Cancer support groups often become places where people talk about parts of life that may receive little attention elsewhere. Changes in intimacy, sexuality, body image, dating, relationships, and sexual health can all find their way into group conversations, whether or not they were part of the planned topic.
When they do, facilitators may be unsure how to respond, how far to take the conversation, or where to direct someone who needs additional support.
Support Group Leader Training is a practical training designed to help facilitators respond with greater confidence while staying clearly within the scope of their role.
What the training covers
The training focuses on the situations facilitators are most likely to encounter in real group settings, including how to:
- Create an environment where intimacy-related concerns are recognized as appropriate to discuss
- Respond when a participant raises a sensitive or unexpected concern
- Offer useful first-line support without feeling responsible for solving the problem
- Facilitate discussion while respecting different experiences, identities, relationships, and comfort levels within the group
- Recognize the boundaries of the facilitator role
- Respond when a concern requires more support than the group can provide
- Connect participants with appropriate resources or referrals
The emphasis is practical. Facilitators do not need extensive sexual-health knowledge to respond well. They need enough understanding, language, and guidance to know what they can do and what can happen next.
Who is it for?
Support Group Leader Training is appropriate for organizations offering cancer support groups, including:
- Cancer support organizations and nonprofits
- Cancer centers and health systems
- Survivorship programs
- Peer-support programs
- Patient and caregiver programs
- Professional and volunteer group facilitators
Training can be provided for an established facilitator team or incorporated into the preparation of new group leaders.
What participants receive
Participants receive practical tools and resources they can continue using after the training, including guidance for responding to common intimacy-related concerns, maintaining appropriate scope, and connecting participants with additional support when needed.
Organizations can also pair the training with Referral Ecosystem Mapping when facilitators need greater clarity about where participants can be referred within the organization, locally, or through national resources.
Format
Support Group Leader Training is offered as a 90-minute live virtual training for organizational teams.
The session combines foundational education with practical examples and facilitated discussion relevant to cancer support settings.
Custom or on-site training is also available for organizations with larger teams or additional training needs.
Investment
$2,500* per organization
*Preferential pricing is available for select nonprofit, community-based, and early partner organizations. We’re happy to discuss what may be available for your organization.
The standard engagement includes:
- One 90-minute live virtual training
- Training for one organizational facilitator team (up to 15 participants)
- Participant resources and practical tools
- Access to supporting materials following the session
Larger groups, on-site training, customized curriculum, or training delivered across multiple programs or locations can be scoped separately.
Help facilitators respond without expecting them to become specialists
Support group leaders do not need to have every answer when intimacy-related concerns arise. They need to be able to welcome the conversation, respond appropriately, understand the limits of their role, and help participants find additional support when they need it.