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Merritt Tracy is a health and wellness coach at The After Cancer. She specializes in hormonal and women's health. For as long as I can remember, cancer has impacted my life. When I was a kid, my grandmother was fighting breast cancer. I remember playing dress-up in her room – she had a closet full of clothes, shoes, jewelry and purses. My cousins and I always loved playing there. One day my mom came in as one of my cousins was prancing around the room sporting fake boobs and high heels. We were having a blast, but my mom was horrified and angry. The fake boobs were my grandmother’s prosthetic breasts that she needed because of the double mastectomy. My mother’s reaction to our innocent playtime was a projection of her own fear and she instilled that fear in me early on. Those fears weren’t unfounded. When I was in high school, I lost my grandmother to metastatic breast cancer and my great grandmother to ovarian cancer. When I was in college, my aunt was diagnosed with both ovarian and uterine cancer. When I was in my thirties, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and just a few years ago when I was 50, she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. From worry to wellness I spent a good bit of my life worrying about my risk of cancer. I could see the train barreling down the tracks and it seemed to have me in its sights. Then one day I heard someone say, “Worry is a waste of energy. If you are consumed by worry, there are two things you can do to overcome it. You can let it go or you can do something about it.” I realized then that I needed to do both of those things. I needed to let go of the fear, and I needed to take action. Shifting my mindset to focus on the things I could control to reduce my risk was a pivotal moment for me. I was able to let go of my feelings of helplessness and instead embrace a sense of empowerment. I started eating healthier and I found that I truly enjoyed eating cleaner, fresher foods. I made a conscious effort to slow down and reduce my stress. I learned about endocrine disrupters and reduced my exposure to environmental toxins. I became fascinated with hormone health and gut health. I did a lot of soul-searching and self-discovery. With every step I took, I felt better physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. Sharing it with others I enjoyed the wellness journey so much that I started exploring ways I could share what I had learned with others. I completed my training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to be a Health Coach and went on from there to become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. For nearly twelve years, I have been seeing clients who want to find balance in their lives and hormones and prevent and recover from cancer by lowering their stress and improving their diet and lifestyle. I am happy to be in a place where I can help others strengthen their bodies and minds so they too can let go of worry and take action. Check Merritt's profile and book a free intro call with her

Taffie Lynn Butters is a board-certified health coach at The After Cancer. She's a breast cancer survivor and is passionate about helping others recovering from cancer with lifestyle interventions. Picture: Taffie is part of a Dragon Boat Team. I was an active child so why didn't exercise become a core part of my routine? I grew up in the 80’s with Jane Fonda, leg warmers and neon colors. Exercise for me was more about the social connection and the cute outfits! I had a membership to the local gym, and a couple of times a week I would make my way to the group classes for aerobics. My Mom was a fitness instructor for a while at a women’s fitness place, and the memories of her practicing her routines to the sound of the 8-track player in her bedroom are a vivid memory. As a child I was active in sports. I was on a team at the YMCA for everything from basketball to softball. I loved to swim and spent countless hours riding my bike around the neighborhood. So why didn’t exercise become a core part of my everyday routine? We all know exercise is healthy Exercise, in and of itself, is healthy. We all know that, but do you really know why it’s so important? In today’s modern world of jammed packed schedules, family, friends, and life, somehow exercise/movement often gets pushed to the end of the to do list. It’s almost like we feel guilty for taking the time to care and nourish our body. After a cancer diagnosis your world gets turned upside down. Whatever jammed packed schedule you had, or busyness of life seems to melt away as the treatment of cancer takes center stage. As you reach the end of your active treatment phase, or perhaps even during your treatment phase you may start to wonder, “what more can I be doing to help my healing and recovery?” Integrative cancer care Integrative cancer care is a powerful secondary prevention that focuses on modifiable risk factors. Skilled integrative physicians investigate potential root causes of the disease and empower you with participation in your wellness. Not only does this integrative approach help to improve your