Spiritual Support for Cancer Patients

There is a psychic crisis in any illness, none being bigger or more highly charged than cancer. It is a disease that is both dreaded and feared and as such it carries a big psychological charge. However, many people these days are becoming cancer survivors, with advances in medical treatments and investment in whole person healing many people are able to overcome this disease, my husband being one of them.

Cancer is not just a physical problem but a problem of the whole person.  A cancer diagnosis can send shock waves through us, it is a huge journey physically, mentally, emotionally, psychically, soulfully, spiritually, and at times even financially and socially. It can radically disrupt our lives and is often a catalyst that sends us on a deep healing quest.

Loss of health and sorrow pull us inward and downward, there is a natural gravity that leads us toward the inner life which is much closer to the soul. This time can feel overwhelming and frightening as we head into this unknown and uncertain territory. But it is here that we find the time to slow down, review and reassess our lives and how we have been living them.

Life is a union of the body, the emotions, the mind, the soul and the spirit. Health is balance. Illness occurs when the individual falls out of balance physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. This is why it is important to consider the whole.

Studies show that trauma, stress and isolation increase the risk of cancer. Chronic stress results in a suppression of the immune system. It is hard to know the causal factors of cancer however some experts say it is often an indication of problems elsewhere in the person’s life, aggravated or compounded by a series of stressors 6 to 18 months prior to the onset of cancer. Typically, these patients have responded to these issues with helplessness or an attitude of giving up. This emotional response in turn could have triggered a set of physiological responses that supress the body’s natural defences and make it susceptible to producing abnormal cells.

Cellular biology tells us that a cancerous cell is a weak and confused cell that contains incorrect genetic information. If this cell reproduces other cells with the same incorrect genetic material then a tumor begins to form. Normally the immune system would recognise these cells and destroy them.

In this modern era we have started to really understand the link between the mind, the emotions and the body and how these all act as an interconnected system. That changes in the psychological state results in changes in the physical state.  Affect one and you affect the other. Herein lies the distinct possibility that within one’s own mind is a power capable of exerting forces that can influence the course of disease for the better. That recovery is more possible when you mobilise the whole person in the direction of health. We all participate in our own health through our beliefs, feelings and in the attitude we have toward life itself.

In spiritual support for cancer patients, I work with the clients whole self, not in replace of allopathic medicine but in conjunction to with the belief that this gives ourselves the best opportunity to face cancer with courage, strength and a determination to heal. We can ask questions such as how can I grow from this, how can I learn from this, what is my life calling for within me, what is this illness asking from me, what do I need to let go of, what traumas possibly may have contributed, what do I need to do more of, what is this teaching me about my relationships and how I treat myself, what do I need right now?

All inner crisis or pathologies can become epiphanies of the divine and the architecture of the soul. It can take us closer to the deep centre. When troubled times happen to us it is important to remember that at every threshold there are creative energies waiting to enter the world though us. As we crack and feel like we are falling apart the deeper self, the true self, the soulful self moves closer to the surface. As Rumi says the cracks are where the light enters. It can be a doorway, a portal that holds the power to heal us and renew our life we are living.

People journeying through illness are often pining for an empathic and compassionate embrace, at times they can be afraid of their own deeper feelings or how their illness impacts the lives of others.

I hold a deeply compassionate space that allows the heart to open so we can be with the suffering with a soft and gentle hand.

To the heart in you, don’t be afraid to feel

To the sun in you, don’t be afraid to shine

To the love in you, don’t be afraid to heal

To the ocean in you, don’t be afraid to rage

To the silence in you, don’t be afraid to break

Najwa Zebian

I started seeing Kristy after a terrifying breast cancer diagnosis when I was 22 weeks pregnant. I lost my father to cancer, so to me, cancer meant death. At the time my daughter had just turned 3, I had a son on the way and a whole lot to live for. Needless to say I was a complete mess.

After just one session with Kristy I felt completely bonded to my unborn son that I had been struggling to connect with, and after 3 or 4 sessions I KNEW my cancer diagnosis would not mean death for me. I went from complete devastation and despair, to being 100% confident that cancer would not beat me.

We explored physical, spiritual and energetic aspects of healing. Thanks to her I was confidently able to follow my intuition when it came to extremely difficult decision making regarding my pregnancy, birth and cancer treatment.

I had fortnightly sessions with Kristy for a few months before birthing my son. Thanks to the work we had done together I had the most beautiful, serene natural birth to a happy healthy boy. It was love at first sight. 5 weeks later I finished my chemotherapy, followed by an MRI to assess my response to treatment before surgery. As aspects of my treatment were altered, some omitted due to pregnancy, some may have suspected a less than average response to treatment at this point. But I didn’t. I knew I’d done everything for my body and soul to heal by combining both medical treatment as well as seeing Kristy to heal on a deeper level.

My MRI showed “no evidence of disease”, which almost never happens with my type of cancer from chemotherapy alone. My oncologist said she’s never seen anything like it. No evidence of disease before surgery was highly unexpected by all my medical team, but it wasn’t by me. I remember the day of the MRI and feeling such peace and certainty of the outcome.

I still went ahead with surgery, a double mastectomy thanks to my BRCA 2 gene, which came with more feelings of shock and guilt. I breastfed my daughter until she was 3 years old and only stopped weeks before my breast cancer diagnosis. Loosing both my breasts, not being able to breastfeed my son, plus post surgical pain had me spiralling. Literally just one session with Kristy had me sorted. I learnt how to love and accept my new body, and to forgive myself for not being able to feed my baby boy.

Kristy helped me to see that healing is possible, and I believed that within every cell of my body, in the cancer cells too it would seem. She told me a mantra once, which I still use regularly, “every cell in my body is healthy and radiates love”. I repeated it many times a day during my treatment, and still use it to this day.

As a cancer survivor, I couldn’t recommend Kristy more. She has so much knowledge and experience working with those with cancer and honestly flipped my life around. I will be eternally grateful to her 💜

Stephanie.