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.
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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