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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat

Strength for the Journey Six Virtual Cancer Retreats 2026

Strength for the Journey Six Virtual Cancer Retreats with Dr Sharon May

 

Strength for the Journey is a six-part virtual retreat series for people facing cancer at any stage. Each gathering follows one of the six Become Your Best themes while speaking directly to the emotional, spiritual, relational, and practical realities of cancer.

These retreats are not about pretending to be fearless. They are about finding strength that is honest, rooted, compassionate, and real. Through guided reflection, research-informed coping tools, meaningful conversation, journaling prompts, and gentle spiritual encouragement, participants are invited to remember: Cancer may be part of your story, but it is not all of who you are. You are still becoming. You are still loved. You are still you.

________________________________________

July 6, 2026 – Stay Rooted When Life Feels Uprooted

Strength for the Journey Theme: Stay Rooted in Your Faith and What Grounds You

Cancer can make life feel suddenly unstable. Appointments, scans, treatments, side effects, uncertainty, and changing plans can leave women feeling as though the ground beneath them has shifted. This retreat creates a gentle space to return to what still holds: faith, breath, prayer, scripture, values, trusted relationships, memories of strength, and the quiet presence of God.

This retreats helps participants identify what they can return to when they feel afraid, overwhelmed, tired, or alone.

Coaching Questions:
“What grounds me when I do not have answers?”
“What truth can I return to today?”
“What helps me feel held, even when I do not feel strong?”

________________________________________

 

August 17, 2026 – My Story Is Still Mine

Strength for the Journey Theme: Examine Your Life Story & Inner Life

Cancer often becomes a major chapter in a person’s life story, but it is not the whole story. This retreat invites participants to gently examine the inner life of cancer: the fear, grief, anger, courage, tenderness, and questions that may not always have room to be spoken.

Through guided reflection and optional journaling, attendees will explore the difference between having cancer and being defined by cancer. The retreat helps participants honor what has been interrupted while also remembering what remains true about who they are. It gives space for honest emotions without forcing positivity or rushing toward acceptance.

Coaching Questions:
“What has cancer interrupted?”
“What has cancer revealed?”
“What part of me is still here, still mine, still untouched?”
“What do I wish people understood about my experience?”

________________________________________

 

September 10, 2026 – Still Me: Choosing Who I Want to Be in This Season

Strength for the Journey Theme: Become Your Best Self Through Intentional Living

This retreat centers on one of the most powerful questions a person facing cancer can ask: Who do I want to be while I am in this?

Cancer can take away plans, routines, energy, independence, confidence, and a sense of control. But it cannot take away the deeper freedom Viktor Frankl described: the freedom to choose one’s attitude and one’s way of meeting life. This retreat explores values-based living — acting from what matters most, even when life feels hard and the body feels unreliable.

Coaching Questions:
“What do I most want to be known for — by myself and by the people I love — in this season?”
“What word feels most like the truest version of me?”
“What is one small way I can live toward that word this week?”

________________________________________

 

October 5, 2026 – Letting Love Meet Me Here

Strength for the Journey Theme: Love Wholeheartedly

Cancer affects relationships. Some people show up beautifully. Some disappear. Some say the wrong thing. Some try to help but do not know how. Many people find themselves trying to protect everyone else emotionally while also carrying their own fear, pain, and exhaustion.

This retreat explores what it means to love and be loved in the middle of vulnerability. Participants will reflect on receiving help, asking for what they need, setting boundaries, having honest conversations, and allowing love to become simpler, more practical, and more present.

Coaching Questions:
“What kind of support actually helps me?”
“What am I tired of pretending is okay?”
“What conversation might bring more honesty, closeness, or relief?”

________________________________________

 

November 2, 2026 – Wisdom for the Hard Days

Strength for the Journey Theme: Live Wisely & Resiliently

Some days require courage. Other days require wisdom. This retreat focuses on emotional steadiness, self-compassion, energy management, scanxiety, uncertainty, and practical resilience for the hard days of cancer.

Rather than defining resilience as “staying strong,” this retreat reframes resilience as learning how to return to yourself again and again. Participants will explore the difference between what is theirs to carry and what is not, how to respond to fear without being ruled by it, and how to make wise choices when energy is limited.

Coaching Questions:
“What does my body need from me today?”
“What helps me come back to myself when fear rises?”
“What is one kind thing I can do for myself this week?”

