DPEP™ Program Overview
•DPEP™ starts when you are first diagnosed, partnering with your oncologist and/or primary care doctor
•You and I have our first meeting during which informational questionnaire is completed
•You will join 10-12 patients creating a cohort. Your cohort attends the 8-week course consisting of 4 shared medical appointments (SMAs) in-person or virtually. First visit will be in-person.
•SMAs will occur every other week at the Brushwood Center, a healing environment located in Ryerson Woods, Lake County, IL. During the week between SMAs, I will meet with you individually to review progress and answer questions.
Located in The Brushwood Center
•Not located in a hospital or clinic setting. Will not trigger the stress reaction YOU may have when preparing for and driving to cancer treatments and/or medical appointments.
•Is located in a forest preserve; a nature setting, which is a nourishing and healing environment. The center has a full kitchen, meeting rooms, virtual visit equipment, and will have a library of information and books available to all patients.
•The David Plotkin Empowerment Program™ is in alignment with and supported by the philosophy of the center which is ‘Improving Health Equity though Community, Nature, and the Arts’
Group Sessions
Week 1: Session 1: Naming meditation
Intro to program, group members, team members
Personal health inventory, https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/docs/Personal-Health-Inventory-Brief.pdf
Forest walk, intro to space and land, discussion regarding forest bathing
Nutrition part I, sugar
Q&A, Conclusion with action plan
Week 2: Check-in (20-30 min individual virtual appointment)
Week 3: Session 2: Naming meditation
Intro to journaling, journals will be distributed and will start with grateful practice
Nutrition part II, prioritizing whole foods, eating organic, limiting animal protein and available substitutes, healthy fats
Cooking demo
Q&A, Conclusion with action plan
Week 4: Check-in (20-30 min individual virtual appointment)
Week 5: Session 3: Naming meditation
Nutrition part III, intro to ketogenic diet, low carb diet, intermittent fasting and its benefits, cookware, water filters
Intro to MBM and (3)basic yoga moves
How to deal with worry (body scanning, box breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, 4-7-8 breathing)
Q&A, Conclusion with action plan
Week 6: Check-in (20-30 min individual virtual appointment)
Week 7: Session 4: Naming meditation
Sleep support
Supplements and Adjuvants with treatment
Q&A, Conclusion with action plan
Week 8: Check-in (20-30 min individual virtual appointment)