Table 1.

Content of the Fear of Recurrence Therapy (FORT) intervention sessions

Session number	Description
1.	- Self-introduction by each participant, with a focus on their experience with fear of cancer recurrence.
	- Introduce major heading of the Fear of Recurrence Therapy (FORT) from the six sessions.
	- Introduce the automatic thought, behavior, and consequence therapy model and the fear of cancer recurrence model (FCRM).
	- Introduce notions of cognitive restructuring and how to identify FCR triggers.
	- Teach and practice progressive muscle relaxation.
	Homework: Practice progressive muscle relaxation daily. Complete thought journal and challenge maladaptive thinking about the fear of cancer recurrence.
2.	- Prepare questions for nurse specialist, who provides education about general cancer screening guidelines and signs of recurrence in Session 3.
	- Help participants deal with the fact that uncertainty can never be eliminated.
	- Discuss ways of regaining a sense of control using Wheel of Life exercise.
	- Teach calming self-talk. Provide participants with relaxation CD audio and instruct them to use calming self-talk phrases with their relaxation CD when appropriate.
	Homework: Listen to CD every day. Practice calming self-talk. Complete thought journal and challenge maladaptive thinking about the fear of cancer recurrence. Prepare questions for the specialist nurse visit in Session 3.
3.	- Visit from nurse specialist.
	- Increase tolerance for uncertainty by discussing acceptable levels of worry.
	- Challenge faulty beliefs about benefits of worry.
	- Decrease maladaptive coping strategies.
	- Teach and practice guided imagery.
	Homework: Practice guided imagery daily. Continue challenging faulty beliefs about benefits of worry. Complete thought journal, adding a column for behaviors to monitor coping strategies that participants are adopting.
4.	- Provide psycho-education about worry and the need for exposure to worst fears.
	- Promote emotion expression and confront specific fears that underlie fear of cancer recurrence.
	- Write down worst-fear scenario.
	- Teach and practice mindfulness using a body scan through breathing exercise.
	Homework: Read worst-fear scenario every day and then do a self-care activity. Practice mindfulness exercises daily.
5.	- Review exposure to worst fear scenario exercise.
	- Discuss ways of coping with some of the feared outcomes.
	- Promote expression of demoralization feelings.
	- Encourage participants to re-engage with important life goals, people or activities they may have given up.
	- Discuss what meanings the future and planning now have for them.
	- Teach and practice mindfulness using eating meditation (Raisin meditation).
	Homework: Challenge their worst fear scenarios into more likely realistic ones. Write down goals and priorities for the future.
6.	- Review all content covered.
	- Discuss future goals.
	- Set new priorities.
	- Promote saying good-bye to the group and provide closure.