09.00 - 09.10 BST

Robin Daly MBE

Robin introduces the day, what its intention is, and what and who we have in store in the programme, along with the important practicalities of the event

09.10 - 09.40 BST

Dr Sam Watts

When we think about integrative cancer survivorship, we almost unilaterally focus on the "things" we do, such as dietary modification, exercise, sleep optimisation, herbal medicines and much else besides. All of these more commonly utilised pillars of cancer survivorship are essential. But in and of themselves they are not enough. We need to put equal emphasis not just on the "things" we do, but on the "person" actually doing them. How can the body mobilise its fullest and most profound healing pathways when the truest nature of any given individual is poorly understood; what gives their life purpose, passion and meaning, what fills their life with awe and wonder and ultimately how they engineer a life that is so deeply congruent with their deepest values and beliefs that healing becomes not something we do, but something we become.

09.40 - 10.10 BST

Alex Turner

Alex’s talk introduces the concept of psychological safety as a key determinant of stress regulation and emotional resilience during cancer.

Drawing on both her professional expertise and lived experience, the talk will explore how the presence, or absence, of psychological safety shapes the body’s stress response, emotional coping, and capacity to engage meaningfully with treatment and recovery.

10.10 - 10.15 BST

Comfort break /Time to visit our Sponsors pages

10.15 - 10.45 BST

Prof Paul Dieppe and Liz Butler

Paul and Liz have separately come to very similar conclusions as to what lies at the core of the healing experience. They believe it relates to the mysteries of consciousness and spirituality – subjects rarely addressed in conventional medical practice. Whether it be the power behind the most supportive patient-practitioner relationships, the nature of the life force energy that allows physical bodies to recover, or the very essence of that which is transmitted in an energy healing session, they believe that what healing truly comes down to is heartfelt connection (with self, with others and with ‘Source’) and transmission of love.

In this presentation they will first address the big question, ‘what is healing?’, explaining that this does not equate to curing. They will then explore research showing that deep connection to ourselves and others, as well as spiritual connection, facilitates healing, and will include details of the cancer-specific research. They will end the session with a short interactive exercise that will allow audience members to connect with their hearts and enter a ‘healing state’.

10.45 - 11.15 BST

Shellie Clark

Shellie will bring both lived experience and an evidence-informed mind-body perspective to explore how a cancer diagnosis can function as a trauma event for the nervous system.

The talk will look at what happens internally when the body enters prolonged states of fear, hypervigilance, and chronic stress, and why restoring safety, connection, and regulation may be one of the most overlooked foundations of survivorship, alongside medical care.

She will also share gentle, practical pathways that help patients begin creating the inner conditions that support resilience, repair, and healing in the aftermath of diagnosis, and the biology that helps explain why these approaches matter.

11.15 - 11.45 BST

Refreshment break/Time to visit our Sponsors pages

11.45 - 12.15 BST

Bobby Sira

A cancer diagnosis almost always takes us outward – into research, treatment decisions, and the constant pull to do more. This is horizontal healing, and it has its place. But there is another dimension: vertical healing – the journey inward, into the body's own intelligence, into stillness, into the deep knowing that no diagnosis can touch.

Drawing on Integrative, Ayurvedic and Spiritual practice, this session introduces these two axes of healing and offers gentle, practical ways to reclaim the inner wisdom that has been there all along.

12.15 - 12.45 BST

Catherine Schopfer

One of the least acknowledged impacts of cancer is the loss of trust in oneself and in one’s body. When this trust is shaken, many people feel uncertain, disconnected, and less steady in their decisions. Many people receive good medical care, yet feel unprepared for the emotional and human side of the experience. The questions that emerge are simple and real:

     How do I live well now?
     How do I trust myself again?

This session addresses that break point through short guided reflections and simple practical tools that help participants regulate emotions, reconnect with themselves, and gradually rebuild self-trust.

12.45 - 14.00 BST

Time to visit our Sponsors pages

13.45 - 14.00 BST

Lisa Morris

More information about this session coming soon

14.00 - 14.30 BST

Denise Stevenson

Denise explores how language: spoken, internal, and increasingly AI-generated, acts as a powerful non-physical factor influencing cancer survivorship through measurable effects on stress, pain, and emotional wellbeing. She explores research into placebo and nocebo effects, clinician communication, and the brain’s role in shaping bodily experience and highlights how words can either undermine or support treatment outcomes. Attendees will gain practical, ethically grounded approaches to using language in ways that reduce harm, foster safety, and actively support healing.

14.30 - 15.15 BST

Larry Scherwitz PhD

Pioneering research shows that chronic diseases can be halted, even reversed, with simple –  but comprehensive –  lifestyle changes. In this presentation, behavioral medicine scientist Larry Scherwitz, PhD, reviews the lifestyle medicine-based, randomized controlled clinical trials that have benefited patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The evidence includes, but goes beyond, the purely physical side of health to include the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects so vital to healing.

Participants will come away with science-backed, step-by-step guidelines to create their optimal lifestyle practice.

15.15 - 15.20 BST

Comfort break/Time to visit our Sponsors pages

15.20 - 15.50 BST

Heather Mason

A cancer diagnosis and its treatment bring profound challenges that are physical, emotional, and for many, both life-threatening and life-altering. For many, this brings anxiety and low mood; for some, aspects of the experience are traumatic, with enduring effects on sleep, concentration, energy, and emotional wellbeing that extend well beyond the end of treatment.

A substantial body of research supports the use of appropriately adapted yoga interventions to improve mental health outcomes and reduce cancer-related fatigue in those living with and beyond cancer, and this is now reflected in consensus guidance from leading cancer and integrative health organisations. Separately, a growing body of research supports the therapeutic application of yoga for trauma more broadly, findings that are directly relevant for those whose experience of cancer has been traumatic.

In this presentation, Heather Mason will examine the evidence for yoga's role in improving mental health and energy, and explore the physiological and psychological mechanisms that underpin these effects, drawing on research that is directly applicable to those living with and beyond cancer.

15.50 - 16.20 BST

Emily Kicklighter

More information about this session Coming Soon

16.20 - 16.45 BST

Refreshment break/Time to visit our Sponsors pages

16.45 - 17.30 BST

Raj Jana

When people truly feel seen, their nervous system begins to relax. The fight-or-flight response softens, the body shifts out of constant vigilance, and the system can finally start regulating again. Much of our trauma occurs in relationship to others, and our neurobiology is shaped through our earliest experiences with caregivers.
Because of that, relationships can also become one of the most powerful places for healing.

When we lean into relationships authentically—rather than bracing ourselves, hiding behind masks, or putting up walls—the energy that was once used for protection can be redirected toward healing. Inauthenticity creates chronic stress. People-pleasing, suppressing who you are, not sharing your truth, holding onto shame—these patterns keep the nervous system contracted and can fuel inflammation in the body.

17.30 - 17.50 BST

Dr Sam Watts

Dr Sam Watts summarises the key take-aways from the day’s presentations.

17.50 - 18.00 BST

Robin Daly MBE