quality of life, but it can reduce some risk factors. There is mounting evidence that lifestyle choices, environmental exposures that interact with genetics, and other unknown factors play a role in your cancer care. Physical Activity is just one of the lifestyle choices that has a significant impact on your health, healing and reducing your risk of recurrence. The benefits of exercise/movement Let’s take a look at the benefits that studies and research can teach you about exercise/movement. Physical activity improves immunity, reduces insulin resistance, fat, inflammation, and estrogen – all factors that increase your risk of cancer recurrence and overall survival. Exercise is important in limiting toxicities by eliminating them through sweat and can be an important factor in late term effects of treatment. We see decreased fatigue with yoga practices, prevention of lymphedema with weightlifting, and help reducing pain. In breast cancer alone, “A meta-analysis including over 12, 000 patients (ages 30-55) showed that post-diagnosis exercise decreased all-cause mortality by 40% and breast cancer-specific mortality by 34%, especially in ER+ patients who received the most benefit. Further, disease recurrence was decreased by 24%.” (Ibrahim, 2010) That is some pretty strong evidence to get moving! Unfortunately, most of us struggle to make time or find motivation. While mortality is an obvious motivation, changing our lifestyle can be challenging. Understanding your true “why” is important. (ex: I want to have less pain, gain my strength, and reduce my chances of recurrence) Coaching your way into a daily exercise practice Here are some quick coaching strategies to help get you on the road to daily exercise. Identify why exercise is important to you. What would it mean to you to integrate exercise into your routine? What symptoms are you having that may benefit from exercise? What are some positive side effects that exercise may have for you? Start small and set goals that you can easily achieve! Ask yourself, where can I fit exercise/movement into my day? Set a S.M.A.R.T. Goal When you set effective goals, you’ll achieve more. Goals provide focus, enhance productivity, boost self-esteem, and increase commitment. When setting a goal, clearly outline the steps needed to achieve it while minimizing overwhelm. Make your goals S.M.A.R.T. S.pecific – Be as detailed as possible. Include the following: Who will be involved? What do you want to accomplish? When? Where? Why? Ex – I want to go to for a walk at least 3x a week starting December 1st. M.easurable – establish criteria to measure your progress. How will you know when the goal is achieved? Create a checklist of steps and check them off as you achieve them. A.ttainable – Make sure your goal is small enough to be successful, and that your goal aligns with your future vision of health. R.ealistic – How committed are you to this goal? Have you done something similar in the past? If so, what made you successful? Be honest with yourself, and about the time and energy you can commit to this goal. T.imely – give yourself a timeline, and steps you may need to take to reach your goal. Map out a plan – especially if you need to enlist the help of others. Although the American Cancer Society recommends 150 mins of moderate exercise paired with 2 days of strength training, you may need to work up to this recommendation especially if you are in active treatment or just started your cancer recovery. Initial goals may look like walking to the mailbox daily, or doing recommended physical therapy exercises daily. Regardless of where you start, making exercise a daily part of your life has significant benefits. Before starting any exercise/movement routine, consult with your physician. And as always, be flexible, kind, and patient with yourself. Get started with The After Cancer

Katie Estridge is an integrative physical therapist and pain coach at The After Cancer. Cancer is a horrible disease It robs people of their health and sometimes of their loved ones. My dad was a healthy 59-year-old when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. His good health and the fact that he was a non-smoker disguised his illness. He lived for one year, fighting constant nausea, awful side effects from the clinical trial he was on, and overwhelming sadness. We are a close family and it was very hard on all of us. I was his medical advocate, fighting like hell for the best care, the best options, for hope. When he died, we tried to focus on the wonderful, happy life he lived and not our anger towards the cancer that took him away from us. All too often, cancer happens to those really special people in our lives, those people who don’t deserve it, those people we can’t live without. Not that anyone deserves a scary diagnosis of cancer. I have seen all types of people with all types of cancers in my almost 20 years as an integrative physical therapist. Each one waged a battle in their head and their body. “Will I live or survive?” “Will I get past my cancer or will it be what kills me?” “Can I keep doing this?” Cancer brings difficult emotions alongside pain Cancer brings difficult