Episode 105: Still Becoming - Life & Cancer (with CJC Judy ViaCava)

Still Becoming - Life & Cancer | The Cancer Journey Podcast | Episode 105In this episode, we're joined by Judy ViaCava, a certified Cancer Journey Coach and breast cancer survivor, for an honest conversation about identity after cancer. What does it mean to stop trying to go back to who you were? How do you find yourself in what comes next? And what gets in the way of that emergence — the armor, the toxic positivity, the fear of being vulnerable?Judy shares her own experience navigating breast cancer 14 years ago, including the isolation of performing strength when she was actually scared, and what changed when she finally found a space where she could be real. She and our hosts explore what cancer journey coaching makes possible for people who are stuck in the in-between — not who they were, not yet who they're becoming.This episode is for anyone on a cancer journey, supporting someone who is, or doing the work of helping people find their way through.Interested in a coaching session with Judy? Submit our Gift Session form and mention Judy for free coaching: https://thecancerjourney.com/gift-session🎙️ Guest: Judy ViaCava, Certified Cancer Journey Coach - Director of Evolving [email protected]: 0:00 — Welcome and PESH check-in 2:30 — Introducing Judy ViaCava 4:00 — "I just want to go back to normal" — why that's impossible and what's actually possible 8:45 — How cancer puts you at the forefront when you've spent years prioritizing everyone else 13:20 — Judy's own cancer journey: performing strength and feeling alone 18:00 — Opening new doors — what emergence actually looks like 23:10 — The role of vulnerability in moving forward 27:40 — Toxic positivity and what gets lost when we suppress real emotion32:15 — What cancer journey coaches make possible that no one else can 37:00 — Coaching as reflection: seeing people before they can see themselves 42:30 — Closing PESH and takeawaysKeywords: cancer journey, who am I after cancer, cancer identity, cancer survivor healing, emotional side effects of cancer, cancer journey podcast, cancer journey coach, cancer support, cancer caregiver support, life after cancer, cancer transformation, vulnerability cancer#CancerJourney #CancerJourneyPodcast #CancerSupport