Mental Wellbeing for Cancer & Beyond: Mindset, Stress & Reframing
Updated: Aug 27
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Originally presented with the Stanford Cancer Survivorship Program in 2021, this four-part series explores mental wellbeing during and after cancer—from mindset and stress to social support, hypnosis, and reframing difficult experiences.
With the conclusion of June's National Cancer Survivors Month, we completed our 4-part series on "Mental Wellbeing: For Cancer & Beyond" sponsored by the Stanford Cancer Survivorship Program. Our discussions on the power of mindset, managing stress, and reframing our challenges apply to all aspects of our lives. The recordings of these webinars are linked below - please share with others who may be interested.
What This Stanford Cancer Survivorship Series Covers
Facing Cancer: lessons patients and caregivers wish they had known
Mindset: how our beliefs about stress can influence how we experience it
Managing Stress: social support, hypnosis, and coping
Reframing: examining the stories we tell ourselves about difficult experiences
Session #1: Facing Cancer: What We Wish We Knew
Recorded May 4, 2021 | Stanford Cancer Survivorship Program
In this fireside chat, Dr. Lidia Schapira, Medical Director of Cancer Survivorship at Stanford Medicine and the Stanford Cancer Institute, interviews Parul Somani and Martin Inderbitzin on their experiences as patients and caregivers.
What you'll hear about: patient and caregiver perspectives, navigating diagnosis and treatment, survivorship, and lessons learned.
Session #2: Why Mindsets Matter
Recorded May 18, 2021 | Featuring Dr. Alia Crum
Understanding mindset and how our view of stress impacts our health is key to strengthening our mental wellbeing. Join us as cancer warriors and inspirational speakers Parul Somani and Martin Inderbitzin sit down with Stanford’s Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr. Alia Crum, to discuss the power of mindset and its role in helping us thrive even when facing hardships.
What you'll hear about: what mindsets are, how stress mindsets can affect wellbeing, and what research suggests about changing the way we view stress.
Session #3: Managing Stress: From Social Support to Hypnosis
Recorded June 1, 2021 | Featuring Dr. David Spiegel
Managing stress is especially complicated in a COVID environment. Watch as cancer warriors and inspirational speakers Parul Somani and Martin Inderbitzin sit down with Stanford's Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. David Spiegel, to discuss the power of hypnosis and social support in helping people cope with stress.
Historical context: This conversation took place in June 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic was adding additional isolation, uncertainty, and stress for many patients and families.
Session #4: The Power of Changing Your Story
Recorded June 15, 2021
What are you most struggling with regarding your experience with cancer? Join us for this interactive workshop with cancer warriors and inspirational speakers Parul Somani and Martin Inderbitzin to reflect on your cancer journey, learn how you can reframe your challenges, and discuss what you can start doing today to change your story.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE (August 2026): Many of the ideas we explored in this series—how we relate to uncertainty, where we find agency, how our mindset shapes our experience, and how we reframe difficult circumstances—would later become important threads in my work on decision-making under uncertainty and The Path of Least Regret.
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ABOUT PARUL SOMANI
Parul Somani is a decision strategist, keynote speaker, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of The Path of Least Regret. A graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School, she combines behavioral science, strategic decision-making, and lived experience to help leaders navigate uncertainty and make values-aligned choices with greater clarity and confidence. Her work has been featured by Forbes, NPR, Inc., Oprah Daily, and Psychology Today.
Follow Parul on LinkedIn and Instagram, and receive a free decision-making guide when you join her mailing list at parulsomani.com/freeguide.