________________________________________

 

December 7, 2026 – Meaning, Hope, and the Life Still in Front of You

Strength for the Journey Theme: Live with Purpose

Cancer often brings people face-to-face with the deepest questions: What matters now? What am I living for? What does hope mean when life feels uncertain? What legacy am I already leaving through the way I love?

This retreat is tender, honest, and meaning-centered. It does not define purpose as productivity. It does not define hope only as cure. Instead, it invites people to discover purpose in presence, love, courage, faith, beauty, gratitude, advocacy, relationships, and small acts of meaning.

Coaching Questions:
“What makes today meaningful, even if it is hard?”
“What kind of hope is still available to me?”
“What do I want to pass on — through my words, my presence, my faith, my courage, my tenderness?”

________________________________________

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today for Loving Well in Cancer

 

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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat

Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat July, 6 2026

Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreats with Dr Sharon May

July 6, 2026 from 3-3:45pm EST- Stay Rooted When Life Feels Uprooted

 

Strength for the Journey Theme: Stay Rooted in Your Faith and What Grounds You

Cancer can make life feel suddenly unstable. Appointments, scans, treatments, side effects, uncertainty, and changing plans can leave women feeling as though the ground beneath them has shifted. This retreat creates a gentle space to return to what still holds: faith, breath, prayer, scripture, values, trusted relationships, memories of strength, and the quiet presence of God. This retreats helps participants identify what they can return to when they feel afraid, overwhelmed, tired, or alone.

Coaching Questions:

“What grounds me when I do not have answers?”
“What truth can I return to today?”
“What helps me feel held, even when I do not feel strong?”

________________________________________

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today!

 

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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat August 17, 2026

Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreats with Dr Sharon May

August 17, 2026 from 3-3:45pm EST- My Story Is Still Mine

 

Strength for the Journey Theme: Examine Your Life Story & Inner Life

Cancer often becomes a major chapter in a person’s life story, but it is not the whole story. This retreat invites participants to gently examine the inner life of cancer: the fear, grief, anger, courage, tenderness, and questions that may not always have room to be spoken.

Through guided reflection and optional journaling, attendees will explore the difference between having cancer and being defined by cancer. The retreat helps participants honor what has been interrupted while also remembering what remains true about who they are. It gives space for honest emotions without forcing positivity or rushing toward acceptance.

Coaching Questions:

“What has cancer interrupted?”
“What has cancer revealed?”
“What part of me is still here, still mine, still untouched?”
“What do I wish people understood about my experience?”

________________________________________

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today!

 

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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat September 10, 2026

Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreats with Dr Sharon May

September 10, 2026 from 3-3:45pm EST- Still Me: Choosing Who I Want to Be in This Season

 

Strength for the Journey Theme: Become Your Best Self Through Intentional Living

This retreat centers on one of the most powerful questions a person facing cancer can ask: Who do I want to be while I am in this?

Cancer can take away plans, routines, energy, independence, confidence, and a sense of control. But it cannot take away the deeper freedom Viktor Frankl described: the freedom to choose one’s attitude and one’s way of meeting life. This retreat explores values-based living — acting from what matters most, even when life feels hard and the body feels unreliable.

Coaching Questions:

“What do I most want to be known for — by myself and by the people I love — in this season?”
“What word feels most like the truest version of me?”
“What is one small way I can live toward that word this week?”

________________________________________

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today!

 

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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat October 5, 2026

Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreats with Dr Sharon May

October 5, 2026 from 3-3:45pm EST– Letting Love Meet Me Here

 

Strength for the Journey Theme: Love Wholeheartedly

Cancer affects relationships. Some people show up beautifully. Some disappear. Some say the wrong thing. Some try to help but do not know how. Many people find themselves trying to protect everyone else emotionally while also carrying their own fear, pain, and exhaustion.

This retreat explores what it means to love and be loved in the middle of vulnerability. Participants will reflect on receiving help, asking for what they need, setting boundaries, having honest conversations, and allowing love to become simpler, more practical, and more present.

Coaching Questions:

“What kind of support actually helps me?”
“What am I tired of pretending is okay?”
“What conversation might bring more honesty, closeness, or relief?”

________________________________________

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today!

