​Live on: Puzzle Exchange (Youtube) & @puzzletcm (Instagram)

​Someone in my family is dealing with breast cancer right now.

I hadn't truly grasped what that means, not until I chat with Lizbeth Hamlin. That short conversation changed how I see this journey. The weight of it. The resilience required. The silence surrounding it.

Lizbeth has spent 40+ years with breast cancer patients, holding space for their grief, their shame, their transformation. She's been so generous in sharing not just her expertise as a psychotherapist, but her own humanity. Talking with her, I realized this needs to be heard. We're bringing this conversation to life through the Puzzle Exchange Podcast.

Through my own work as an acupuncturist, I've seen how much small interventions matter. Helping patients manage chemotherapy pain and mood shifts, reconnecting them with their bodies as sites of healing rather than just medical problems. It's humbling work.

This talk is for everyone who's willing to take another step to the dark, as Lizbeth said "Breast cancer does not discriminates, it could happen to anyone." She will share the benefit that comes with this experience as well.

​More about this sharing: https://www.puzzlesf.com/blog/the-weight-of-silent-shame-with-breast-cancer

​What We'll Explore

​"A Body Being Carved" — The loss of agency and grief that comes with surgery and medical treatment. How do we help patients reconnect with their bodies as something more than just a medical problem to be solved?

​"What Did I Do to Cause This?" — Why self-blame is often the first response, even when we know genetics and chance often determine everything. Understanding the psychology behind this immediate shame.

​The Silent Family Secrets — Why breast cancer remains unspoken in families, the cost of that silence, and how it affects younger generations who don't know their genetic risks.

​Managing Side Effects Through Collaboration — How working across disciplines—acupuncture, surgery, neurology, internal medicine—creates better outcomes for patients navigating the physical toll of treatment.

​Treating the Diagnosis as Trauma — Why recognizing cancer as spiritual, physical, medical, and psychological trauma (not just a medical condition) fundamentally changes how we support patients through recovery.

​The Benefits That Come From Breast Cancer — The part that might surprise you: many survivors report profound personal growth, shifted priorities, deeper relationships, and unexpected insights. How do grief and growth coexist? How do we honor both the loss and the transformation?

​Meet the Speakers

​Lizbeth Hamlin brings decades of experience working with breast cancer patients through the emotional and psychological dimensions of their journey, helping them process trauma and discover meaning.

​Dr. Deb is an acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner who collaborates with surgeons, neurologists, and other medical professionals to support patients through the physical side effects of cancer treatment and help them reconnect with their bodies as sites of healing.

​Jenny hosts this conversation with the depth and curiosity these important topics deserve.

​Why You Should Attend

​If you or someone you love has been touched by breast cancer, this conversation is for you. If you work in healthcare, wellness, or support systems, this is essential listening. If you're interested in how trauma, medicine, and personal transformation intersect, this episode explores territory that rarely gets discussed with this kind of honesty and expertise.

​This isn't a clinical overview—it's a real conversation about what breast cancer actually feels like, what helps, and what survivors often discover on the other side.

​Live link: https://www.youtube.com/live/_V8RY7oAiB8?si=Zd1HDtfY4d1RJExx