The Cancer Journey Podcast

The Cancer Journey Institute
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🌟 Step into the nurturing embrace of "The Cancer Journey Podcast," brought to you by the compassionate hearts at the Cancer Journey Institute. 🌈 Embark on a transformative expedition where each episode unfolds like a chapter designed to illuminate the path of patients, survivors, and caregivers navigating the intricate landscape of cancer. At the Cancer Journey Institute, we believe in fostering a mindset of resilience and growth, and our podcast is a beacon of light that guides you through the journey, reframing it as a meaningful expedition rather than a daunting battle.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 118: Facing the Chapter That Feels Like an Ending

    Facing the Chapter That Feels Like an Ending | The Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 118Life is fragile. We say that a lot in this work. This week, we recorded from inside it.Someone in our community got news that the medical system has done all it can. We felt that with them. This episode came the next day.In this conversation, we talk about what it actually means to face mortality on a cancer journey. Why it's so hard to say the real things when the people around you need you to stay positive. What Shariann found when she went looking for somewhere safe to talk about dying and kept coming up empty. Why lived experience and trained capacity aren't the same thing, and why both matter. How Cancer Journey Coaches walk with clients through every chapter, including the ones that feel like an ending. What it means to be attached to this life and sit with the fear of losing it.This is the kind of conversation that doesn't happen enough. We hope it gives you somewhere to put some of what you've been carrying.New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one.Learn more about Cancer Journey Coaching at thecancerjourney.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━TIMESTAMPS━━━━━━━━━━━━━━00:00 Introduction and PESH Check-In03:48 When Someone in Our Community Gets Hard News07:30 Walking With Clients Through Every Chapter10:38 Making Space for Our Own Experience12:17 Why Shariann Started the Cancer Journey Institute16:00 Looking for Somewhere to Talk About Dying20:52 How a Coach Reflects You Back to Yourself22:10 Attachment and What Goodbye Really Means23:33 Choosing How to Spend the Time You Have27:10 Closing PESH Check-In and Final Words━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CONNECT WITH US━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Website: thecancerjourney.comInstagram: @thecancerjourneyFacebook: The Cancer Journey Institute#CancerJourney #CancerJourneyPodcast #FragilityOfLife #CancerSupport #CancerCoach #LivingFullyNow

    27 min

  2. Jun 26

    Episode 117: Confusion Is a Signal, Not a Flaw

    Confusion Is a Signal, Not a Flaw | Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 117 Confusion on a cancer journey isn't a sign that something is wrong with you. It's a signal, and learning to read it instead of fighting your way out of it can change the whole experience of being in it. In Episode 117, Shariann and Alicia explore what confusion and lack of clarity actually feel like on a cancer journey, why the instinct to do more doesn't fix what's happening underneath, and what willingness really means when you're trying to find your footing again. This is a candid, unscripted conversation that models exactly what it's talking about: two people processing in real time, finding their way back to themselves through the fog. Topics covered in this episode: What confusion feels like and why it shows up so often on a cancer journeyThe plan on top versus the emotional experience underneathWhy doing more doesn't fix what's going on at a deeper levelThe difference between doing and beingInformation overload and why chasing optimal health can make things worseWillingness as the key to getting out of the pitWhat it means to let something go when you don't know what that is yetComing back to the present: what do I need, what do I wantWhy confusion means something still matters to youThe fog lifts on its own when you stop forcing it#CancerJourney #CancerJourneyPodcast #CancerSupport Chapters: 0:00 Welcome and PESH check-in1:30 What confusion feels like: messy, unstable, swirly4:00 The plan on top and the emotional experience underneath8:00 Why doing more doesn't reach what's actually struggling12:00 Information overload and chasing optimal health16:00 Willingness as the real key to getting unstuck20:00 Coming back to the present: what do I need right now23:30 Confusion as a signal that something still matters26:30 Closing takeaways and PESH check-out

    29 min

  3. Jun 19

    Episode 116: Why the End of Treatment Feels So Complicated

    Why the End of Treatment Feels So Complicated | The Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 116The end of cancer treatment should feel like everything you've been waiting for. And sometimes it does. But a lot of the time, it feels anticlimactic, disorienting, or even empty , and almost nobody talks about that.In Episode 116, Shariann and Alicia dig into the experience of endings: what the drop after treatment feels like, why the wide open space of "what's next" can be so overwhelming, and how to move through this transition with more gentleness and intention.This conversation draws on the Cancer Journey Roadmap and the real, lived experience of what it means to finish something enormous and not know who you are on the other side.Topics covered in this episode:• Why ringing the bell can feel anticlimactic• The drop after endings and why it happens• Losing the structure, rhythm, and care team all at once• There is no going back to normal, only a new reality• The lull after treatment and what it's asking of you• The retirement analogy: why freedom can feel untethered• What happens to all the emotions suppressed during treatment• Why play and small joys matter especially in this transition• The Cancer Journey Roadmap and the pit after endings• What do you want? The biggest question after treatment ends• How a Cancer Journey coach helps you find yourself again#CancerJourney #CancerJourneyPodcast #CancerSupportChapters: 0:00 Welcome and PESH check-in 1:30 Endings at CJI: certification and fundamentals groups 3:00 The bittersweet feeling of endings on a cancer journey 5:30 Ringing the bell and why it can feel anticlimactic 8:30 Losing the structure and care team after treatment 11:30 There is no normal anymore — only the new reality 14:30 The retirement analogy: freedom that feels untethered 17:30 Play and small joys as anchors in the transition 20:30 The anger and grief that comes out after treatment ends 23:00 What do you want? The excavation that comes next 26:00 How a Cancer Journey coach holds this turning point 28:00 Closing takeaways and PESH check-out

