Wellness Within Cancer Support

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In this episode join Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, LMFT  as she reflects on the caregiving journey and emphasizes the significance of self-care tools. Discover practical tips to enhance your well-being as a care partner and navigate the challenges with resilience.

Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honoring the integration of medical treatments with mind-body practices that enhance one’s quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life-threatening illness brings, and the significance of pulling together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Kaiser Permanente and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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In this episode of the Wellness Within podcast, join Nicholas Holmes, for a deeply calming and transformative meditation experience. In "Tuning into Silence," Nicholas expertly guides you through a meditation designed to help you connect with your inner self and the profound stillness within.

Nicholas Holmes has been in the Health & Wellness space for over 10 years in a variety of roles including fitness manager, personal trainer, nutrition coach, metabolic specialist, and holistic lifestyle coach. He has developed an array of knowledge and certifications including NASM CPT, Precision Nutrition Level 1 and 2, CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, and Integrated Movement Science 1.

In 2022 he felt a calling to go to India to dive deeper into Yoga, wanting to experience it from the source. He ventured to an area outside of Rishikesh called Mohan Chatti where he experienced the wisdom of the Rishi’s, ancient Vedic texts, and engaged in the practices of Himalayan Yogi masters from over the years, including Pranayama, Kriya, Asana, Mantra, and meditation. He is grateful to utilize these tools for his own daily practice and to also share them with others on their unique journey to health and well-being.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Kaiser Permanente, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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In this candid and important episode, we delve into the often sensitive and overlooked topic of intimacy and sexuality during and after cancer. We're excited to be joined by Dr. Samantha Siegel, an inspiring internist from Kaiser Permanente, who brings both her professional expertise and her personal triumph over relapsed/refractory Hodgkin’s Lymphoma into this conversation.

Before we dive in, we want to provide a forewarning that this episode will address explicit sexual topics. We believe it's essential to engage openly and honestly with these matters, as they play a significant role in the lives of those facing cancer. Dr. Siegel's insights will provide valuable guidance, but we understand that this content might not be suitable for all listeners. For further insights into the intersection of cancer and sexuality, don't miss our previous episode featuring Dr. Anne Katz, a certified sexuality counselor and Clinical Nurse Specialist. You can listen to that episode HERE, where Dr. Katz expertly discusses breaking the silence on sexuality in oncology, navigating vulnerable conversations for survivors and their partners, and finding body acceptance after cancer-related physical changes. 

This episode is a reminder that thriving beyond cancer involves addressing all dimensions of life, including intimacy. Join us for this essential conversation with Dr. Samantha Siegel, as we navigate the complexities of intimacy and cancer, offer insights for survivors, care partners, and healthcare professionals alike.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Samantha Siegel is an internist in Kaiser Permanente. She has overcome relapsed/refractory Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, including an autologous bone marrow transplant in June 2022. This has made her passionate about cancer survivorship, integrative medicine and the concept of personal narrative impacting the illness experience. She hopes to pioneer a longitudinal cancer survivorship care model, beginning at diagnosis, that can be replicated in other health systems and to elevate the status of cancer survivorship within ACGME to a distinct, multidisciplinary board certification. Dr. Siegel lives in Davis with her husband, three kids and energetic dog. They enjoy outdoor activities and plant based living.


This podcast is sponsored in part by Kaiser Permanente, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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Join Wellness Within Founder, Patti Brown, LMFT in this meditation for partnering with your immune system.

Wellness Within is the realization of a dream for Patti. After 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist, she decided to honor the tugging at her heart and open a grassroots organization to serve a community dealing with cancer and its aftermath.  It is her life’s work to teach, support, and mobilize the body and mind for healing.  Learn more on our website at: www.wellnesswithin.org.

Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honoring the integration of medical treatments with mind-body practices that enhance one’s quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life-threatening illness brings, and the significance of pulling together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

This podcast is sponsored in part by UC Davis Health, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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Do you find yourself looking for methods to improve treatment outcomes, manage side effects of cancer and treatments, reduce chances of recurrence, or prevent long-term or late effects of cancer and treatments?  Hear from Laura Pole, RN, MSN, OCNS from CancerChoices as she speaks about using the integrative whole person approach to cancer care which includes conventional, complementary, and self-care practices.  Laura provides many knowledgeable and inspiring take-aways in this episode, while embracing the importance of shifting from the state of overwhelm to discovering your internal map with supportive resources and guidance from those who will walk beside you.

The episode ends with Laura sharing about her beautiful song, "I Come for the Love", off  Laura's trio's  album "Virginia Morning". Click here to listen and download:  https://trifolkal.hearnow.com/

Laura Pole is senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices. Laura is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation, and education services for over 40 years. She is the co-creator and co-coordinator of the Integrative Oncology Navigation Training at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv for Smith Center/Commonweal. In her role as a palliative care educator and consultant, Laura has served as statewide Respecting Choices Faculty for the Virginia POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Collaborative as well as provided statewide professional education on palliative and end-of-life care for the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.

For CancerChoices, Laura scouts out content and research, networks with clinical and organizational partners, brings awareness and education of integrative oncology at professional and patient conferences and programs, and translates research into information relevant to the patient experience as well as clinical practice.

