Beautiful Wounds:

A 6-Week Coaching Circle for Life After Breast Surgery

You survived. Now what?

The surgery is behind you.

But the emotional healing? The unexpected confusion and loneliness?

This is where we begin.

Beyond Mastectomy is a small group coaching experience for anyone who’s undergone mastectomy, reconstruction, flat closure, explantation, lumpectomy, or any breast-altering surgery as a result of breast cancer. It’s not therapy—and it’s not about fixing you. It’s about walking beside you as you reclaim the pieces that matter most - your body, your sense of self, your sensuality and your VOICE.

You’ve been on the breast cancer assembly line. You haven’t had the space or the time or a clear enough mind (thank you anesthesia and pain pills) to sit with what’s happened to you.  You want to feel like a whole and fully assembled human being again - emotionally, physically, and spiritually - after the medical whirlwind. But life calls and obligations remain and before you know it you’re back on the treadmill of life.

And you’re supposed to just get back into the swing of things. And smile. And look good and pretend nothing really happened. You’re supposed to start wearing Pink Ribbons and talking proudly about your “Journey”.

And while you like the idea of calling yourself a Warrior:

• You know you are in trouble because YOU know you are seriously depressed and tell others it’s probably because of the radiation fatigue, or the chemo, or all the tests and surgeries.  But you know otherwise..

• Or maybe you feel.  Nothing.  (That was me.)

• And keeping that smile going is getting TIRED.

  • “I’m good!” - but WOW you’re suddenly drinking and eating a lot. Like, a LOT.

  • “I’m good!” - but you’re buzzing around manically while getting nothing done.

  • “I’m good!” - but you can’t sleep because you wonder if the cancer will come back.

  • “I’m good!” - but you are isolating and lonely and in pain but want to be a “Warrior” so pushing that shit right down!

• You are scattered and disoriented and are tired of walking back and forth between rooms trying to figure out why you’re there.  You have lost your sense of space and time.  What happened?  When?  

• You notice you are feeling vulnerable and oddly ashamed, and you’re spending too much time in negative thinking worrying about what others think of how your non-WARRIOR self is handling things or even WHY you got cancer in the first place.

  • Like even though perhaps you’ve been a vegan or vegetarian, an avid exerciser, tried to keep your stress level low and never drank your whole life, others want to let you know that you must have been carrying around some serious negative energy to have gotten cancer.

  • Or maybe you’ve really struggled with self-destructive behaviors in the past, which you’re already ashamed of, and now you’re worried you deserved what you got.  Or that others will think you did.

  • You’ve noticed you’re calling your chest “Judas”. (You’re guessing this is not healthy.)  

• Then there’s the bathroom. And mirrors. You avoid them. And you’re not a vampire. Now that the bandages are off you notice you’re squinting a lot after showers to completely blur yourself out. Because you don’t know what to make of what’s there and… what’s no longer there.

• And if you’re single and want a partner you wonder who will say “yes” to you again.

• And if you’re partnered you wonder if your partner will ever want to touch you again - and whether you will LET them.

• And if you’re older some you may have been told your breasts don’t matter anyway, they’ve “served their purpose”.

WOW.

You’re feminist and body positive and..

SO MAD at yourself that ANY of this matters!

You wish you had some guidance and were not so alone.

And sometimes, when no one is listening and in the privacy of your own mind, you wonder if the doctor really heard to you after all…

because MAYBE you wanted flat closure and they left extra skin “just in case”

or because MAYBE you wanted reconstruction and asked for “X” size and they gave you size“Y” instead because “you’ll like that”…

You’re lashing out, reactive, angry.  And usually you’re pretty mild. 

And then you wonder if being so mild and acquiescing gave you cancer.

And you SURE like those pain pills!!

The truth is, surviving isn’t the same as integrating.  Healing isn’t done because a wound is closed.  What if this isn’t about “bouncing back” - but cultivating an even deeper and self-loving sense of who you are and where you’re headed? We are taught to be grateful, resilient, silent.  But what if healing is also about feeling the confusing emotions, speaking your reality, getting clear on your experience and reclaiming your ever shifting body? What if healing is on your own timeline, free of anyone else’s expectations?  

This program offers a pause. In connection to others and with knowledgeable facilitation you will have gifted yourself a supportive and creative space to slow down, re-ground, and come back to yourself. After the unrelenting assault of biopsies and scans and surgeries and treatments that have gone on for months, if not years, you will have a safe container in which to:

BREATHE. SIT. QUESTION. EXPLORE. LEARN. WRITE. CREATE. EXPRESS. SOFTEN.

This is a coaching program, not group therapy. This is for those who want to connect with others on a similar path - without needing to overshare or retraumatize. This coaching model offers dignity, containment, and forward movement.

TESTIMONIAL

”Geena, for me it was simply helpful to talk to a therapist/counselor who had personal experience with breast cancer. That experience made a tremendous difference. I only wish I had found you sooner! I can look back now and see that during different phases of my treatment it may have been incredibly helpful to have you specifically to talk things through with. I found a counselor through my employee assistance program (EAP) right after chemo and she was not remotely helpful and that turned me off to wanting to look for someone else. She had no experience in this area so I wasn’t sure I’d find anyone that would be helpful, but I found you.  I feel lucky and wish there was more support like what you offer out there.”  A.B., New Mexico

WHAT YOU’LL LEAVE WITH

The main result is to move from fragmentation to greater integration.  You will have taken the time to look at what’s happened and where you’ve landed, explore what it all may mean to you, find ways to come to greater peace with the experience, and move forward.