emotions… sadness, grief, despair, frustration, exhaustion, anger, feelings of being overwhelmed, and disbelief to name a few. Sometimes people experience persistent physical pain. Oftentimes underneath the physical pain lies a well of unresolved emotional pain. One of the things I like to teach people with persistent pain is just to sit with their emotions. It makes them not seem as bad when we acknowledge that these emotions are perfectly normal. Being fearful, angry, sad, scared, and frustrated is okay. I let them know that anyone in that situation would feel the same way. Sometimes our brains perpetuate chronic symptoms and pain because of these difficult emotions. The good news is that the brain is neuroplastic. I teach people how to change their brains to change their pain. This coaching, in combination with physical therapy, leads to lasting healing and cures chronic pain or symptoms. What is integrative physical therapy? I am an integrative physical therapist so I look at all aspects of my patient’s lives and figure out how to make them as well as possible. We talk about fitness, nutrition, sleep, meditation, pain, breathing, and general level of contentment while taking into account the client’s medical history. I genuinely want the best for everyone that I have the honor of treating. I want everyone to feel their best and live their best lives. After all, we only have one life to live. I try to honor my Dad, Larry, every single day by living my best life and helping others to do the same. Check Katie Estridge's profile and book your first session together.

Heather Obleada is a pilates instructor at The After Cancer. She also owns a Pilates studio in Charlotte, North Carolina. My mantra: Movement Heals I am Heather Obleada, owner of Iron Butterfly Pilates, Charlotte NC, and I am thrilled to be on The After Cancer team. My journey of life has had many metamorphoses, including professional dancer, dance teacher, Pilates studio owner, wife, mother, and friend. Each of these roles has always brought me back to the same mantra – Movement Heals. Movement is different at every stage of life Movement is different at every stage of life, and sometimes that is one of the hardest things to wrap our minds around. I am no longer flying across a ballet stage doing grande jetes, but I am moving my body every day. Why? Because movement heals both mentally and physically, feeding our bodies and our souls. We crawl, we walk, we run, both literally and figuratively, throughout every stage of life we are in. Especially when trying new things, we start things slowly, gain confidence, and then take off. In The After Cancer Pilates classes, I will help you start moving, meeting you where you are. We will discover the power of breathing and the effects it will have on your mind and body. We will then take your breath into stretches, seeking places to lengthen and find more space. Finally, we will add strength, strengthening you from the inside out. Breathing, stretching, strengthening, we will crawl, we will walk, we will run. Through these stages you will gain the confidence you need to explore what types of movement works best for you. Maybe you’ll stick with Pilates, or maybe starting this movement will excite you to try strength training, cycling, or yoga. Most importantly, my gift to you is helping find ways to move your body every day, and exploring all of the ways movement heals. “Change happens through movement, and movement heals.” – Joseph Pilates Get started with The After Cancer

Joe Bullock was diagnosed with stage 3b colorectal cancer in 2018. He's the COO of Man Up to Cancer and a Community Manager at COLONTOWN. Picture: Joe is growing his beard for #Movember to raise awareness for men's health. I hate cancer! I’m waiting to find out if a friend whom I just saw a couple of weeks ago has passed away from this disease. I hate cancer! Another friend is having a couple of spots of concern biopsied soon to see if his cancer has metastasized. I hate cancer! I am constantly being reminded that the people that I love and know personally are just waiting to die from this disease no matter how hard they fight. I hate cancer! Today I just feel sad because there are moments I am tired of being the one left behind. The guilt of my own survivorship bares down on me. I hate cancer! I hate cancer! I hate cancer! Today, I have hope. As my friends and loved ones are dying from cancer. We will still find a cure for this relentless disease. I realize this may not happen in my life time. Today, I have hope. Because I’m inspired by the determination of my friends that are currently in the battle with this disease. The treatments and clinical trials that they may be a part of might help find a cure for cancer in the future. Today, I have hope. As we will continue to advocate for research in the cancer space to find out why so many lives are being taken because of this devastating disease. Our voices will be heard! Today, I have hope. That a patient’s care matters and they will be given the support to battle this disease. If a person needs medical attention, it will be given to them no matter the barriers that may present itself to them. Today, I have hope. I believe that more cancer survivors like myself will continue to serve the community so no one feels alone in the fight with cancer. Today, I have hope. Today, I have hope. I hate cancer everyday! Today, I have hope. Get started with The After Cancer

