New Integral Healing Program provides cancer patients and families with awareness of whole-person cancer care and complementary medicine benefits

OTTAWA, March 26, 2012 /CNW/ - The Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre (OICC) has launched an innovative whole-person cancer-care education program in partnership with the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation's Maplesoft Centre.

The "Integral Healing Program: Empowerment on the Cancer Journey" provides a set of educational modules designed to share evidence-informed complementary care options with cancer patients, survivors and their support network, providing them with knowledge and tools to take better control of their disease management.

Consisting of four, weekly half-day workshops, each session incorporates hands-on interactive learning, audio-visual teaching aids, and lively group discussions.

• Week 1 - Cancer and Complementary Therapies
• Week 2 - Cancer and Nutrition
• Week 3 - Relationships and Family Dynamics
• Week 4 - Prevention of Recurrence

The next four-week Integral Healing Program will begin on April 10, 2012. The program will repeat several times throughout 2012. All sessions are free of charge and are being held at the Maplesoft Centre, 1500 Alta Vista Drive, in Ottawa. To register, please visit the Maplesoft Centre's online program registration at www.ottawacancer.ca and click on the Maplesoft Centre icon or call 613-274-3527. For more information on workshop content and the health-care instructors, please visit OICC events at www.oicc.ca

"The Cancer Foundation strongly supports the complementary approach to cancer care and is pleased to partner with the OICC to make this educational program available to cancer patients and survivors visiting the Maplesoft Centre," says Linda Eagen, President and CEO of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. "We ran a pilot program in the fall of 2011 which was overwhelmingly popular. People felt empowered and excited to learn about the benefits of complementary and naturopathic medicine. We believe the program's teachings will have lasting impact on the care of cancer patients in the Ottawa region."

"We are very pleased to be working with the Cancer Foundation to educate as many cancer patients and survivors as possible about the benefits of integrative oncology and whole-person care," says Dugald Seely, ND, M.Sc., FABNO, the executive director and founder of the OICC. "Attendees learn how natural therapies can strengthen their immune system, support their body's inherent healing ability, improve quality of life and ultimately help support them during aggressive cancer treatments. They will also learn how to talk with their oncologists about complementary care options. The program instructors include a number of regulated health-care practitioners with training and experience in cancer care."         

About the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation

The Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation is dedicated to increasing cancer survivorship in Eastern Ontario. The Cancer Foundation is the most significant philanthropic contributor to cancer care and research in the Ottawa region—by raising the most dollars in our community and allocating the most funds locally to fight cancer. The Cancer Foundation works with its regional partners to ensure local residents have the best possible care close to home, shorter wait times for diagnosis and treatment, access to the latest research and new therapies and overall improved quality of life—which includes the opening of Canada's first Cancer Survivorship Centre. The Maplesoft Centre offers Cancer Survivorship Care Coaching that helps to address the emotional, physical, spiritual, informational and psychological needs of cancer survivors and their families. For more information about the Maplesoft Centre and the Cancer Foundation, please visit www.ottawacancer.ca.

About OICC

The Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre is a not-for-profit cancer care and research center with a mission to deliver whole-person care that includes scientifically grounded evidence-informed complementary medicine. It is the first integrative oncology and research centre of its kind in Eastern Canada. The Centre provides multi-disciplinary clinical care for people with cancer, cancer survivors, and to those seeking prevention of cancer or its recurrence. The OICC's regulated health-care practitioners have training in naturopathic medicine, family therapy, physiotherapy, psychiatry, nutrition, acupuncture, massage therapy, exercise therapy and yoga. The Centre is governed by the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, a registered charity providing education and research in naturopathic and complementary medicine since 1978.

For further information:

For information on how to become a patient of the OICC, please visit www.oicc.ca

Director, Marketing and Communications

Canadian College for Naturopathic Medicine

416-498-1255 ext. 263

Marketing Communications and Public Relations

Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre

613-293-3564

Communications Coordinator

Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation

613.247.3527