Couples often feel they can’t talk to each other about intimacy after cancer treatment. Transitioning from patient/caregiver roles back to wife/husband roles can be challenging. That’s where Dr. Catalina comes in. She believes that our sexual health is the number one indicator of our mental, physical, social, and emotional health. For cancer survivors, addressing intimacy barriers is part of the healing process, reconnecting and finding new ways to experience closeness as part of the survivorship journey.

Dr. Stephanie Ross, founder of Illness Navigation Resources and a pioneer in integrative psychosocial oncology, explores the lasting toll cancer can take on mental health and intimacy. From couples struggling to reconnect, to children navigating a parent’s diagnosis, this candid conversation sheds light on the emotional side of survivorship—and how healing is possible.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of what’s next—this episode is for you.

Want to make sure you never miss an episode of STAGE FREE? Subscribe, like, and give us a review. You can find us wherever you get your podcast!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of what’s next—this conversation is for you.

🧰 Resources from Dr. Ross:

•ACS: Psychosocial Support for Cancer Survivors -

www.cancer.org/cancer/survivorship/coping/understanding-psychosocial-support-services

•American Psychosocial Oncology Society -

https://apos-society.org/people-affected-by-cancer/coping-and-financial-resources/

•American Academy of Sexual Educators, Counselors, and Therapists: Sexual Health & Counseling Directory -

www.aasect.org/referral-directory

•Jasper Health – 1:1 Virtual Support for Cancer Patients and Survivors -

www.hellojasper.com

•American Association for Marital and Family Therapy: Couples & Family Therapy -

www.aamft.org/Consumer_Updates/Sexual_Health_new

•Pickles Group – Support for Kids & Teens -

www.picklesgroup.org

•Body Image Psychology for Survivors -

https://fingeretpsychologyservices.com/about

•988 Lifeline – 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support -

https://988lifeline.org/

Just one year into remission, Megan Mulvey opens up about the whirlwind of emotions following her acute leukemia diagnosis—the shock of illness in peak health, the trauma of separation from her children, and the emotional toll of survivorship. Together with Loriana, she explores the power of faith, the strain on marriage, the grief of lost fertility, and the importance of prehab. Megan’s story of resilience includes 51 rounds of chemo, a bone marrow transplant, and the support that carried her through.

A raw look at survivorship and the unseen burdens cancer leaves behind.

Want to make sure you never miss an episode of STAGE FREE? Subscribe, like, and give us a review. You can find us wherever you get your podcast!