Nearly 15 years ago I was diagnosed with a low-grade cancer. With this diagnosis, I felt all the feelings - surprise, fear, anxiety, sadness, otherness. What helped me move through this experience was the process of creating. I received treatment and have remained cancer-free, and while it was a difficult time, I'm happy to have gained the ability to persevere through challenges, ask for support and provide it for others, explore new opportunities, and lead with empathy.
Cancer and Creativity:
A Psychoanalytic Guide to Therapeutic Transformation
A Psychoanalytic Guide to Therapeutic Transformation
While working through my diagnosis, I was lucky to connect with Esther Driefuss-Kattan, an Art Therapist in Los Angeles, and Esther asked me to contribute my writing and artwork to her book Cancer and Creativity: A Psychoanalytic Guide to Therapeutic Transformation.
Through the book, cancer survivors demonstrate the power of creative expression as a tool for dealing with somatic, chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses, giving patients a way of expressing and managing their individual cancer journeys.
Dreifuss-Kattan's own work as a psychoanalyst and art therapist informs her approach to the art space and she closes her discussion with a reflection on terminal cancer care and the complex transferential and countertransferential relationship between patient and therapist. The book ends with a practical guide for both therapy groups, as well as individuals at home, to creatively address their experiences with cancer and its treatments.
Book Available on Amazon