The IC-Growth intervention manual is based on the already tested and evidence-supported I-CAN-ACT Project manual (Marianna Zacharia, MSc Clinical Psychology, PhD candidate, ACThealthy Lab, University of Cyprus, supervised by Dr. Maria Karekla) and has been specifically adapted to the needs of our program. Its goal is to foster post-traumatic growth, improve quality of life, and support the management of psychological pain and negative emotions in oncology patients. The program consists of six weekly group sessions:
- Session 1: Introduction, group cohesion, “creative hopelessness,” and values clarification.
- Session 2: Understanding the cost of controlling emotions, acceptance, and first mindfulness practices.
- Session 3: Cognitive defusion, working with thoughts, and developing the “observing self.”
- Session 4: Deepening values and goals, building committed actions.
- Session 5: Commitment, managing successes and failures, and cultivating self-compassion.
- Session 6: Termination, relapse prevention, and planning a value-based life after therapy.
In this way, IC-Growth builds upon the proven effectiveness of I-CAN-ACT while being carefully tailored to the specific needs and context of our program’s participants.
