The Rheum to THRIVEcourse, support group and empowerment program helps you go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected while living with a rheumatic disease.
You deserve more than one 20 minute appointment every three months – you deserve access to expert guidance, skilled facilitation and a supportive community who truly “gets” what you’re going through!
Check out the program page for all the details on the latest dates and waitlist. You don’t have to navigate rheumatic disease on your own.
Learn tools to THRIVE
The program consists of two main pillars: education and support.
On the pre-recorded Rheum to THRIVE educational course, arthritis expert and rheumatoid arthritis patient Cheryl Crow teaches you how to manage your condition and improve quality of life in bite-sized, down to earth lessons and tutorials. She shares tools that are scientifically shown to help you manage pain, function in daily life, cope with stress and give you a sense of control over your disease.
During these educational sessions, you will build a toolbox to help you THRIVE despite your condition. The program proceeds through the six essential, evidence-based tools from each of the Rheum to THRIVE pillars:
- T = Tools for pain & fatigue
- H = Habits (exercise, sleep, nutrition & more)
- R = Relationships (managing social life with rheumatic disease)
- I = Inner world (stress and mental health management)
- V = Valued Activities / Hobbies (how we can connect to our main values and still do things we love despite our condition)
- E = Executive functions (how to be the CEO of your care team).
Get the support you deserve
You also have the option of joining a 14-week Rheum to THRIVE support group, in addition to the online course. At the live virtual meetings, you’ll be able to connect to a small group of people who truly *get* what it’s like to live with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or a related chronic illness during our arthritis support group session. We’ll share our wins, fails, gray areas, a-ha moments and more.
Above, you will see a picture from the optional alumni group, which meets weekly after the initial Rheum to THRIVE program has been completed. I am sharing this picture and first names with permission from all members pictured.
Check out the program page for all the details. You don’t have to navigate rheumatic disease on your own!
All groups are facilitated by Cheryl Crow or a Rheum to THRIVE Certified facilitator!
Certified Rheum to THRIVE Facilitators have completed a rigorous training including apprenticing and co-facilitating a group with Cheryl Crow, program founder. They have each also completed the Rheum to THRIVE programs and are active in the alumni group.
They have also completed training in each of the 6 Rheum to THRIVE pillars and in how to skillfully facilitate live peer connections in the support group sessions. Learn more about them below!
Rheum to THRIVE Certified Facilitators
Chrissy Livergood
Chrissy Livergood has lived with joint pain for as long as she can remember, from being the only kid who couldn’t run the mile in elementary school, to spending two decades visiting doctor after doctor who could never explain why something was always hurting or swollen. After nearly 35 years of searching for answers, she finally got one: first a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2021, then a revised diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis in late 2025.
Chrissy became a Rheum to THRIVE facilitator because programs like this one changed her life. After diagnosis, she found herself in some genuinely dark places – overwhelmed, grieving the years she’d lost, and unsure how to build a life around a chronic condition. Community pulled her out. She has been facilitating Connect Groups for the Arthritis Foundation for over a year, and what she loves most about it is watching that shift happen; the moment someone goes from feeling alone and overwhelmed to feeling informed, supported, and capable. She brings her own experience with delayed diagnosis, the challenges of being a woman with ankylosing spondylitis, and a deep belief that community and education are among the most powerful tools in any arthritis toolkit.
Testimonials
“Rheum to Thrive has been very rewarding. I have finally found a sense of belonging in a community since being diagnosed with RA! This group has brought me hope, inspiration, and a genuine feeling of compassion.” – Amy, 2023
“Every topic we covered in Rheum to THRIVE was practical and empowering! The support and acceptance I found in this group has changed my attitude about living with chronic illness.” – Melissa, 2023
“Before being part of the program, I remember feeling like I was barely surviving and (even though objectively my disease has worsened and my treatments are less effective), I am now coping SO MUCH BETTER – mentally, physically, and emotionally!” – Natalie, 2023
“(Before Rheum to THRIVE) I felt pretty disconnected from others with RA and felt a lack of control about what was going on in my life. I had very little information and in some cases I didn’t even know the terms to search for. All of this has changed thanks to RTT. I feel empowered and supported!” – :aura, 2023
How can I join Rheum to THRIVE?
Check out the program page for all the details. You don’t have to navigate rheumatic disease on your own!