The Power of Virtual Mental Health Programming

Hi. I’m Carolyn Ettinger, executive director of Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center. I am also a cancer survivor.

As an introvert, I’ve always valued my time alone. I like talking with people on an individual basis and in small groups, and I also really like spending time alone. Since being diagnosed with cancer in 1994, I have worked hard at maintaining emotional balance in my life by using guided imagery, relaxation techniques and journaling - all “alone” activities.

In 2020, the pandemic brought new meaning to alone time. Along with many others, I found myself isolated from family, friends and my normal social activities. I experienced feelings of loneliness, fear, uncertainty and anxiety during these long months. And I discovered that the activities that had helped me stay in balance were not working as well when I had so much alone time already. I needed different ways to maintain my balance. I began to reach out in new ways to find and keep connections with loved ones and others who were also searching for connection.

At Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center, we remained open and available to cancer patients and caregivers throughout the pandemic. However, in-person contact was not advised, so as quickly as possible, we began transferring our support groups and counseling services to an online format. The services we had been offering for caregivers (educational workshops and supportive education for professional caregivers) were no longer possible during the shelter-in-place mandates. Wings of Hope Consultant Patrick Davis proposed a weekly, short and specific online check-in for caregivers. And the “Caregiver Huddle” was born.

We use Patrick’s simple 1-minute mindfulness activity (called the SAW Method) as the foundation for our weekly check-ins. SAW stands for:

S - Shift the focus to your breath (body)

A - Appreciate any aspect of your life in this present moment (mind)

W - Wait (spirit)

I had been using this simple and effective mind-body-spirit tool for years when I was stressed or needed to ground myself before offering counseling or Healing Touch services.

With the weekly huddles, I experienced SAW in community! The value of this tool was deepened as was my awareness of what I was feeling during this stressful time. The experience of sharing this tool in a circle fashion with others - where there was only acceptance and understanding for each one’s experiences - gave me new insights on the power of community.

Perhaps most important to an introvert like me was how comfortable I felt with a group of like-minded people. Each of us felt a need to come together during a challenging time, to turn inward for a few moments to refresh our mind-body-spirit connection, and then to share openly and deeply in a safe space. For me, the Caregiver Huddle has become an important part of my own self-care.

All of us are caregivers or supportive people for someone in this world. Because of the pandemic or your particular life challenges, you too might be searching for simple ways to better balance your emotional health and connect with others. I invite you to make SAW a part of your daily individual practice but to also find a group you can trust and confide in and create your own huddle in these isolating times.

We invite you to try the Caregiver Huddle at Wings of Hope, which meets via Zoom each Wednesday from 8:00 to 8:30AM CST. Send an email to carolyn@wingsofhope.org, and I’ll send you the link.