BRiC Centre - Building Resilience in Breast Cancer Centre

09/02/2026

Are you interested in understanding and improving the mental health care needs of individuals with a lived experience of cancer? Then consider this CPD course in:

Psycho‑Oncology and Trauma‑Competent Care in Cancer

The founder of the award winning BRiC Centre - Building Resilience in Breast Cancer Centre Professor Nazanin Derakshan, which has helped thousands of women with a lived experience of breast cancer rebuild their lives with resilience in survivorship through its transformative research, psycho education and community support, is director of the above course in her role as Head of the Growth and Resilience in Trauma Centre (GRiT) at the National Centre for Integrative Oncology - NCIO

This course is committed to addressing the mental health support gap in cancer care. It is designed for healthcare professionals and students interested in oncology, offering research‑driven knowledge and practical, evidence‑based tools to better support people with lived experience of cancer.

The course runs online over 10 weeks, with three in‑person training days near Reading. The first cohort (Jan–March) is underway with a range of participants —oncologists, nurses, nutritionists, yoga practitioners, and healthcare trainees—who’ve been very rewarding to teach.

If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, please email Louise at hello@ncio.org.uk for details and registration. Applications are now open for the April–July cohort, with space for 20–25 students.

08/02/2026

Interested in understanding and improving the mental health care needs of individuals with a lived experience of cancer? Then consider this CPD course in:

Psycho‑Oncology and Trauma‑Competent Care in Cancer

The founder of the award winning BRiC Centre, Professor Nazanin Derakshan, which has helped thousands of women with a lived experience of breast cancer rebuild their lives with resilience in survivorship through its transformative research, psycho education and community support, is director of the above course in her role as Head of the Growth and Resilience in Trauma Centre (GRiT) at the National Centre for Integrative Oncology (NCIO).

This course is committed to addressing the mental health support gap in cancer care. It is designed for healthcare professionals and students interested in oncology, offering research‑driven knowledge and practical, evidence‑based tools to better support people with lived experience of cancer. The course runs online over 10 weeks, with three in‑person training days near Reading.

The first cohort (Jan–March) is underway with a range of participants —oncologists, nurses, nutritionists, yoga practitioners, and healthcare trainees—who’ve been very rewarding to teach.

If you’re interested, eligible, or know someone who might be, please check the information below. You can email Louise at hello@ncio.org.uk for details and registration. Applications are now open for the April–July cohort, with space for 20–25 students.

05/02/2026

We are delighted that our work at BRiC, led by our deputy head Vickie Filby , has resulted in this important achievement with the Department of Health and Social Care.

For years after completing treatment for primary breast cancer, women with bilateral mastectomies—whether choosing to remain flat or to have reconstruction—have continued to receive NHS letters inviting them to breast screening, despite requesting removal from the screening list. These warnings about the risks of not attending are irrelevant and distressing for women who have already undergone major surgery and worked hard to rebuild their lives. They do not need reminders of past trauma.

Vickie took it upon herself to challenge this systemic issue, and through her determined communication she has helped close this gap. As the letter explains, there is now hope that screening databases will correct these errors, saving valuable NHS resources and sparing our women from unnecessary notifications.

Thank you, Vickie, for your bold and dedicated efforts. 👏👏👏

05/02/2026

We are delighted that our work at BRiC, led by our deputy head Vickie Filby Vickie Filby, has resulted in this important achievement with the Department of Health and Social Care.

For years after completing treatment for primary breast cancer, women with bilateral mastectomies—whether choosing to remain flat or to have reconstruction—have continued to receive NHS letters inviting them to breast screening, despite requesting removal from the screening list. These warnings about the risks of not attending are irrelevant and distressing for women who have already undergone major surgery and worked hard to rebuild their lives. They do not need reminders of past trauma.

Vickie took it upon herself to challenge this systemic issue, and through her determined communication she has helped close this gap. As the letter explains, there is now hope that screening databases will correct these errors, saving valuable NHS resources and sparing our women from unnecessary notifications.

Thank you, Vickie, for your bold and dedicated efforts. 👏👏👏

04/02/2026

30/01/2026

Our amazing group member, Jacqueline, has shared how she felt post-treatment and what she did to enable her to move forward. Finding your way at the end of active treatment can be difficult. At a time when you expect to be happy and relieved, the opposite can be true and it’s tricky to navigate. If you are struggling, we want you to know you are not alone ❤️

During treatment for primary breast cancer, Jackie was desperate to get back in the water. Now, she’s having more adventures than ever.

27/01/2026

The brilliant Laura Price writes on cancer induced menopause and it's impact on our everyday brain function. You'll see a reference to, and some discussion on, our founder's research, Prof Nazanin Derakshan, explaining chemobrain in breast cancer in a podcast she did with Laura and Breast Cancer Now. Thank you Laura for this excellent piece and explanation.

Was going to write something here, but forgot what I was going to say...

15/01/2026

More HELP NEEDED.

If you haven't taken part in this online survey, please can you consider helping us? The study takes less than half an hour and you will be contributing to BRiC's research on empowering women with a lived experience of breast cancer. All women with a primary or secondary (metastatic) diagnosis of breast cancer can participate.

Thank you xx

02/01/2026

13 is a Holy Number

As ‘today’ approached, I found myself reconciling my thoughts on the past 13 years. 13 years ago, today, I was thinking if I would still be here ‘today’. I was in shock, numb and detached, and unable to cry. Today I am a mixture of sad, grateful and disbelief.

I have seen my daughter grow into a beautiful, independent minded, courageous and resilient young lady. She was under 3 when I was diagnosed. I never pictured to see her (soon) turn 16, to support her facing her own challenges. For this, I am grateful.

I grieve for the many who lost their mums too soon. No mum to celebrate with, no mum to hug and to confide in, or to go to for encouragement and support. The survivor’s guilt creeps up in me, and I question my own existence.

I want to take the opportunity to share 13 ‘lessons’ I have learned which can be subject to disagreement

🔸Follow your heart and your brain will figure it out.

🔸You can be more vulnerable than you think but know that you are more resilient than you think

🔸Use your ‘falls’ to ‘rise’. I take my falls badly, but once I’m done feeling sorry for myself, I try to rise with greater force

🔸Life is about the challenge not the win or the loss

🔸Sensitivity is not your weakness; it is your strength

🔸If you feel down, it’s normal, you won’t feel down forever. And by ‘down’ I don’t mean being depressed which has been a longstanding struggle for me. If angry use it constructively. I am prone to ‘knee-jerk’ reactions when angry

🔸Fear is a sign of survival; without it we will NOT survive. It is the excessive fear that can hold you back.


🔸Sit with the difficult emotions. Once they are heard, they won’t be so difficult to sit with.

🔸Your passion is what matters most.

🔸Love fiercely. I will choose fierce love irrespective of the outcome.

🔸Try new things. It will help you grow and change fruitfully. I can be a person of habit and find this one difficult but exhilarating.

🔸Praise yourself for the ‘small achievements’, they have the biggest impact

🔸YOU are more than the sum of your parts, physical or emotional. You can do things you never believed you could, at the times you never thought you’d find yourself in.

Nazanin Derakhshan Founder of BRiC Nazanin Derakshan