Events

Seeing Yourself Again: Body Image and Self-Compassion After Cancer

Making peace with a body that may look, feel, or function differently  

Discover how to navigate body changes after cancer with greater compassion and confidence. As your body looks, feels, or functions differently, your sense of identity and confidence may shift as well. This session explores how cancer-related changes can affect body image and identity while offering gentle, practical strategies rooted in self‑compassion and building daily practices that develop acceptance, one small step at a time. 

Join this free one-hour presentation facilitated by Dr. Alishia Kalos, PsyD, licensed sex therapist. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: 

• Recognize how cancer and its treatments can impact body image, identity, confidence, and sense of bodily safety. 
• Understand and practice self-compassion and body-kindness strategies that support emotional healing after bodily change. 
• Identify small, realistic daily practices that foster reconnection with the body during or after cancer treatment.
  
  Dr. Alishia Kalos (pronouns: she/her/hers) serves as a bilingual (English/Spanish) Pennsylvania and New Jersey licensed psychologist and individual, relational, and sex therapist certified by the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). She has acted as a dedicated advocate through her roles in clinical work, education, writing, and professional presentations about relationships, sexuality, and sexual health as well as overcoming cancer and chronic illness. 

About the Wellness After Cancer Survivorship Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper: 
At MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, we recognize that every patient becomes a survivor the moment they receive a cancer diagnosis. Our dedicated team is committed to empowering survivors to live their lives to the fullest throughout their cancer journey. 
The Wellness After Cancer Survivorship Program is designed to meet the comprehensive physical, psychological, and educational needs of patients. Through our long-term survivorship clinic and a variety of supportive services and programs, we ensure that all patients receive evidence-based care tailored to their unique experiences. Our goal is to equip survivors with the resources they need to thrive in their post-diagnosis lives. Click here to learn more: https://www.cooperhealth.org/services/md-anderson-cancer-center-cooper/cancer-survivorship-program