 

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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat November 2, 2026

Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreats with Dr Sharon May

November 2, 2026 from 3-3:45pm EST– Wisdom for the Hard Days

 

Strength for the Journey Theme: Live Wisely & Resiliently

Some days require courage. Other days require wisdom. This retreat focuses on emotional steadiness, self-compassion, energy management, scanxiety, uncertainty, and practical resilience for the hard days of cancer.

Rather than defining resilience as “staying strong,” this retreat reframes resilience as learning how to return to yourself again and again. Participants will explore the difference between what is theirs to carry and what is not, how to respond to fear without being ruled by it, and how to make wise choices when energy is limited.

Coaching Questions:

“What does my body need from me today?”
“What helps me come back to myself when fear rises?”
“What is one kind thing I can do for myself this week?”

________________________________________

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today!

 

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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat December 7, 2026

Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreats with Dr Sharon May

December 7, 2026 from 3-3:45pm EST– Meaning, Hope, and the Life Still in Front of You

 

Strength for the Journey Theme: Live with Purpose

Cancer often brings people face-to-face with the deepest questions: What matters now? What am I living for? What does hope mean when life feels uncertain? What legacy am I already leaving through the way I love?

This retreat is tender, honest, and meaning-centered. It does not define purpose as productivity. It does not define hope only as cure. Instead, it invites people to discover purpose in presence, love, courage, faith, beauty, gratitude, advocacy, relationships, and small acts of meaning.

Coaching Questions:

“What makes today meaningful, even if it is hard?”
“What kind of hope is still available to me?”
“What do I want to pass on — through my words, my presence, my faith, my courage, my tenderness?”

________________________________________

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today!

 

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Strength for the Journey Virtual Cancer Retreat

Loving Well in Cancer: Virtual Retreat May 23, 2026

Strength for the Journey: Loving Well in Cancer: Virtual Retreat May 23, 2026

Loving Well – Even in the Middle of Cancer (Virtual) on May 23, 2026, is part of the monthly Strength for the Journey retreat series. This 90-minute virtual retreat is led by internationally recognized therapist and author Dr. Sharon May, Ph.D., LMFT, and is created specifically for cancer patients and caregivers.

Cancer changes relationships. Roles shift, emotions rise quickly, energy runs low, and the people we love most can suddenly feel harder to connect with. Yet research consistently shows that loving, supportive relationships are among the most powerful sources of resilience and healing for both patients and caregivers.

What It Means to Love Well in This Season

Strength for the Journey: Loving Well is a gentle, therapist-led retreat designed for cancer patients and those who walk alongside them. This experience is not about loving perfectly or giving more than you have. It is about learning to love wisely, compassionately, and honestly—without losing yourself.

Grounded in psychology, attachment research, and faith, this retreat creates space to reflect on how cancer impacts connection, how fear and exhaustion show up in relationships, and how small acts of presence, communication, repair, and healthy boundaries can restore closeness and peace.

During this time, you’ll be invited to slow down, breathe, and explore what loving well looks like in this season—at your own pace, without pressure to be strong or have it all together.

If you are longing for steadier, kinder, and more life-giving relationships in the midst of cancer, we invite you to join us.

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today for Loving Well in Cancer

 

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Becoming Your Best (Virtual) April 18, 2026

Becoming Your Best (Virtual) April 18, 2026

Strength for the Journey: Becoming Your Best (Virtual) April 18, 2026

The Becoming Your Best virtual event on April 18, 2026, is part of the monthly Strength for the Journey retreat series. This 90-minute virtual retreat is led by internationally recognized therapist and author Dr. Sharon May, Ph.D., LMFT, and is created specifically for cancer patients and caregivers.

When you’re facing cancer or caring or caring for someone who is- life can feel overwhelming, uncertain, and exhausting. You may wonder how to be your best and live well when so much feels out of your control.

We invite you to a gentle retreat led by an internationally recognized therapist and author, Dr. Sharon May, Ph.D., LMFT created specifically for cancer patients and caregivers. Strength for the Journey: Becoming Your Best is not about fixing yourself, staying positive, or doing more. It’s about finding steadiness, meaning, and direction right in the middle of this season.

When grounded in psychology, resilience research, and faith, this retreat offers space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most– your values, your inner life, and who you want to be, even now. You’ll leave feeling more grounded, supported, and less alone.

Come as you are. There is no pressure- only care, understanding, and hope.

 

Location: Online, Zoom link provided upon registration.

 

Cost: Free of charge

 

Limited Spots Available- Reserve Your Spot Today for Becoming Your Best

 

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