Dr. Tommy Bischoff, Ph.D., LMFT, is an experienced therapist specializing in grief and loss, couples counseling, trauma, depression, anxiety, infertility, and self-esteem. He is a cancer survivor and offers video consultations as a part of The After Cancer's Care Team. How to manage stress at a macro and micro level as a cancer survivor? There are a lot of stressful things occurring in the world. On a global level we see and hear about wars, terrorism, and violence, poverty and hunger, pandemics, climate crisis and natural disasters. It can be very scary and anxiety inducing, which may lead to feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness. Additionally, you may be experiencing stress that is related to your health, family, work, school, friends, and at this time- the stress and anxiety that often accompanies the holiday season. It is very easy to be weighed down by everything going on both at the macro and micro level. Therefore, it is important to find ways to slow down and engage in coping skills that can alleviate the stress in your life. The power of gratitude Gratitude is an often overlooked and undervalued skill (and state of mind) that can have powerful and meaningful benefits to your health and well-being. The act of being grateful, searching for the good, and appreciating what you have can decrease stress and anxiety (Petrocchi & Couyoumdjian, 2016). Furthermore, being grateful can boost your overall well-being and increase your sense of happiness in life (Behzadipour et al., 2018). It even helps to create positive feelings and increase connection in your relationships (Park et al., 2019). Additionally, implementing an attitude of gratitude in your life can be easy and enjoyable. Some ideas to try to implement gratitude in your life • At the end of the day, use a notebook or journal (or notes on your phone) to write down 3 things for which you are grateful. Do this every day for a month and see how you feel. Bonus challenge - try not to repeat any item you have previously written. • Engage in mindfulness and meditation. Both help with slowing down and focusing. Mindfulness engages your current/present state to be more aware. Meditation explores your inner and outer world - connecting with your emotions, senses, and ideas (learn more on Getting Started with Mindfulness). Both focus on being non-judgmental and encourage curiosity and appreciation of self and one’s environment. • Catch the good. Gottman and Silver’s (2015) research suggests couples should express fondness, admiration, and appreciation for each other. Whether for a romantic partner, parent, child, friend, etc., search for the positive characteristics, traits and behaviors of that person. Bonus challenge - share with them what you see and feel. • Set boundaries for how often and how long you engage in stressful events (e.g. looking at the news), and schedule time to ponder the positive things. It is not about dismissing or denying the hard stuff. Rather, remembering that good things still exist, too. Plus, planning it on the calendar will help with engagement. • Focus on the people, activities, and things that you love, make you happy, feel good, and bring peace into your life. Being grateful can mean engaging with the person or thing that brings positive feelings. If you are struggling to find things you are grateful for, consider other words (e.g. love, happy) that are often connected to gratitude. When life gets busy and chaotic, take a step back and breath In conclusion, when life gets busy and chaotic, take a step back, breathe, and remind yourself of the good things around you. It does not have to be a huge gesture or grand activity in which you engage in order to be grateful. Rather, the small consistent efforts of gratitude will provide the longer lasting and meaningful impact on you and your health as well as those around you. Get started with The After Cancer

Donna is a former Hospice Social Worker, a former Elder Law Attorney, and an ovarian cancer survivor. Check out her website: www.survivingtoflourishing.net. This picture is from Donna's garden, one of her newly discovered passions! During treatments, my sole focus was to continue living Cancer, its treatment, and survivorship bring along with it many surprises. It is not unexpected that an initial cancer diagnosis is shocking to most of us. Then along comes treatment which unless you have been through it before or have been intimately associated with someone who has been, also brings along many surprises. For me, once treatment ended and I started on maintenance medications, I was left bewildered and with a feeling of, “Now what?” I had no idea what my life would look like going forward, and more importantly, I was looking at my future feeling like I didn’t know who I was anymore. How could I figure out what I wanted my life to look like if I didn’t even