Reflections on Healing, Trauma, and the Body with Breast Cancer

By Chemwapuwa Blackman, PsyD
(Pre-Licensed Doctor in Clinical Psychology supervised at Wellness 360 Dallas)

When I first heard the words “you have breast cancer,” I was accepting of the diagnosis. Yet, as I navigated treatment and the complex social world of medical care, I became acutely aware of the psychological journey related to being diagnosed with a medical illness. Both science and experience now inform how I understand medical trauma and its impact on the mind and body.

I want to share key psychological insights with anyone facing breast cancer or other medical illnesses as they try to manage the flood of appointments, referrals, and medical terms that suddenly shape daily life.

Trauma is not defined by the event itself but by the body’s response to the overwhelming experience (van der Kolk, 2014). A breast cancer can alter the illusion of control over the body and health, which makes helping clients rebuild their sense of safety after trauma a major part of recovery. One of the milestones in this process is accepting life’s inherent uncertainty.

Medical trauma occurs when medical interventions, diagnoses, or environments overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope (Heins et al., 2019). In my experience navigating treatment meant surrendering parts of ones autonomy to surgeons, anesthesiologists, insurance companies, and imaging schedules. Each step requires trust in systems that don’t always feel safe, especially for marginalized people. Balancing compliance with self-advocacy: asking for clarity, pushing for additional scans, and making sure my concerns weren’t minimized helped me reclaim a sense of autonomy and confidence in my treatment plan.

The hardest part wasn’t the surgery; it was the accompanying grief. Grief, as I’ve learned both clinically and personally, isn’t only about loss through death. It’s also about losing familiarity of the body you once knew, the ease you once took for granted, the innocence that existed before illness. Grief doesn’t move in a straight line. It loops, it lingers, and it returns when least expected (Neimeyer, 2001).

Clients can draw strength from Viktor Frankl’s (1946) reflections on meaning, that even in suffering, we have the freedom to choose our attitude. For me, that meant choosing life, even when I didn’t feel strong enough to celebrate it.

While physical recovery from breast cancer requires patience, emotional recovery requires surrender. In trauma therapy, we often say:

Safety must be felt before it can be understood.

Breathwork, mindfulness, touch, and stillness became not just tools I teach, but came to depend on. Psychological healing is a practice of rebuilding trust in one’s body, future, and in the web of support that holds us. Healing happens one moment at a time.

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YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WALK THIS PATH ALONE

At Wellness 360, we believe in integrative and trauma-informed care, supporting the mind, body, and spirit during life’s most overwhelming seasons.

If you or a loved one is struggling with medical trauma, chronic illness, grief, or anxiety after diagnosis, our clinicians are here to support you:

 Trauma-informed psychotherapy
 Support for cancer survivors and caregivers
 Mind-body approaches to nervous system healing
 Compassionate, culturally responsive care

You are not just a patient.
You are a person — deserving of safety, dignity, and hope.

Located in Dallas–Fort Worth
Contact us to begin your healing journey
Where healing and humanity meet

References

Frankl, V. E. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.

Heins, M. J., et al. (2019). The impact of cancer-related medical trauma on quality of life. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 37(3), 347–362.

Neimeyer, R. A. (2001). Meaning Reconstruction and the Experience of Loss. American Psychological Association.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton.

van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.