Introduction to a blog chapter dedicated to my work with oncology patients - on the journey that begins with a cancer diagnosis and the search for meaning in a new reality.

Dear Reader,

I have created this chapter of my blog with those in mind who are facing cancer and the demanding process of treatment. For those of you who, each day, are learning to live in a new reality, one marked by uncertainty and fear, but also by hope, strength, and transformation. As a clinical psychologist working with oncology patients, I have had, and continue to have, the privilege of accompanying people through some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

Patients very often ask: “How do others go through this? What do they say? Do they feel the same things I do?” Hidden within these questions is a deep desire to understand oneself within this new reality, and to be reassured that what one feels is “normal.” The stories of others can help us recognize similarities that foster a sense of community, but also differences that stem from the uniqueness of each individual.

I will share with my clinical experience drawn from meetings with patients: the conversations, the silences, and the emotions that are often difficult to put into words. Here, I will describe my professional reflections and fragments of therapeutic encounters, while maintaining full anonymity for my patients.

I am also creating this space for families and loved ones. I hope these insights will help you better understand what your loved one is feeling and experiencing, but also allow you to find space for yourselves and your own experiences within it all. It is often precisely this understanding of another person’s perspective that gives us the strength to move forward together.