A Week in the Virtual IOP
Our virtual IOP meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings by secure video. Each morning starts with a 30-minute check-in at 9:00am, then a 75-minute skills or process group at 9:30am and, after a short break, a 75-minute theme or creative group at 11:00am. Caregivers enrolled as clients have their own track. The program runs for 4–6 weeks, 9 hours a week.
Weekly schedule
- Patient track · Monday · 9:30–10:45amDBT Skills Group
- Caregiver track · Monday · 9:30–10:45amCaregiver Skills: Stress & Emotion Regulation
- Patient track · Monday · 11:00am–12:15pmRotating Theme Group
- Caregiver track · Monday · 11:00am–12:15pmRotating Theme: Relationships & Role
- Patient track · Wednesday · 9:30–10:45amProcess / Support Group
- Caregiver track · Wednesday · 9:30–10:45amCaregiver Process Group
- Patient track · Wednesday · 11:00am–12:15pmExpressive Arts & Body Image Group
- Caregiver track · Wednesday · 11:00am–12:15pmMind-Body & Expressive
- Patient track · Friday · 9:30–10:45amSleep & Fatigue Group (CBT-I)
- Caregiver track · Friday · 9:30–10:45amPractical Skills & Planning
- Patient track · Friday · 11:00am–12:15pmRotating Theme Group
- Caregiver track · Friday · 11:00am–12:15pmGrief, Meaning & Looking Ahead
Time zone: Eastern Time
The groups
Group topics rotate on a 4-week cycle, so returning members go deeper each round.
Patient track
- Mondays: 9:30–10:45am
DBT Skills Group
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches practical skills for getting through hard moments without making them worse. Over four weeks you'll learn the TIP skill for fast calming (temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, paired muscle relaxation), radical acceptance, naming emotions accurately, and opposite action. These are tools you can use in the infusion chair, before a scan, or in the car after an appointment.
- Wednesdays: 9:30–10:45am
Process / Support Group
A space to be heard, not fixed. A clinician guides an open conversation among people at different stages of cancer, from new diagnosis to survivorship. Weekly themes include what brought you here, what's hard right now, what's helped, and carrying it forward.
- Fridays: 9:30–10:45am
Sleep & Fatigue Group (CBT-I)
Cancer and its treatment disrupt sleep and cause fatigue that rest doesn't fix. This group teaches Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) techniques, including stimulus control and sleep scheduling. You'll also learn energy pacing and a wind-down routine for racing thoughts at night.
Sleep, fatigue and chemo brain- Mondays and Fridays: 11:00am–12:15pm
Rotating Theme Group
Four topics that matter across every stage of cancer: fear of recurrence, living with uncertainty, communication and relationships, and finding meaning and values. Each session includes a concrete strategy to try that week.
Anxiety, scanxiety and fear of recurrence- Wednesdays: 11:00am–12:15pm
Expressive Arts & Body Image Group
No art skills needed. Using drawing, collage and other simple materials, you'll explore body changes after surgery or treatment, identity, intimacy and self-compassion. Sharing your work is always optional.
Caregiver track
- Mondays: 9:30–10:45am
Caregiver Skills: Stress & Emotion Regulation
Practical skills for the stress of caregiving: calming your body when stress spikes, naming what you feel, and handling guilt, resentment and exhaustion without judging yourself.
- Wednesdays: 9:30–10:45am
Caregiver Process Group
A clinician guides an open conversation among caregivers. You can talk about what’s hardest right now, including who is taking care of you, with people who know what it’s like.
- Fridays: 9:30–10:45am
Practical Skills & Planning
You’ll sort caregiving tasks into “must be me,” “could be someone else” and “could be dropped,” practice asking for help, and build a realistic daily, weekly and monthly plan for looking after yourself.
- Mondays: 11:00am–12:15pm
Rotating Theme: Relationships & Role
Caregiving changes your relationship with the person you care for, and with family, friends and the care team. This group looks at those changes, at communicating through them, and at keeping a sense of yourself outside the caregiver role.
- Wednesdays: 11:00am–12:15pm
Mind-Body & Expressive
Relaxation and breathing practices, gentle body awareness, and simple creative work such as drawing or collage. No art skills are needed, and sharing your work is always optional.
- Fridays: 11:00am–12:15pm
Grief, Meaning & Looking Ahead
Room for anticipatory grief and the difficult emotions that come with it, without judgment. The group also looks at what gives your life meaning now, and at building a support network beyond the program.
Caregiver burnout and anticipatory grief
Individual and psychiatric care: psychiatric evaluation and medication management, plus individual therapy (individual therapy weekly; medication management at the team’s discretion).
How groups work
- Groups are small, so everyone has room to speak. Each group has 10 to 12 members.
- You never have to share more than you want. Passing is always okay.
- Groups are led by our clinicians, who adjust the pace to the room and to how members are feeling that day.
- What's said in group stays in group.
What you'll need
- A private, quiet space where you can talk openly
- A computer, tablet or phone with a camera and microphone
- A reliable internet connection
- Zoom for Healthcare
How long is the IOP?
The program runs about 4–6 weeks, three mornings a week. Because topics repeat on a 4-week cycle, you can join at any point in the cycle. Your team will plan your next step, such as weekly therapy or medication management, before you finish.
Talk it through with us
Call or check your eligibility. A clinician will help you find the right level of care.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or go to your nearest emergency room.