As human beings, most of us will experience periods of hardship, adversity, suffering or trauma at some point in our lives, if not multiple times. Our experience can change the way we understand ourselves, others, and the world around us. It can also be a reminder of what really matters to us. This was certainly my experience after going through the shock of a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2013 while in my 40’s and raising 4 young teenage children.

 

My struggles over the next year or two, led to a quest to understand more about the long-term impacts of a trauma (such as a cancer experience) on quality of life for survivors and their families, and a deep desire to learn how to better support other people and their families through their own unique life challenges. I decided I wanted to become a counsellor and went back to university to study.