    30 min

  4. Jun 12

    Episode 115: When Forgiveness Feels Like Giving Something Up

    When Forgiveness Feels Like Giving Something Up | The Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 115 Forgiveness is one of those words we think we understand until we actually try to practice it. On a cancer journey, it takes on a whole new dimension: forgiving your body, forgiving yourself for how you've responded under enormous pressure, and forgiving others when your capacity to hold anything extra is already gone. In Episode 115, Shariann and Alicia go deep on what forgiveness actually feels like, why self-forgiveness is the hardest kind, and what it looks like to make it a real practice rather than just an intention. This is a thoughtful, honest conversation that moves through the complexity of forgiveness without trying to wrap it up too neatly. Topics covered in this episode: What forgiveness actually feels like in the bodyWhy forgiveness can feel like giving up your protection or your powerThe difference between forgiving someone and really meaning itWhy self-forgiveness is harder than forgiving othersHow cancer can bring up feelings of blame and punishment toward yourselfThe responsibility formula and luminous intentForgiveness as self-care, not just a spiritual conceptThe end-of-day forgiveness practice: what do you need to forgive yourself for today?What you can give yourself if you hug yourself as warmly as you'd hug someone elseIf you don't forgive, you build a wall instead of a bridgeThe conversations we want others to have with us that we can have with ourselves#CancerJourney #Forgiveness #CancerJourneyPodcast Chapters: 0:00 Welcome and PESH check-in1:45 What forgiveness actually feels like5:00 Why forgiveness can feel like giving something up8:30 The responsibility formula and forgiving yourself12:00 How cancer brings up self-blame and punishment16:00 Why self-forgiveness is the hardest kind20:00 The conversations we want others to have with us23:30 Forgiveness as self-care: the end-of-day practice27:00 Building a bridge instead of a wall30:00 Closing takeaways and PESH check-out

    28 min

  5. Jun 5

    Episode 114: The Someday Trap

    Play feels like the last thing on the list when you're on a cancer journey. But what if waiting until everything is handled before you let yourself feel good is the very thing making the journey harder? In Episode 114, Shariann and Alicia have a deeply honest conversation about what gets in the way of play, joy, and lightness on a cancer journey, and what it actually looks like to start making space for those things now rather than later. This episode starts in a real, unfiltered place and moves somewhere genuinely tender. It's one of those conversations that models exactly what it's talking about. Topics covered in this episode: Why play feels inaccessible when you're deep in a cancer journey The have-tos versus the get-tos: how a cancer journey can feel like pure obligation Freedom as the thing underneath the craving for play The someday trap and why deferring joy doesn't work Should versus want: the difference in how they feel in your body The steps to getting there are the qualities of being there How negative ego gets loudest when you most need lightness Small, concrete ways to infuse play into everyday moments Why you need someone to say your hard things to without it affecting your relationships Cancer sucks: giving yourself full permission to say so #CancerJourney #CancerJourneyPodcast #CancerSupport Chapters: 0:00 Welcome and PESH check-in 1:30 Play on a cancer journey: why it feels so out of reach 4:30 Freedom as the real craving underneath it all 8:00 The someday trap: deferring joy until everything is handled 11:30 Letting someone else do your laundry: vulnerability and receiving help 14:30 Getting familiar with what frustration feels like in your body 18:00 Should versus want: a really important distinction 22:00 The steps to getting there are the qualities of being there 25:30 Small ways to infuse play into the hard moments 28:30 Closing takeaway and PESH check-out