You will feel less psychological distress because you will have told the truth - to yourself first.
You will gently reconnect with your body and identity.
You will be able to speak from a rooted place when asked, “How are you doing?”
You will know there is no perfect way to do any of this - pink ribbons, warriors - it’s just what works for YOU.
You will move from confusion to meaning.
You will be witnessed without pressure.
You will know that your feelings and thoughts are “normal” (whatever that is).
You will understand how cultural beauty norms make this experience uniquely challenging.
You will have better coping and resilience - because you’ve been supported.

What You’ll Experience in the 6 Week Guided Coaching Circle:

You are not asked to spill your trauma or perform your pain. You are invited to come as you are, participate as you are wanting and able, and take what you need.

Week 1 – Coming Home to the Self

We begin with a body based grounding practice, guided introductions, and gentle education about post-treatment shifts in mental and emotional health and identity. Journaling prompts help you reconnect with your body and assess where you are now.

Week 2 – Naming the Losses

We create space for grief, anger, and complexity. A guided letter-writing exercise helps give voice to what has gone unspoken—perhaps to your body, your past self, or the medical system.

Week 3 – Body, Image, and Femininity

Explore your personal and cultural timeline of femininity. Reflect on body image, gender identity, and societal messages—and begin the work of reclamation and redefining what beauty or womanhood means to you.

Week 4 – Boundaries and Voice

A coaching-based session on language, power, and agency. You’ll be invited to articulate what’s still unsaid and practice voicing needs or boundaries with others in your life. (No worries if you don’t want to do the practice part!)

Week 5 – Sensuality and Intimacy

With gentleness and respect, we explore how intimacy, touch, and sensuality may have shifted. We will give voice to the hard feelings that may come up as you care for your body as you would a dear child or a wounded bird. Can’t even imagine it? Whether solo or partnered, we will honor your evolving relationship to pleasure and deep self-regard.

Week 6 – Integration and Future Self

You’ll gather what’s been stirred, unearthed, or reclaimed. Together, we’ll shape a vision of the Self you’re becoming—not as a polished destination, but as a living, breathing possibility. Optional symbolic closure or ritual practices will be offered.

Importantly, each week will also include how cultural influences impact the emotional and psychological challenges of mastectomy. There will be optional homework to help integrate the learnings from each Circle between sessions.

Coaching Circle Details

• Duration: 6 weeks

• Format: Weekly 90-minute Zoom sessions

• Group Size: 6-8 participants

• INCLUDES: 

  • One 15 minute individual consult with Geena prior to Registration to ask and answer questions, and make sure it’s a good fit for you.

  • At Registration you will receive a Pre-Circle Questionnaire to be filled out and sent to Geena prior to the first Circle.

  • One individual 50 minute coaching session with Geena booked between weeks 1-5

  • Weekly handouts (articles, quotes, poems) related to the session theme.

• Cost: $800 (Pilot Only)

• Next Start Date: TBD, November 2025

Please feel free to email me and ask questions about joining! info@geenatommasilcsw.com

Optional Offerings

Individual 50 minute coaching sessions available by request - $150 (Pilot Only)

Two Optional Creative Workshops - 3 hours each - $175 (Pilot Only)

• Visual Identity Workshop - Plan a symbolic tattoo or photoshoot concept through exploration of personal symbols, styles, aesthetics, and message.

• Expressive or Ritual Meaning Making - Create a writing (such as a poem, an essay, a spoken word piece, a your story) or design a rite of passage or closure ritual to mark this event in your life. These can be private or shared. This is for YOU.

 
This Circle might be a fit if:
 ✔ You've had a mastectomy, flat closure, reconstruction, explantation, lumpectomy, or other breast-altering surgery because of breast cancer or the prevention of breast cancer.
 ✔ You’ve physically healed but still feel emotionally adrift.
 ✔ You want reflection, ritual, and reclamation—not performance or pressure.
  ✔ You want to be with others who get it, but you don’t want to be in group therapy.
  ✔ You consider yourself feminist and have a progressive viewpoint.
 
 This Circle might NOT be a fit if:
  ❌ You are in the middle of acute medical treatment.
 ❌ You are seeking clinical therapy or crisis support. This is an online coaching program and inappropriate for situations that would be better served with 1:1 in-person psychotherapy.
 ❌ You are looking for advice about medical decisions.
 ❌ You are seeking a “check-in-and-vent-and-chat” group. This program is structured, guided, and creative.
❌ You are not interested in how cultural influences impact the emotional and psychological challenges of mastectomy.
 ❌ You’re 100% happy and ecstatic with the new breasts your doctor has given you.

FAQS

Are there Refunds? There are no refunds.

What is the age range of the group? All adult ages are welcomed. Just bring your lived experience and your willingness to explore it.

What if I do not want to share? That is absolutely fine. This experience is about coming back to yourself and honoring yourself, exactly as you are.

***Do I have to be an artist or a writer to participate in the expressive arts exercises? Absolutely not. The expressive arts are about EXPRESSION, not product. As a matter of fact I find those that are not formal writers or trained artists actually have a more authentic experience with these exercises.

Please feel free to email me and ask questions about joining! info@geenatommasilcsw.com