatrical productions. She is a sound healer with crystal bowls and voice, a practitioner of voice bio-feedback called eVOX, and is a Spiritual Director leading Women's Heart Circles www.womensheartcircles.org. Meets the 4th Wednesday of every month, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.