Asst. Prof. Laura Ashurst

on health-related and complementary therapy programmes. I co-wrote and developed the first Foundation Degree in Complementary Therapy (Aromatherapy) in the North-East of England, validated by the University of Teesside.

My diagnosis of primary breast cancer aged 34, when my son was 6 months old and my daughter was 3, means that I have over 20 years lived experience of the impact on our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of a cancer diagnosis. For the last 15 years, I have lived with incurable secondary breast cancer. Receiving support for my mental wellbeing via mindfulness and meditation encouraged me to train in the discipline.

I am dedicated to helping improve the national landscape for people facing the challenges that a cancer diagnosis presents and in particular to helping people navigate their way through survivorship post-cancer diagnosis.

My voluntary campaigning work includes 12 years as a member of the Cancer Campaigns Team for Cancer Research UK and many years supporting the work of Breast Cancer Care which merged with Breast Cancer Now in April 2019. I am Patron of The Trinity Holistic Centre at The James Cook University Hospital where I receive cancer treatment. More recently, I have become an ambassador for the Building Resilience in Breast Cancer Centre, led by Professor Naz Derakshan.

I passionately advocate for patients to receive holistic care following a cancer diagnosis and from personal experience can testify to the benefits of mindfulness and meditation on emotional and physical wellbeing.

My one-to-one sessions incorporate bespoke and personalised mindfulness and mindfulness meditation support.