Sunshine Coast mother and master executive coach Cindy Scott’s life was turned upside down in February 2020 when, at the age of 49, she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time following a routine mammogram. More than 20,000 women in Australia are dealt the same blow each year.

In the early days of COVID-19, Cindy went into immediate self-isolation and commenced treatment. In Cindy’s words, “the cancer circus began” with a multitude of scans, tests, appointments and a plethora of new information taking up space in her already busy days as a leading executive coach, and just weeks out from her wedding.

“I believed my medical team would take care of the physical aspects of my treatment but I was determined to heal the emotional and spiritual parts of me too,” Cindy said. She discovered calming her overloaded immune system, changing her beliefs, and healing toxic emotions were just as important as removing rogue cancer cells from her body in order to heal fully.

Cindy thus began to journal as a way of supporting her emotional self. Her entries included details of the many complementary therapies, mindfulness practices, counselling insights and dietary changes she undertook. Upon a friend’s suggestion, she realised her journal entries might help others going through a similar experience, and hence The Healing Journal was born – a collection of writings and tools Cindy used to help heal her body, mind, and soul from cancer. It is a guidebook that brings hope and inspiration to women navigating a cancer journey.

“It’s the book I wish I had received when I was diagnosed – it’s like a big hug when you need it most,” Cindy said. “The loss of my independence and decision-making power made matters worse until I claimed back control of my healing. The Healing Journal aims to provide support during the emotional upheaval a cancer diagnosis brings.”

A percentage of all book sales go to the McGrath Foundation and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

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