Collaborative Cancer Care Podcast

Have you ever noticed your shoulders tightening during times of stress, your stomach feeling unsettled after difficult news, or your heart racing before a medical appointment? These physical sensations aren't "just in your head." They are your body's way of communicating with you.

In this episode of Chat & Chew, we explore somatic therapy, a powerful, evidence-based approach to healing that recognizes the deep connection between the mind, body, and nervous system. While traditional talk therapy focuses on thoughts and emotions, somatic therapy helps us understand how stress, trauma, anxiety, grief, and even a cancer diagnosis can become stored in the body—and how reconnecting with our bodies can support healing.

Throughout this conversation, we discuss why the body holds onto stress, how the nervous system responds to overwhelming experiences, and why many people continue to feel stuck in survival mode long after the original threat has passed. We also explore how learning to notice physical sensations with curiosity instead of judgment can help regulate the nervous system and restore a sense of safety.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What somatic therapy is and how it differs from traditional talk therapy
• How trauma, chronic stress, and anxiety affect both the brain and the body
• Why the body's fight, flight, freeze—and even fawn—responses are designed to protect us
• How unresolved stress can contribute to anxiety, chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and muscle tension
• An introduction to three evidence-based somatic approaches:
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
  • Somatic Experiencing®
• Simple ways to begin strengthening your connection with your body through mindful awareness and breathing practices

We also conclude the episode with a guided body awareness exercise designed to help you slow down, notice your breath, release tension, and reconnect with your body's natural wisdom.

Whether you're living with cancer, navigating trauma, experiencing chronic stress or anxiety, caring for a loved one, or simply interested in the mind-body connection, this episode offers practical insights and hope for healing.

Key Takeaway:
Your body is not working against you—it is communicating with you. When we learn to listen with curiosity and compassion instead of fear, healing becomes possible. Somatic therapy reminds us that recovery isn't only about changing our thoughts; it's also about calming the nervous system, rebuilding trust in our bodies, and creating a renewed sense of safety and resilience.

To learn more about Collaborative Cancer Care and our counseling, wellness, and survivorship programs, visit collaborativecancercare.com.

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may benefit from learning more about the mind-body connection. Together, we can continue supporting healing that cares for the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.

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Understanding Anxiety During Cancer: When It's Normal, When to Seek Help, and How Therapy Can Help

Anxiety is one of the most common emotional responses to a cancer diagnosis, yet many people wonder, "Is what I'm feeling normal?" The answer is often yes. Cancer changes life in an instant, bringing uncertainty, fear, and countless questions about treatment, the future, relationships, and identity. While anxiety is a natural response to these challenges, it doesn't have to control your life.

In this episode of Chat & Chew, we take a compassionate, evidence-based look at anxiety during the cancer journey. We discuss why anxiety occurs, how the brain's natural fight, flight, or freeze response is activated during times of uncertainty, and when normal anxiety may develop into something that requires additional support.

Together, we'll explore the emotional, physical, and behavioral signs of anxiety, common anxiety disorders, and why cancer survivors often experience ongoing worry—even after treatment has ended. We also address "scanxiety," the fear and stress that can accompany follow-up appointments and imaging, and explain why these feelings are so common.

You'll also learn about several effective, evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness practices. In addition, we share practical strategies you can begin using today, including breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, identifying anxiety triggers, scheduling "worry time," gentle movement, and healthy lifestyle habits that support emotional well-being.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, living in survivorship, caring for a loved one, or supporting patients as a healthcare professional, this conversation offers reassurance, education, and practical tools for navigating anxiety with greater confidence.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why anxiety is a normal response to cancer
• How cancer affects the brain and nervous system
• Signs that anxiety may require professional support
• Common anxiety disorders experienced during the cancer journey
• How therapy can help reduce anxiety and improve quality of life
• Practical coping strategies you can start using today

Key Takeaway:
Anxiety is not a personal failure—it's your brain and body trying to protect you. The good news is that anxiety is highly treatable. With the right support, healthy coping strategies, and evidence-based therapy, it is possible to move beyond survival mode and reconnect with a meaningful, fulfilling life.

To learn more about Collaborative Cancer Care and our counseling, wellness, and survivorship programs, visit collaborativecancercare.com.

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear this message. Together, we can remind others that healing isn't only about treating the body—it's also about caring for the mind.

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Therapy in Oncology Care: Healing Beyond the Physical | Chat & Chew

Cancer affects far more than the body—it changes our thoughts, emotions, relationships, identity, confidence, and sense of safety. Yet while treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery receive much of the attention, emotional healing is often overlooked.

