How Medical Coaching Can Help People Navigate Their Cancer Journey with Stephanie Barrows

Send us Fan MailAccording to NHS England, 1 in 2 of us will be affected by cancer in some way within our lifetimes.This week at Seed, we are deep diving into the topic of cancer, speaking to our experts across a wide range of modalities to gain their insights and experience with cancer patients.In this podcast, Stephanie (aka Steff) Barrows, Seed's Medical Coach located in Hertfordshire, UK, shares how her work can support people diagnosed, living with, overcoming and recovering from cancer.Steff has a long history of working within the NHS as a cardiac exercise physiologist until she retrained as a medical coach. Says Steff, "Medical coaching helps supports people to develop emotional, mental and physical resilience in crisis. This could be specific to be a diagnosis, a health challenge, injury and even debilitation from stress."When we look at cancer, there are a whole host of challenges and obstacles just from hearing the word. Medical coaching helps people navigate this - the initial diagnosis, the day to day emotional rollercoaster, the physical responses and supporting the connection between the body and mind. It uses a holistic approach that focusses on individual engagement and taking action, helping people to acknowledge how they are feeling and move forward,  giving them a sense of control when they don't feel they have any. It gives people a tool box to draw from while providing a safe space to breathe and evolve through the process."Coaching also extends beyond the person with the illness to those around them including carers, family members and loved ones. Steff also works closely with people from the caring profession who are experiencing burn out. For more information about Steff and her work, visit https://seedwellness.co.uk/stephaniebarrows