NWACC Offers Cancer Support Group
By Delaney Reaves

Editor-in-Chief

The Dale Montgomery Counseling and Wellness Center on the NWACC Bentonville campus has begun a cancer counseling group for the fall 2023 semester. The group is available to students, staff and faculty who have been impacted by cancer; they also welcome those who have loved ones who have been diagnosed.

The Cancer Counseling Support Group will be hosted at the Bentonville campus on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. to noon in the Counseling and Wellness Center located in the Student Center. The group was previously offered in the summer on Monday and Wednesday but has now moved to being available every Wednesday.

Meagan Ruffing is the Fall 2023 director of the Dale Montgomery Counseling and Wellness Center and a licensed counselor from John Brown University who holds a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health and Marriage & Family Therapy.

Ruffing said that this group was formed by the requests of many throughout campus who have reached out to the center regarding the subject. After hearing the need for the group, she presented it to the team at the counseling center to take the steps needed to push the group into fruition.

John Sevier, licensed associate counselor at NWACC is currently one out of two leaders for the group, the second leader being Katie Argueta, counselor on campus.

Sevier said that the team realizes the topics that are being discussed in a group setting like this can be uncomfortable. The summer sessions had different times to accommodate students with different schedules, but a big setback for a successful group is the time and logistics that come into play. Another factor being the fear of showing up to the group and having to share with others, to show vulnerability within a group setting.

The cancer support group available at NWACC is open to faculty and staff to attend the meetings, counselors are aware of the confidentiality rules and take into account that outside of the group roles and positions look very different. The support group holds the same specifications as personal counseling, what is discussed inside the group is not taken outside of the group.

“At the end of the day we are all human, our job titles or time in life doesn’t automatically make us not human,” Sevier said.

Sevier said that he remembers being around the age of 18 and he understands the thoughts and fears of joining a support group like the one being offered.

“We remember that and we try to normalize that for people here, and I know that we remember it not coming easily to us,” Ruffing said.

“A part of the group is the fear of showing up for the first time”, Sevier said.

After COVID-19, the center has had a difficult time maintaining group sessions, but Ruffing and Sevier have hopes of their own to continue reaching out to utilize these groups to continue to give support opportunities to NWACC students and employees.

SPARC, Sober Peer Alliance Resource Community, started prior to covid but had difficulty being available due to attendance. It is now known as the I AM INITIATIVE, the goal of the group is to reach out to those who struggle with addiction whether it be substance related or other.

“I Am: A Journey Toward Self Love” is a group therapy session that focuses on self-love and self-acceptance, to connect individuals who are in the process of recovery. This group meets every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Counseling and Wellness Center.

Ruffing said that she desires to start a parenting group at one point whether it be a single parent group or generalized parenting group. She said that attending college classes and parenting are both difficult to balance in life but having people around you who live through the same could be beneficial to that responsibility during the semester.

“There’s something about peers supporting each other when they are on the same journey,” Sevier said.

The Washington County Campus does not host a cancer support group at the location. Ruffing said if there’s a need and request for a group to meet at the Springdale location, they are ready to provide another opportunity there.

Enrolled students at NWACC receive free services through the Counseling and Wellness Center that are covered through tuition. Students are able to make a scheduled time to meet with a therapist throughout the semester or decide to meet a minimum number of times depending on the student’s preference. The services are also available to any employees who work at NWACC, including appointments and group meetings.

The wellness center offers services to students, employees by trained counselors who are available for sessions in person or by video meetings Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Career counseling can also be accessed by students through the center and appointments can be made to provide students with support in moving forward while deciding on a career path.

For more information on what the counseling center offers, to access the mental health screening questionnaire and beneficial resources, visit the nwacc.edu site and click the Health & Well Being tab in the Campus Life dropdown. (https://www.nwacc.edu/studentservices/healthandwellbeing/default.aspx)

Appointments can be made by emailing counseling@nwacc.edu to get in touch with a counselor and access free services for all students and employees.