know who I was or what I liked anymore. I spent most of my time in treatment focusing on one thing, doing what I had to do to continue living. In some ways this was quite a treat and blessing, because I was present in every moment, mindful of what was happening right now, and purposefully not thinking of the future. And while mindfulness can be a good thing, by only being present in the moment and by not thinking about the future, I also stopped paying attention to simple things about how I wanted to spend my time or what I liked. See, during treatment it didn’t matter that I didn’t like taking my medicine, or that I wanted to be outside when I had to spend the day in the infusion center. My wants didn’t matter because I needed to do certain things to live. Cancer diagnosis and treatment change you After treatment, I was left with a wide-open vista with which to view my life. As you know, a cancer diagnosis and treatment change you in a fundamental way. You now understand on a much deeper level about the limited time you have. Certain things that you valued before are no longer as important, and other things begin to take center stage. There is a newfound depth to living now as you are acutely aware of the limited time that this thing called life is. You want to make the most of every moment and increase moments of joy. So where do you find these moments of delight when you feel like you don’t know who you are anymore. After feeling completely lost, I started to think about what I valued the most. Keeping up my most important connections, something that I know I let lag in the hustle and bustle of pre-cancer life, was vitally important. That was and is the thing that brings me the most joy. Seeing the people I love, especially since I had not seen many loved ones for quite a while because my surgery and treatment was during COVID, meant more to me than I could ever express. I wasn’t sure I was going to see anyone again, so every face-to-face reconnection was and is profound and deeply moving. I captured a piece of delight. But what else brought me joy? I wasn’t sure, but here is how I started to find out. I had no idea what I liked to do anymore, what hobbies I liked, what, if anything, was on my bucket list. With small baby steps I started by thinking of the things I liked to do as a child. For me, I was an avid reader. This primarily went by the wayside due to the obligations of my pre-cancer professional life. I tried reading again. I was transformed back into a world of imagination, sparking memories of things long forgotten about, and spurred into thinking about old things with a new perspective. I regained another little bit of delight. Then I started thinking about what I always wanted to do if I had time. Well for me, gardening was close to the top of the list. I’m not sure if it’s in my DNA as my ancestors were farmers or if it’s just the joy of caring for or watching something grow, digging in the dirt and feeling connected to the soil and to the earth. Whatever it is, I started gardening, growing both vegetables and flowers. As silly as this sounds, I was truly joyful when I saw a little green sprout pop up out of the dirt. Being outside in the healing sunshine, hearing and watching the birds was a bonus. Another little slice of delight was found. During this trial-and-error period I discovered that there were some things that I used to love that no longer brought me joy. While I still love cooking and a comfy home, I no longer enjoy watching the cooking or home design shows. Some hobbies I loved when I was younger, like needlework, felt more like a chore to me now so I no longer do them. I also quickly realized that I can’t do everything that I’ve always wanted to try. While I am expanding and trying new things, some of which I enjoy, I try and stick with the things where I feel the most joy and delight. Rediscovering yourself and finding delight So here are my takeaways in rediscovering yourself and finding delight in the after cancer. If you feel like you don’t know who you are after cancer, figure out what you value. It will help you determine how you want to spend your time and who you want to spend it with. If you can’t figure out what you like to do anymore, start by looking at what you liked to do as a child and see if rediscovering those things still resonates with you. If you don’t know what to do, try something that you’ve always wanted to do and see what happens. It may bring you delight and joy or it may seem like more of a chore. Either way, you will know. The thing is to set out to intentionally rediscover yourself and you will find your delight after cancer. Schedule a FREE call with our Survivorship Mentor