In this episode of Chat & Chew, we explore the essential role of therapy in oncology care and why caring for your emotional well-being is just as important as caring for your physical health.

Join us as we discuss how therapy can help patients and survivors navigate every stage of the cancer journey—from the shock of diagnosis and the challenges of treatment to scan anxiety, grief, loss, and survivorship. We also address common misconceptions about therapy and explain why seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why therapy is an important part of comprehensive cancer care
• Common myths about therapy and the truth behind them
• How cancer impacts mental and emotional health
• Practical coping strategies for anxiety, fear, grief, and "scanxiety"
• How therapy supports patients during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship
• Why healing is about more than eliminating disease—it's about learning to adapt, rebuild, and find meaning

Whether you're living with cancer, supporting a loved one, a caregiver, or a healthcare professional, this conversation offers insight, encouragement, and hope.

Key Takeaway:
Seeking therapy doesn't mean you're failing to cope—it means you're giving yourself another tool for healing. Cancer changes life, but you don't have to navigate those changes alone.

To learn more about Collaborative Cancer Care and our supportive programs, visit https://collaborativecancercare.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may benefit from this conversation. Together, we can normalize emotional healing as an essential part of cancer care.

Cancer & Depression: The Battle No One Sees

A cancer diagnosis changes more than the body—it can profoundly affect the mind and spirit. Yet depression remains one of the most overlooked and undertreated challenges faced by people living with cancer.

In this episode, we explore the complex relationship between cancer and depression, including why it often goes unrecognized, how it can affect treatment, relationships, and quality of life, and what patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals can do to recognize the signs and seek support.

Whether you're navigating your own cancer journey, caring for someone you love, or working in oncology, this conversation offers practical insights, hope, and a reminder that mental health is an essential part of cancer care.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why depression is common during the cancer journey
• Signs and symptoms that should never be ignored
• The difference between grief, distress, and clinical depression
• Strategies to support emotional well-being during treatment and survivorship
• When and how to seek professional help

No one should have to fight cancer and depression alone.

🎥 Want to dive deeper? Watch the full video on YouTube for the complete conversation, additional insights, and practical tools to support mental and emotional well-being:L https://youtu.be/FaX5c7aDZuk

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear this message today.

How Do You Know If You Are Experiencing Little (t) Trauma or Big (T) Trauma?

When most people hear the word trauma, they often think of major life-altering events such as serious accidents, violence, natural disasters, or life-threatening illnesses. But trauma is more nuanced than many realize.

In this Chat & Chew conversation, we explore the difference between Big (T) Trauma and Little (t) Trauma—and why both can have a profound impact on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

We'll discuss how experiences such as a cancer diagnosis, caregiving stress, workplace bullying, chronic criticism, relationship challenges, grief, loss, and ongoing life stressors can accumulate over time and affect how we think, feel, and show up in the world.

In this episode, you'll learn:

☕ What Big (T) Trauma and Little (t) Trauma really mean

☕ How trauma affects the brain, body, emotions, and relationships

☕ Why two people can experience the same event differently

☕ Common signs you may be carrying unresolved trauma

☕ The connection between trauma, stress, anxiety, burnout, and emotional exhaustion

☕ Practical strategies to begin healing and building resilience

Whether you're a patient, caregiver, healthcare professional, or someone navigating life's challenges, this conversation will help you better understand your experiences and recognize that your pain does not have to be compared to someone else's to be valid.

Because healing begins when we acknowledge what we've been carrying.

Reflection Question

What experiences in your life have shaped the way you see yourself, others, or the world—and have you given yourself permission to acknowledge their impact?

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☕ Come for the conversation. Stay for the community.

Join our WenWell Community for support, connection, wellness resources, and upcoming Chat & Chew sessions: https://www.skool.com/wenwell/about

#ChatAndChew #TraumaAwareness #MentalHealth #EmotionalWellbeing #CancerCare #CaregiverSupport #HealthcareProfessionals #StressManagement #Healing #WenWell #CollaborativeCancerCare #RealTalkRealConnection

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Cancer changes more than your body—it can change how you see yourself.
In this Chat & Chew conversation, we explore one of the most common yet least discussed experiences during and after cancer: the loss, shift, and rediscovery of identity.

Whether you are a patient, survivor, caregiver, or healthcare professional, this discussion will help you reflect on who you are beyond a diagnosis and how to move forward with purpose, meaning, and self-compassion.

