Cancer and Trauma

Trauma is defined as an emotional response to any difficult life event, examples include exposure to threatened death or actual death, and can result in shock and denial in the short-term. Other emotional responses to cancer and trauma that you could experience include emotional distress, depression, anger, distorted thought patterns, relationship conflict, and physical symptoms in the long-term.

A cancer diagnosis and treatment can constitute a trauma for most people. Knowing…

Cancer and its Effect on Mood

Just as cancer affects your physical health, it can bring up a wide range of feelings you are not used to dealing with and impacts your mood and mental well-being. It can also make existing feelings seem more intense. They may change daily, hourly, or even minute to minute. This is true whether you are currently in treatment, done with treatment, or a friend or family member. These feelings are all normal.

1. Often the values you grew up with affect how you…

Depression and Cancer

(Mental Health Series)

Feelings of depression are common when patients and family members are coping with cancer. It is normal to feel sadness and grief. Dreams, plans, and the future may seem uncertain. But if a person has been sad for a long time or is having trouble carrying out day-to-day activities, there may be reason to be concerned.

Depression can be mild and temporary with periods of sadness but can also be more severe and lasting. The more severe type is often…

Anxiety and Cancer

Anxiety What Does It Mean?

Anxiety means feeling uncomfortable, worried, or scared about a real or possible situation. It is important to recognize anxiety and take steps to manage it or prevent it from getting worse.

General Anxiety

In general, anxiety is a common problem for patients with a cancer diagnosis. At different times during treatment and recovery, cancer patients and their family and caregivers may feel fearful and anxious. 

By simply finding a lump, other…

When you first began your cancer treatment, you could not wait for the day you would finish. Now that you have completed your treatment, you are not sure if you're ready for life after treatment as a cancer survivor.

With your treatment now completed, you may see your cancer care team less often. Though you, your friends and your family are all eager to return to a more normal life, it can be scary to leave the protective cocoon of doctors and nurses who have supported you through treatment.

Spring Cleaning for Our Mental and Emotional Wellness

This time of year, as the season turns from winter to spring, it is natural for the ‘spring cleaning’ to begin—the full clear out and freshening up of our homes. Decisions are made over what to keep and what to get rid of. And corners left untouched for months finally get that attention.

And in many traditions, like Ayurveda, the seasonal shifts are a critical time to tune in to your mental and physical health. With any change comes a natural…

The Promise of Post Traumatic Growth and How We Arrive There

 There are four factors which lead to post traumatic growth:

1. Brutally Honest Optimism

2. Perception of Control Over Events

3. Coping Style

4. A Strong Sense of Self

As we have witnessed from this past year alone, the effects of COVID-19 and the pandemic have been overwhelming and all encompassing.  No one has been untouched by this global pandemic, and we can see from the research that those that have a high degree…

Hello, my name is Amy, and it is a great honour to be Hopespring’s Cancer Care Counsellor. On numerous occasions, I will get asked, what does cancer care counselling look like and how might it assist me? My hope is that this will be helpful for you to make a better informed decision.

Before we begin, a little about me, I have been a practicing social worker and therapist for 20 years. I graduated with a masters of social work or M.S.W from Wilfrid Laurier University.  My passion and much of…

As we approach Valentine’s, known as the holiday of Love, it is a time to reflect on our hearts, how we give and receive Love.  Love comes in so many forms and often it is Self Love which receives the least amount of our attention.  In essence Self Love is the most important journey we will take; the journey of loving ourselves We focus so much time and attention on caring for our parents, children, spouses, friends, partners, and colleagues that often our own needs are left out.  Without…