MY PHILOSOPHY | BACKGROUND

For several years I practiced as a mental health counselor, working with patients who were struggling with anxiety and/or depression. Many patients were interested in discovering the roots of their problems, others simply wanted to develop coping skills to enable them to live their lives more comfortably. Now my practice focuses on supporting patients and families dealing with cancer.

In 2006, four months after I married my husband, Jeff, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. What I didn't know then was that this would be the beginning of an incredible journey, from the eye of the storm and surgery, to a downward spiral of unimaginable pain and fatigue with high doses of chemo, to painful burns from radiation, and finally to be tossed out of the tornado onto a side of the road, left alone to try to recapture my "self" and contemplate what had happened to me.

During this time I was supported by wonderful medical providers, from both Western and Eastern traditions, as well as by my awesome friends and family. I joined support groups, went on a cancer retreat, and basically did everything I could to try to rebuild my life. Now, a year out of treatment, I realize one of the legacies of this journey is a profound understanding of what it is actually like to be diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening illness, and to be confronted with the reality of my own mortality.

What also became clear to me was the important role emotional and psychological support play in the healing process. My hope is to be able to give back a little of the care and kindness that was afforded to me, and to provide support, information, resources, encouragement, and hope, both to cancer survivors and to their caregivers, friends and family.