In this session, we discuss:
✔️ Why cancer can disrupt your sense of identity
✔️ The emotional impact of role changes and life transitions
✔️ Navigating the gap between who you were and who you are becoming
✔️ Reclaiming purpose, confidence, and connection
✔️ Practical strategies for redefining yourself during survivorship and beyond
Cancer may be part of your story, but it does not define your entire identity.
💙 Looking for a supportive community that understands the challenges of cancer, caregiving, healthcare, and life transitions?
Join the WenWell Community—a space focused on Capacity, Safety, and Connection where you can access wellness resources, meaningful conversations, and a community committed to helping you be your best, do your best, and give your best.

➡️ Join the WenWell Community here: https://www.skool.com/wenwell/about

➡️Check out Collaborative Cancer Care's Wellness Program: www.collaborativecancercare.com/wellness

Hosted by Collaborative Cancer Care, powered by WenWell™

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on cancer survivorship, mental health, caregiving, grief, resilience, and emotional well-being.

#CancerSurvivorship #CancerSupport #MentalHealth #CancerJourney #CancerCaregiver #IdentityAfterCancer #PsychosocialOncology #CancerCommunity #EmotionalWellbeing #WenWell

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We’re back—and this conversation still matters.

In this relaunch episode of the Collaborative Cancer Care Podcast, we return to the heart of why this space exists: because cancer is not only a medical experience, it’s a mental, emotional, and relational one.

In this short opening episode, we reflect on what continues even during a pause—the unspoken fear, the emotional weight patients and caregivers carry, and the lasting impact of cancer conversations long after treatment ends. We re-center the importance of capacity, safety, and connection, and share what’s ahead as the podcast moves forward.

Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional, this episode is an invitation to rejoin a space where mental health is not an afterthought—but part of care.

We’re back—because the conversation isn’t over.

To learn more about Collaborative Cancer Care visit www.collaborativecancercare.com

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A cancer diagnosis can change everything—including your social connections. Many patients, survivors, and caregivers find themselves feeling isolated during and after treatment. In this episode of Collaborative Cancer Conversations, Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo shares 4 practical and powerful ways to combat loneliness and rebuild meaningful connection. Whether you’re navigating treatment or supporting someone who is, you don’t have to do it alone. Tune in to learn how to restore your sense of community and emotional well-being.

Learn more and access mental health support at: www.collaborativecancercare.com

#CancerSupport #MentalHealth #Loneliness #CancerSurvivorship #CollaborativeCancerCare #DrWendyGarvinMayo

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In this powerful episode, Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo explores the often-unspoken emotional reality of grief during the cancer journey. Whether you're a patient, caregiver, or survivor, grief can show up in unexpected ways—not just in response to loss of life, but in loss of identity, control, or certainty.

Dr. Wendy breaks down five types of grief commonly experienced during and after a cancer diagnosis, offering insight, validation, and practical strategies to help you better understand and navigate these emotions.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, emotionally numb, or unsure of what you’re feeling, this episode is for you.

👉🏽Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel to dive deeper and access tools to support your healing journey:
🔗 Subscribe and watch on YouTube – Collaborative Cancer Care

#GriefAndCancer #CancerSupport #MentalHealthInCancer #CollaborativeCancerCare #DrWendyGarvinMayo #YouAreNotAlone

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When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, life can change in an instant. For Saju Varghese, the diagnosis of his mother with lymphoma meant navigating the overwhelming world of caregiving—all while balancing the demands of a corporate career as a young professional.

In this powerful episode, Saju shares his emotional and practical journey of stepping into the role of caregiver while managing his job, personal responsibilities, and the ever-present stress of his mother’s illness. He opens up about the challenges of juggling work and caregiving, the sacrifices he made, and the mental and emotional toll that came with trying to be present in both worlds.

Through resilience, resourcefulness, and unwavering love, Saju found ways to support his mother while also taking care of himself. His story is a testament to the strength of caregivers who face the daily challenge of balancing career ambitions with family obligations—often without a roadmap.

🔹 Key Takeaways from This Episode:
✔️ How to manage career responsibilities while being a caregiver
✔️ The emotional impact of caregiving as a young professional
✔️ Practical strategies for balancing work, life, and caregiving
✔️ The importance of self-care and setting boundaries

If you’re a professional navigating caregiving responsibilities, or if you know someone who is, this episode will provide insight, encouragement, and inspiration.

💙 Learn more about Collaborative Cancer Care at www.collaborativecancercare.com.

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