YOGA
Meet the organization bringing psychosocial wellness to Chicagoland’s cancer community.

For patients and their loved ones, battling cancer can seem all-consuming. It can be mentally taxing in a way that experts say can narrow the body’s capacity for healing. At Wellness House, program leaders are changing the narrative by empowering individuals to name their fear and destroy it in the process.

“This is a safe space for people to say out loud some of their deepest fears and concerns,” says Lisa Kolavennu, the director of programming at Wellness House. “When you can say it out loud and carry on from there, it suddenly takes away a little bit of the sting. We can look at those fears and figure out what to do with this. People really do start to feel more hopeful and in control.”

Founded in 1990, the organization now boasts 17 locations in the Chicagoland area that collectively host more than 400 programs each month. Their focus is all in the name: wellness. Initiatives like living room support groups, customized nutrition counseling, and group exercise classes help guide patients, survivors, and caregivers through the entire process of living with cancer. Ultimately, Wellness House hopes to facilitate recovery by emphasizing mental health and making space for every facet of a person’s life with and beyond their illness. No matter the program, the focus remains on managing anxiety and working through fears in a positive way.

When you can engage in professional support and meet other people who are going through a similar situation in life, you not only receive support but can give support back, which is an empowering experience.

“Fear of isolation and moments of worry can certainly impact one’s ability to take care of oneself,” says Kolavennu. “When you can engage in professional support and meet other people who are going through a similar situation in life, you not only receive support but can give support back, which is an empowering experience. Suddenly, people start feeling less alone, less isolated, [they feel] fewer symptoms of anxiety, more in control of their situation, and better able to take care of themselves. It’s an exponential effect.”

Programs at Wellness House are free and open to anyone affected by cancer, including family members. Some of the organization’s most impactful programming is for children living with cancer, or those with siblings or parents undergoing treatment.

Most of all, Wellness House prioritizes accessibility. In January 2019, the group opened a new Wellness House location at Mile Square Health Center, a partner program with the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mile Square Health Center is a federally qualified health center that has been providing services to disenfranchised communities since the mid-1960s. The center’s patients are predominantly minorities, many of whom are experiencing poverty and may be uninsured. By providing accessible care, Kolavennu hopes to address extreme health disparities disproportionately affecting low-income communities. “If someone has been diagnosed with cancer and is going through treatment, they deserve the same access to psychosocial support that all people do,” says Kolavennu. “To have the opportunity to partner with UIC and bring our programs to a community that might not otherwise have access makes us hopeful that a difference can be made.”

More
articles

ARLENE KAROLE BACK TO BASICS
(Y)our Stories

Back to Basics

Arlene Karole’s career in educating educators served her well during her breast cancer diagnosis.

Read More »
NICOLE BULLOCK
(Y)our Stories

Making It Through

Lymphoma warrior Nicole Bullock reflects on how faith and hope got her through cancer and put her on a new, more enriching path in life.

Read More »
CANCER IN INDIA
Cancer & Environment

No Ordinary House

India is a country of high cancer mortality rates and limited accessible resources, where many travel miles and miles to expensive cities for late-stage treatment, becoming houseless in the process. Wanting to help, one government official offered up his state house. Now, it’s a beacon of hope for cancer patients.

Read More »
Clean Beauty

Super Clean Solution: Spring 2023 (Brought to You by Stage)

Stage is on a mission to empower the breast cancer community with knowledge, confidence and style. When their founder, Virginia Carnesale, learned about the harmful toxins in most beauty products after receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, she was shocked at how difficult it was to find products that were free of the most concerning ingredients — like endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. With Stage, Carnesale provides a curated selection of high-performing skincare, haircare and cosmetics to help take the guesswork out of switching to clean beauty.

Read More »
ratatoullie
Nutrition

The Dietitian’s Diet

Registered dietitian and farmer Diana Dyer spent more than 20 years working to improve the nutritional guidelines and practices of cancer patients. Here, she discusses her work and shares a simple recipe for readers to make at home.

Read More »
NON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
Nutrition

No Booze, No Problem

We’ve rounded up worthy substitutes for your go-to drink choices, from beer to rosé, that have zero—yes, zero—alcohol.

Read More »