    23 min

  6. May 29

    Episode 113: How We Die with CJC Barbara Haedtke

    How We Die with CJC Barbara Haedtke | The Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 113How do we die? It's a question most of us spend our lives avoiding — and one that becomes impossible to ignore when you're on a cancer journey, especially a terminal one.In Episode 113, Shariann and Alicia are joined by Barbara, a certified Cancer Journey Coach who is also living with a terminal cancer diagnosis. She brings a rare combination of professional experience and deeply personal perspective to a conversation about mortality, legacy, grief, gratitude, and what it means to truly engage with the life you have left.This is one of the most honest and tender conversations the podcast has had. It doesn't offer easy answers. It offers something better — the experience of watching someone engage with the hardest material with curiosity, grace, and an open heart.Topics covered in this episode:• What it actually feels like to face a terminal diagnosis• The difference between cognitive acceptance and emotional engagement• Grief as an ongoing, daily process — not a destination• Why the things people say to the dying often have more to do with their own fear• The practical side of facing death — putting affairs in order, shifting financial plans• Gratitude and grief living side by side in the same moment• Legacy — what you want to leave, how you want to be remembered• "Engage with the material" — what that phrase really means• The last year of Debbie Ford's sister's life — and what she said about it• What proximity to death reveals about how we've been living• How a Cancer Journey Coach creates space for this kind of engagementGuest: Barbara, Certified Cancer Journey Coach#CancerJourney #EndOfLife #CancerJourneyPodcastChapters: 0:00 Welcome and PESH check-in 2:00 Introducing the topic — how we die 4:30 Barbara's experience facing a terminal diagnosis 8:00 The drive home from the doctor — grief, beauty, and gratitude 12:00 What people say to the dying (and what they really mean) 16:00 Legacy, curiosity, and engaging with the material 20:00 Money, mortality, and what you'd do if the runway shifted 24:30 The Wise Old Crone — finding yourself through the Cancer Journey Institute 28:00 What "engage with the material" really means 32:00 Closing takeaways and PESH check-out

    30 min

  7. May 22

    Episode 112: Where Does Joy Even Fit?

    Where Does Joy Even Fit? | The Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 112 How do you possibly find joy when you're on a cancer journey? When treatment is exhausting, energy is limited, and just getting through the day takes everything you have — where does joy even fit? In Episode 112, Shariann and Alicia get practical and personal about what it actually looks like to find moments of nourishment and delight on a cancer journey. This isn't about toxic positivity or forcing a good attitude. It's about giving yourself real permission to feel good, in whatever small ways are actually accessible to you right now. Topics covered in this episode: Why joy feels out of reach on a cancer journey — and why it doesn't have toThe difference between nourishment and joy, and why both matterWhy familiar activities work better than trying to learn something newWhat Shariann leaned on during treatment when TV felt like too muchWhy movies and TV aren't always the easy escape we think they areThe joy of small things — and why slowing down makes them visibleFur babies, kids' laughter, nature, and the unexpected allies on a cancer journeyGetting dressed for yourself, not for anyone elseJournaling as a joy practice — and how to actually startThe pink wig story — and what permission really looks likeMarie Kondo, monstera leaf pasta spoons, and sparking joy in the everyday#CancerJourney #CancerJourneyPodcast #CancerSupport Chapters: 0:00 Welcome and PESH check-in1:45 How do we find joy — and what does nourishment look like on a cancer journey?4:30 Why TV isn't always the easy escape — and what Shariann did instead8:00 Familiar activities, crafts, music, and books11:30 The unexpected allies — fur babies, kids, nature, comedy15:00 The small joys hiding in plain sight18:30 Getting dressed for yourself — and the woman in the treatment room22:00 Journaling as a joy practice25:00 Permission — and the pink wig story 28:30 Closing takeaways and PESH check-out

    26 min

  8. May 15

    Episode 111: What the System Wasn't Designed to Hold

    What the System Wasn't Designed to Hold | The Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 111 The cancer care system is extraordinarily skilled at treating the physical body. But a cancer journey is so much more than what shows up on a scan — and for most people moving through it, the emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of the experience are largely unaddressed. This is a conversation about the limits of a fix-it culture, the invisible weight that doctors and nurses carry, and why a Cancer Journey Coach might be the most important addition to a care team that no one is talking about yet. Topics covered in this episode: - Why the medical system is built for efficiency — and what gets lost in that model - The emotional weight that doctors and nurses carry and rarely have space to process - Why you can cognitively trust your care team and still not feel emotionally safe - What happens when emotions are suppressed throughout a cancer journey - How suppressed emotions affect decision-making and quality of life - Toxic positivity and why forcing it doesn't actually help - The role of a Cancer Journey Coach as the humanity piece of the care team - Why bringing emotion back into care doesn't slow things down — it makes everything work better - What Shariann experienced at the end of her own treatment and what it illuminated #CancerJourney #CancerCare #CancerJourneyPodcast Chapters:  0:00 Welcome and PESH check-in 1:45 Why the medical system struggles to hold the emotional experience 4:30 The culture of fixing — and what it misses 7:00 The emotional weight doctors and nurses carry 10:00 Trusting your care team cognitively vs. feeling it emotionally 13:00 What happens when emotions get suppressed throughout treatment 16:00 Toxic positivity and why it doesn't work 18:30 Decision-making and the role of emotions in knowing what matters 21:00 The Cancer Journey Coach as the humanity piece of the care team 24:00 Closing takeaways and PESH check-out

    28 min
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About

🌟 Step into the nurturing embrace of "The Cancer Journey Podcast," brought to you by the compassionate hearts at the Cancer Journey Institute. 🌈 Embark on a transformative expedition where each episode unfolds like a chapter designed to illuminate the path of patients, survivors, and caregivers navigating the intricate landscape of cancer. At the Cancer Journey Institute, we believe in fostering a mindset of resilience and growth, and our podcast is a beacon of light that guides you through the journey, reframing it as a meaningful expedition rather than a daunting battle.

Information

  • Creator
    The Cancer Journey Institute
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    118
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Cancer Journey Institute
  • Show Website
    The Cancer Journey Podcast