This Positive Psychology exercise will guide you through the practice of journaling through the holidays over 42 days from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, so that you may explore your thoughts and feelings surrounding the holiday season. Download the booklet here: What is Positive Psychology? “Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning. It aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive.” (Seligman, 2002) The late Dr.Christopher Peterson (also one of the founding fathers of positive psychology) described positive psychology in this way: “Positive psychology is about helping people move ‘North of Neutral’. Peterson was also famous for saying, “I can describe positive psychology in 3 words: Other PeopleMatter.” Simply Put: Positive psychology is about building what’s right, not just fixing what’s wrong. About the booklet You are receiving a total of 42 journaling prompts. Please note that you determine the pace of writing. Write when it feels right for you and feel free to skip prompts. If you wish to skip a prompt, leave the journal pages empty and return to them in your own time. Before you begin writing, take a few moments to relax and pay attention toyour breath. Breathe in slowly through your nose and hold for 3-5 seconds.Now, gently exhale through your mouth and hold again for 3-5 seconds.With each inhale and exhale, notice the air as it flows in and out of your lungs. Notice your chest as it gently expands and contracts. As you write in your journal, remember to: Create a comfortable, safe space for your journaling where you are unlikely to be disturbed by others. Turn off your phone. Do not censor yourself. Be honest - you are writing only for yourself. No one else will have access to your journal unless you want them to. Be kind to yourself. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, take a break and resume writing when you feel ready to do so. There is no wrong way to journal; you can write however it feels right to you. For example, you might prefer to write in complete sentences, short paragraphs, or a continuous flow of thoughts. Journal writing empowers you to express your difficult feelings safely and privately. It allows you to come to terms with cancer at your own pace and in your way. Your journal is always there to receive your thoughts and feelings. In addition, it gives you the chance to express yourself and reduce stress. Remember, you do not need to worry about spelling, grammar, or even writing full sentences. This journal is for you; you can write however feels right to you. Learn more about Lisa here. Get started with The After Cancer

This article published by MD Anderson, features insights from Dr. Adaeze Iheme, a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer. Dr. Iheme provides valuable information for cancer survivors who have completed chemotherapy. Here's a summary of the key points: 1. Variability in side effects: Short-term side effects like hair loss and nausea usually improve soon after chemotherapy completion. Long-term side effects such as fatigue, chemobrain, neuropathy, weight gain, infertility, heart problems, and mood changes may persist for months or years. Lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and regular exercise, can help mitigate some long-term side effects. 2. Follow-up Care and monitoring: After chemotherapy, survivors need ongoing follow-up care to monitor for cancer recurrence or secondary cancers. Individualized surveillance plans, based on cancer type, stage, and treatment, are established, often involving scans, blood tests, and regular check-ups. Survivorship clinics provide specialized long-term surveillance plans, and patients are educated about potential signs of recurrence. 3. Managing anxiety after cancer: It's normal to feel anxious after completing treatment, often due to concerns about cancer recurrence or a shift from a structured treatment routine. Recommendations to manage anxiety include joining support groups, connecting with other survivors, and seeking support from survivorship clinics. 4. Reducing the Risk of Recurrence: Survivorship clinics offer guidance on lifestyle changes to minimize the risk of cancer recurrence, such as avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, engaging in preventive screenings, exercising, and maintaining a balanced diet. 5. Seeking Support in adjusting to the "New Normal": Life after cancer treatment may require adaptation to a "new normal." Support groups, survivorship clinics, and resources like Integrative Medicine can assist with various challenges, including body image issues, spiritual concerns, anxiety, and physical discomfort. Encouragement for survivors to reach out to their care team for assistance with any challenges they may face. The overarching message is that survivors should be aware of the potential long-term effects, stay vigilant through follow-up care, manage post-treatment anxiety, adopt a healthy lifestyle, and seek support to navigate the challenges of life after chemotherapy. At The After Cancer, we understand the unique journey that cancer survivors embark on after completing treatment. Our digital clinic is dedicated to providing comprehensive support in alignment with the valuable recommendations outlined by Dr. Adaeze Iheme and MD Anderson. Through our video consultations and group programs, survivors can access personalized resources addressing the variability in post-treatment side effects, receive guidance on follow-up care, and find a community where they can share experiences and manage anxiety. Our services assist individuals in reducing the risk of recurrence through lifestyle adjustments and help them navigate the challenges of adapting to a "new normal." The After Cancer is committed to being a reliable partner for survivors, ensuring they never feel alone in their journey, and encouraging them to seek the support they need as they move forward with life beyond cancer treatment. Contact us for more information: general@theaftercancer.com Get started with The After Cancer