• Web address: www.cancerchoices.org
• Guidance for Each Phase: https://cancerchoices.org/guidance-for-each-phase/
• Seven Healing Practices: https://cancerchoices.org/your-choices/choices-in-self-care/7-healing-practices/
• Reviews of Complementary Therapies: https://cancerchoices.org/your-choices/choices-in-complementary-care/reviews-of-complementary-therapies/
• Managing Symptoms and Side Effects: https://cancerchoices.org/therapies-handbooks/managing-symptoms-side-effects/
• Request a Volunteer Guide (to guide you through the website):  https://cancerchoices.org/find-support/find-a-volunteer-guide/
• Find Support:  Healing Circles and Retreats: https://cancerchoices.org/find-support/healing-circles-and-retreats/

This podcast is sponsored in part by UC Davis Health, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit 

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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In this episode Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, MS LMFT is joined by honored guest, Akil Palanisamy, MD.  Dr. Akil is a Harvard-trained physician, author, and holistic medicine expert in integrative and functional medicine. He joins us to share about the connection between cancer & autoimmune disease, and the integrative approach to heal and strengthen our immune systems by addressing the 5 root causes of disease. 

Akil Palanisamy, MD  practices integrative medicine, blending his conventional medical expertise with holistic approaches including functional medicine and Ayurveda. “Dr. Akil” attended Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in biochemical sciences. He earned an MD from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and completed family medicine residency training at Stanford University. He then graduated from a fellowship in integrative medicine with Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona, and received certification in mind-body medicine from the Georgetown University Center.

Dr. Akil is the Department Chair for Integrative Medicine at the Sutter Health Institute for Health and Healing (IHH). He also serves as IHH Physician Director for Community Education and leads their educational initiatives and programs. Dr. Akil has been a consultant with the Medical Board of California for many years. 

A widely known speaker and educator, he is the author of “The Tiger Protocol” (his latest book) and “The Paleovedic Diet: A Complete Program to Burn Fat, Increase Energy, and Reverse Disease”.  As he has done for two-plus decades, Dr. Akil sees patients and conducts clinical research studies in the San Francisco Bay Area. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

Website: https://doctorakil.com/
Instagram: @doctorakil
To Order his book on Amazon: The Tiger Protocol

This podcast is sponsored in part by UC Davis Health, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

Join Wellness Within Founder, Patti Brown, LMFT in this meditation for practicing acceptance as a key to unlocking the door of anguish and struggle that may come when life throws you a curveball. Allowing for a new way to reveal itself to you.

Wellness Within is the realization of a dream for Patti. After 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist, she decided to honor the tugging at her heart and open a grassroots organization to serve a community dealing with cancer and its aftermath.  It is her life’s work to teach, support, and mobilize the body and mind for healing.  Learn more on our website at: www.wellnesswithin.org.

Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honoring the integration of medical treatments with mind-body practices that enhance one’s quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life-threatening illness brings, and the significance of pulling together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

This podcast is sponsored in part by UC Davis Health, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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Wellness Within instructor, Annie Mascorro shares Denise Levertov's inspiring poem "For the New Year".

Annie Mascorro received her M.F.A. in poetry from The University of Montana and her B.S. in nursing from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.  She has also studied poetry therapy through the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy and attended the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Poetry workshop. Her poems have been widely published.  She has lead poetry workshops for many years in both clinical and non-clinical community centers, focusing on the writing process as a way to promote wellness. Annie finds joy in sharing the transformative power of poetry with writers of all levels.  Her background as a poet, teacher, nurse, and student of poetry therapy helps create a supportive, nurturing, and energetic atmosphere in all of her workshops. Be sure to keep a look out for her next workshop at Wellness Within.

This podcast is sponsored in part by UC Davis Health, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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In this episode, Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, MS LMFT is joined by our returning honored guest, Cynthia Li, MD. In this in-depth conversation, Dr. Li shares about her transformational experiences of grief, while providing insightful and uplifting wisdom. This episode invites listeners to see themselves in how they relate to the holding and release of their own grief.  Exemplifying how healing and grieving is not always linear, and how "you can't heal what you don't feel or what you are not connected to".  Are you ready?

And in cased you missed their last podcast conversation together, be sure to check out the episode, Qigong Demystified with Dr. Cynthia Li where she shares how Zhineng (Wisdom Healing) Qigong contributed to her radical remission of  an autoimmune thyroid condition, and her observation of how science is evolving to measure and support the benefits of this ancient practice.

Dr. Cynthia Li is a doctor and author whose personal healing journey through a disabling autoimmune condition took her from public health in underserved populations, to integrative and functional medicine.

Her personal health challenges began in 2005, and they expanded her beyond her conventional training. She has studied and practiced with functional medicine experts, environmental health scientists, acupuncturists, qigong masters, and alternative healers, weaving together cutting-edge science and ancient healing arts. Currently, she has a private practice in Berkeley, CA, and serves as faculty for the Healer’s Art program at the University of California San Francisco Medical School.

After becoming an anchor for Awakin Calls, a podcast of the global, all-volunteer-run ServiceSpace community of 2M+, she modeled her clinical services on the gift economy, where patients contribute into a community fund according to their abilities, giving and receiving from each other based on trust.

She is author of the book, Brave New Medicine: A Doctor's Unconventional Path to Healing Her Autoimmune Illness.

This podcast is sponsored in part by UC Davis Health, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

Join Wellness Within's Founder, Patti Brown, LMFT in this guided imagery meditation to deeply explore your connection to nature.

Wellness Within is the realization of a dream for Patti. After 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist, she decided to honor the tugging at her heart and open a grassroots organization to serve a community dealing with cancer and its aftermath.  It is her life’s work to teach, support, and mobilize the body and mind for healing.  Learn more on our website at: www.wellnesswithin.org.

Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honoring the integration of medical treatments with mind-body practices that enhance one’s quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life-threatening illness brings, and the significance of pulling together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

This podcast is sponsored in part by UC Davis Health, Elizabeth A. Harmon D.D.S., and Columbia Bank. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.