Why Every Woman Needs to Get That Mammogram with Laura Williams

This week, we’re getting real about something that hits close to home.We’re joined by Jan’s dear friend and fellow therapist Laura Williams, who bravely shares her journey through an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis. Stage zero—no symptoms, no lump, no family history. Just one routine mammogram that saved her life.In this episode, we talk about:How a mammogram caught Laura’s cancer before it spreadWhat “stage zero” breast cancer really meansThe wild (and frustrating) realities of navigating treatmentRadiation, Tamoxifen, and the side effects no one warns you aboutThe emotional toll of playing it “fine” while quietly falling apartHow women are often told to suck it up—even during cancerThe support systems that carried her, and the ones that surprised herThis is a must-listen for any woman who’s ever put off her appointment or felt dismissed in a medical setting. Let this be your nudge, your hug, and your reminder: you matter, and your health does too.Go get that mammogram. We mean it.About Laura:Laura Williams has known since her early twenties that she was called to this work — but the path to Be Found Counseling has been anything but linear. Three children, three moves, loss and birth, other careers, and her own healing journey have all shaped how she shows up as a counselor today. She looks back and can see that none of it was wasted. Every detour has deepened her belief in the power of mercy, grace, and community.Being a counselor isn’t just what Laura does — it’s who she is. Every day, she gets to witness hope, healing, and redemption unfold in real time. It’s an honor for her to walk with people as they discover their own worth and learn to live from a place of belonging rather than shame.While Laura’s faith deeply informs the way she sees the world, she doesn’t practice biblical counseling or label herself a Christian counselor. What guides her is how Jesus lived — bringing people out of shame into dignity, meeting them with compassion and understanding. Whether or not faith is part of someone’s story, her hope is that when they sit together, they experience unconditional love, mercy, and grace.Laura’s work is shaped by her training with the Healing Our Core Issues Institute (HOCI), where she now serves as a member of the core faculty. The HOCI model focuses on human worth, healthy boundaries, creating meaning out of imperfection, taking responsibility for needs and desires, and cultivating joy and secure connection — both with ourselves and others.She often says this work offers hope in the wilderness. When life feels overwhelming, lonely, or uncertain, it gives us a place to land — and a foundation we can return to again and again. After experiencing this transformation herself, Laura no longer fears the wilderness. She’s ready to step into it with you.Laura’s Links:Website: www.befoundcounseling.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/befoundcounseling Find resources mentioned in this episode here.Learn more about this podcast here.Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.Apply to be a guest here.Stay updated on new episodes here.*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.