Lisa Caughman Payne, a cancer survivor, and positive psychology practitioner committed to enhancing well-being, resilience, and overall flourishing for both individuals and communities. She offers video consultations as part of The After Cancer's Care Team. Learning to live after the diagnosis I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer on June, 16 2016. On July 6, I received the unsettling news that after removing 12 inches of my ascending colon, cancer was found on my liver. Enter, Dr. Austin, my current Oncologist, who told me I had a 9 month life expectancy. Well, how about that folks. Hmmmm. Today, I am writing my blog from a lovely room in Padua, Italy. I just completed 6 miles of walking in the city. I attended mass in the Basilica di San Antonio and loved breathing the air, listening to the Priest speak in Latin, watching the heartfelt response of the congregation and so much more. A beautiful moment in my life. Positive psychology practitioner You see, after cancer, I learned how to live. I was running out of time, and I had to get things done. I have learned to love more deeply, belly laugh, savor more, and ruminate in negativity less. In 2021, I attended The Flourishing Center and received my certification in Applied Positive Psychology. As a Positive Psychology Practitioner, I have learned to embrace, practice and grow using the PERMA model, founded by Martin Seligman in 1999, later adapted to the PERMAV model by The Fourishing Center Founder, Emiliya Zhivotovskaya. My career as a Public Health Administrator, Executive Leader, and now, Life Navigator have prepared me to inspire you on your journey. Cancer is hard, cancer sucks, and cancer throws us a curve ball that none of us want to catch. I am confident that my purpose after cancer is to serve you. My goal is to serve as a confidential thought partner, life navigator, and guiding light, helping you thrive after cancer. The PERMAV model pathways are, Positivity, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, Achievement and Vitality. We will use these pathways to review your strengths, develop tools and review what you have inside that you can use to live your best life. Together we thrive. Check Lisa Caughman Payne's profile and book your first visit today!

Dr. Diane Benfield, DSW, MSW, LCSW, is a dedicated therapist specializing in psychotherapy, grief, depression, and anxiety. She offers video consultations as part of The After Cancer's Care Team. From world traveler to clinical oncology social worker I have been very blessed with many opportunities to travel and study in my life. Psychotherapy is my third (and final) career. I was very fortunate to have studied in Europe for my bachelor’s degree in hospitality management in the 80s and early 90s, worked in hotels and restaurants in the Caribbean for many years after college, and then traveled the world with my backpack - returning to the USA in 1997 to put down roots. I set my sights on becoming a middle school teacher and did it proudly for almost 10 years and loved it. When I desired a more one-to-one helping relationship with people, I went back to school to get a Master of Social Work degree. I worked in substance abuse treatment for my first 8 years as a therapist. An amazing opportunity opened to become a clinical oncology social worker at the Cleveland Clinic. I needed a change, and I jumped at the chance! Exploring posttraumatic growth in psychotherapy Since early 2018, I fell in love with oncology and have not looked back. I went back to school to earn a Doctor of Social Work degree that same year and explored posttraumatic growth for my dissertation – it describes the unexpected and positive changes that occur in people during and after great life-changing suffering. Witnessing this undeniable growth in people after trauma is a beautiful process and happens routinely in the lives of my clients. Journey with AEDP Therapy: Healing and Certification After years of practicing and learning, I found the therapeutic style I most resonated with, and it is called Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). This approach is deeply relational, attachment-based, emotions-focused, experiential, and somatic in nature. This model of therapy begins healing from the very first session by undoing aloneness and having an emotionally engaged therapist. I meet regularly with a master AEDP therapist for 1:1 supervision and engage in routine workshops and long weekend courses all year long. I am a level 2 AEDP practitioner and am well on my way to level 3 and then on to certification. I am licensed to practice in NC, FL and WA. I am working toward becoming a snowbird between the mountains of Asheville and South Florida to spend more time with my dad. I visit Scotland each year to see my mother who has Alzheimer’s and the old stomping grounds of my youth. Get started with The After Cancer

