The Journey Through Cancer: An Oncologist's Seven-Level Program for Healing and Transforming the Whole Person

By Jeremy Geffen

Book Overview

The Journey Through Canceris an essential guide for all cancer patients, their families, and their loved ones. As a board-certified oncologist, with more than ten years of experience serving as physician, guide, mentor, coach, and friend to thousands of cancer patients and their families, Dr. Jeremy Geffen has learned how cancer often challenges the mind, heart, and spirit of patients and their families as deeply --- if not more deeply --- than it challenges the physical body. Yet this simple truth is often overlooked by Western medicine as it aggressively pursues the best ways to diagnose and treat cancer. Too often physicians focus almost exclusively on the physical dimensions of the disease, rather than caring for the whole person who has the disease. Dr. Geffen presents a groundbreaking seven-level program, used at his cancer center in Florida, that addresses every dimension of the person with cancer--physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual: Education and Information, giving patients answers to questions about their disease and their treatment options. Psychosocial Support, focusing on the need for and benefits of a strong support network. The Body as Garden, exploring the vast array of alternative and complementary therapies. Emotional Healing, helping patients and families deal with the often overwhelming emotional challenges of cancer. The Nature of Mind, exploring how patients' thoughts and beliefs profoundly influence their journey. Life Assessment, showing patients how to discover their life's deepest meaning and purpose. The Nature of Spirit, connecting patients to the profoundly healing spiritual aspect of life we all share. InThe Journey Through Cancer, Dr. Geffen presents a revolutionary model of healing based on the best treatments available from every culture and paradigm of medicine, one that respects and explores every possible avenue and resource for healing and transformation, blending East and West, body and mind, heart and technology, science and spirit.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609604503
• ISBN13: 9780609604502
• Release Date: February 2000
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 289 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

I've seen how this book can help

As a clinical social worker and psychotherapist at a large university hospital, I have found this book to be an extremely powerful healing tool for several clients who are in cancer treatment. In fact, the insights and information Dr. Geffen provides can be hugely beneficial not only to people dealing with cancer or another serious illness, but to anyone looking for a compassionate and effective approach to life's challenges. Professionally and personally, I agree completely with the endorsement on the cover from Joan Borysenko, PhD: "This is the best book ever written for people with cancer and those who love them."

Thank you for this amazing gift!

Finally, a book on cancer written by an obviously skilled, knowledgeable, and practicing medical oncologist, from the perspective of the BIG picture! It is truly a breakthrough to find such an inspired and revolutionary book on this important subject. Dr. Geffen has managed to embrace virtually all aspects of this immensely challenging journey from a perspective of both medical skill and heartfelt wisdom. Furthermore, his insights and guidance are absolutely reliable and responsible. Dr. Geffen does not offer any overnight "miracle cures," the promise of which is not only irresponsible but potentially harmful. Rather, he masterfully illustrates the spectrum of opportunities that we all have to participate in our own healing. The all-encompasing and embracing overview of the value of virtually every leading-edge approach to healing and transformation, presented in such a clear, readable, and easy-to-understand style, makes this book uniquely compelling and powerful. This disease will touch virtually all of us in one way or another and this book has not arrived one second too soon! Thank you, Dr. Geffen, for this amazing gift!

Help Is Here!

Dr. Geffen's powerful book was like magic sprinkled onto our family as we began to face my father's diagnosis of a rare and fatal form of cancer. The author's unique approach to the whole person, physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually helped us to make decisions about treatment, conventional and complementary as well as to better understand the complex range of emotions we were all feeling. "The Journey Through Cancer" is beautifully written and easily read with anecdotal and personal stories. I devoured it in two days! It outlines seven steps that will give you the courage to embrace the present and prepare for the future. Cancer does not just happen to the patient, it happens to everyone who loves the patient. I heartly recommend this book to anyone facing cancer and to all those who face it with them. It would make a great gift for cancer patients, their families, care givers, ministers and physicians. Dr. Geffen is dynamic--I expect to see him on the talk show circuit soon.

This book is incredible!

I have a huge drawer full of books, pamphlets, and articles about cancer that numerous people have given me or that I've bought on my own since I started dealing with metastatic breast cancer over two years ago. After reading "The Journey Through Cancer, " I could take them all and replace them with just this one book! It covers the entire spectrum of what everyone needs to know about the journey, and is written in a friendly, concise, and absolutely clear language that anyone can understand. Most importantly, it shows how much more there is to treating a person with cancer than just sitting in a chemo room with an IV in your arm. I recommend "The Journey Through Cancer" enthusiastically, and have already bought multiple copies for my family and friends. It is a truly incredible book that EVERYONE should read.

The Journey Through Cancer

Cancer can be such a harrowing experience! Addressing the deeper underlying issues - especially the emotional and spiritual levels of the disease - is a realm that most physicians choose not to explore. Dr. Geffen's technical brilliance as an oncologist is obvious; what is truly extraordinary is his incredible patience and compassion for not only the individual(s) with cancer but the families and friends who are also impacted by this disease. "Journey" is the perfect description of the process of coping with cancer and Dr. Geffen is the perfect guide. Anyone with cancer or anyone who knows someone with cancer, will benefit greatly by reading this book and sharing it with others.