Midwest Region Ovarian Cancer Community Education Program
Saturday, November 14, 2026
12:00 pm – 3:15 pm (CT)
(registration opens at 11:45 am)
Wilder Mansion
211 S Prospect Ave. Elmhurst, IL 60126
Parking available onsite
Agenda
11:45 am – 12:45 pm | Registration & Lunch |
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm | Meditation with City of Hope |
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm | Healing Power of Art |
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm | Closing Remarks & Reflection |
*Schedule is subject to change; all times shown above are Central.
Session 1: Meditation with City of Hope
Alexandria Callahan, PhD, LCPC, BC-DMT, GLCMA
Manager, Behavioral Health, City of Hope Chicago
Alexandria Callahan is the manager of the Behavioral Health department at City of Hope Chicago, where she helps patients cope with challenges around body image, trauma, and communication and intimacy with partners, and assists them in reconnecting and redefining themselves through movement. She joined City of Hope in 2009.
Alexandria's passion for movement and fascination with how the human body works assisted her in delving deeper into the mind-body connection and the role played by both in emotional experiences. Pursuing her PhD in Clinical Sexology has enabled her to further assist her patients in maintaining their quality of life throughout and after cancer treatment.
Callahan holds a PhD in Clinical Sexology from Modern Sex Therapy Institutes and is an AASECT certified sex therapist. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and earned a Master of Arts degree in dance/movement therapy and counseling from Columbia College in Chicago, followed by a Graduate Laban Certificate in Movement Analysis (GLCMA) from the school. The GLCMA program teaches students how to apply movement analysis in a therapeutic and artistic setting.
As an undergraduate she completed an internship at Dance Base in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she directed dance classes for individuals with physical and mental disabilities ranging in age from 4 to 96.
Session 2: Healing Power of Art
Exploring Identity Through Torn Paper Collage is a guided art therapy directive designed to help those touched by cancer process their unique journeys and reimagine their sense of self. Using the tactile, non-clinical process of tearing and layering paper, participants create meaningful compositions that symbolize their personal experiences. This exercise offers a safe, creative space to examine how cancer has impacted their identity, providing a pathway to foster self-connection, process emotions, and visualize a resilient future. All art materials will be provided.
Presented by: Jacqueline Carmody, LCPC, ATR-BC, ATCS
Jacqueline Carmody, LCPC, ATR-BC, ATCSDirector, Twist Out Cancer |  |
As the Twistshop Director for Twist Out Cancer, Jacqueline Carmody helps people touched by cancer find healing through art therapy. Since 2013, she’s been instrumental in building the organization's creative arts programming, Twistshops. Twistshops connect individuals worldwide through virtual, in-person, and hybrid art therapy programs. Jacqueline blends her clinical background with a passion for creative expression to foster connection and support within the Twist Out Cancer community.
Local Sponsors:
Hosted by the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) Midwest Region, this complimentary educational program is created especially for ovarian cancer survivors and their caregivers.
This program brings our community together to engage in holistic wellness activities that nurture physical and emotional well-being while strengthening strategies for coping and resilience.
Together, we move forward—stronger, informed, and supported.