Women of Silence – Reconnecting with the Emotional Healing of Breast Cancer

Grace Gawler has worked with many cancer patients on holistic healing, and she wants women of silence to speak out. In her book for breast cancer patients, she shares stories and techniques of emotional healing, regaining the song of one's heart and recovering the true self. Dedicated to healing the inner and outer woman, Women of Silence describes the emotional trauma of breast cancer diagnosis, and the inward frozen wasteland that sometimes results. Grace Gawler wants women to heal in every aspect, and this book seeks to address the aspects of healing from breast cancer that are usually unmet by medical science.

A diagnosis of breast cancer can unleash a flood of emotions. Some women do not feel free to express their fear, pain, and concerns. Many women remain silent, keeping their emotional energy sealed up inside while they navigate surgery, treatments and recovery. If they had any emotional baggage from life before cancer, it is put on hold while new stresses and traumas pile up. Depression and withdrawal can appear to be strength and courage, but these are actually affecting a woman's brain chemistry and thus her body's response to cancer treatment and recovery. How can she deal with these emotions while balancing the concerns of life and treatment? How can she heal?

Grace Gawler is a cancer survivor who has cared for cancer patients and practiced holistic wellness therapies, naturopathic treatments, and counseling. She has worked with many breast cancer patients, and in her book, Women of Silence she discusses her approach to treating the person, instead of treating a collection of cancer cells. Gawler is not a psychotherapist, but her methods are similar to "talk therapy" in that she encourages women to honestly look inward and then express themselves outwardly in therapeutic ways. She believes that the will to heal should not be motivated by fear of death, but instead by "belief in self, instinct and intuition and … initiated by an inner awareness of the need for personal change and transformation." To this end, she gives the reader several steps for a healing journey.

After setting the stage, Gawler describes ways to heal emotions. She encourages you to get support from others, tell your story, deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, recognize and deal with stress. If you're looking for specific ways to start healing, Gawler also talks about adopting a healthy diet, practicing meditation, creating your own healing ritual, and setting emotional boundaries. She tells you how to use imagery and affirmations, and how to turn away dark or negative images and self-deprecation. Since Gawler has seen many women though treatment, she also touches on the medical aspects of recovery, side effects, menopause, and how to deal with bad news delivered to you in a negative way. For friends and family of breast cancer patients, she includes a whole chapter of tips and cautions to help you care for your loved one.

Grace Gawler sums up her book with three stages of healing: the will to live, the will to heal, and the will to maintain your true self and live with peace of mind. This kind of healing is the aim of her work - restoration of the real person who may be wrapped under layers of emotional ill-health, so that the true self can enjoy life to the fullest. Patients, survivors, and supporters would benefit from this book and the related recovery workbook – A Helping Hand - Simple Tools to Enhance your Recovery and Life During and After Cancer.