Dr. Tommy Bischoff, Ph.D., LMFT, is an experienced therapist specializing in grief and loss, couples counseling, trauma, depression, anxiety, infertility, and self-esteem. He is a cancer survivor and offers video consultations as a part of The After Cancer's Care Team. The shock of a cancer diagnosis I had been practicing as a therapist for about four years when I first discovered I had cancer. I was in the middle of my third year of a Ph.D. program and my wonderful wife had given birth to our precious daughter just two months prior to the fateful day. The diagnosis was shocking as I grappled with this life altering news and subsequently commenced a new journey as a cancer patient. Gratefully, it was caught early and I did not have to immediately begin treatment. In fact, I made it another three years before symptoms advanced to where treatment was merited and inescapable. Nevertheless, the looming nature of the cancer made for an emotional, mental, and physical three-year struggle to accept the diagnosis and the inevitability of needing treatment. The lifelong journey of a cancer survivor Fast forward to present day, after having completed two years of cancer treatment, I have assumed the identity of a cancer survivor. I am grateful to be alive, to be and feel healthier, and enjoy life with my amazing and supportive family. Yet, like many others, as a cancer survivor I am still surviving. Like many cancer diagnoses, mine is treatable but incurable, and I live with the threatening and unwanted thoughts that it can and most likely will return. My prognosis is good, and at the same time it is important to acknowledge the lifelong journey of being a cancer survivor. Even after the good news, even after health comes back and life resumes some normalcy, a cloud still remains - questions still arise, worried thoughts continue, and feelings of all kinds surrounding cancer life still present themselves. If you are like me, perhaps you have had similar thoughts and feelings. But that is okay. You are normal. You are okay, and this is all part of the journey. My Masters and Ph.D. programs specialized in Marriage and Family Therapy. One of my main specialties is working with couples to improve their relationship- developing better communication, overcoming infidelity or other breaches of trust, and increasing emotional connection. In addition to the unique focus on relationships, I was also proficiently trained to work with mental and emotional health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Another specialty of mine is working with grief and loss, which can take many forms, such as: death, loss of health, infertility, loss of job, loss of a relationship, or loss of a dream. Taken together, I have a strong skillset and perspective for working with individuals and couples. Indeed, each person has their own internal and external struggles, but these challenges do not exist in a vacuum. They exist amidst and are reciprocally influenced by the environment and context in which said individual lives, including but not limited to: family, friends, neighbors, work and colleagues, hobbies, faith and spirituality, etc. The cancer journey exists in like manner. Relationships during and after cancer You and the people around you are influenced by the cancer experience- before, during, and after treatment. Acceptance and adjustment are important no matter where you find yourself with your cancer experience. One may need to process the internal feelings of grief, depression, and anxiety/fear of recurrence. Identity exploration and incorporation during and post cancer treatment may be necessary- who am I with cancer and who am I without it? Likewise, the impact the cancer and subsequent feelings have on your relationships and various roles you play can be challenging to navigate- how do I discuss my thoughts and feelings about my cancer experience? How should others ask and talk to me about it? How do I respond to insensitive comments and questions? What kind of support do I need and what do my partner or kids need? Even post cancer treatment there is an adjustment to becoming a couple again. Due to pain or sickness, intimacy may have significantly decreased. One partner may have become more of a caregiver rather than a romantic partner and transitioning back to equal romantic partners can be challenging. Finally, whether you are in a dark place or doing well, therapy can be a great space to continue to grow and improve your mental, emotional, and relational well-being. With over ten years of experience, I am well-equipped and prepared to work with individuals and couples who may be experiencing the aforementioned items. As a cancer survivor, I have personal experience and understanding for the cancer journey, which has only increased my empathy, compassion, and respect for what you have and are going through. Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and best of luck to you and yours on your journey. Get started with The After Cancer