Navigating Grief Through Cancer: A Therapist's Personal Journey

Lindsay Van Roo, a licensed clinical social worker, shares her deeply personal journey of losing her mother to colon cancer while navigating her new role as a mother herself, offering valuable insights on grief, therapy, and supporting loved ones through illness.• Finding balance between supporting a loved one with cancer and caring for your own mental health• Embracing conflicting emotions during grief—allowing joy and pain to coexist• Using the "circle of control" concept to focus on what you can manage during difficult times• Importance of therapy as a safe space to express all emotions, especially the difficult ones• How to support someone who has lost a loved one by asking specific questions• Creating meaningful ways to remember and celebrate those we've lost• The value of vulnerability and sharing stories as part of the healing processFor support with navigating cancer personally or with a loved one, remember you don't have to do it alone. Therapy can be a place to process, breathe, and heal. You can reach out to our EAP services, VEST, to connect with a therapist today.