Diane Petrella

𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁 & 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀.

I'm a holistic psychotherapist and author of Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors: Trauma-Informed Practices to Nurture a Peaceful Relationship with Your Emotions, Body, and Food.

06/06/2026

Hello Friends... I hope your weekend is off to a lovely start.

As a PSA for early cancer detection (for any health issue, really) and taking good care of your body, I want to give you an update about my recovery from a hysterectomy for early stage endometrial cancer.

The surgery (laparoscopic and robotic) went very well and I've been recovering beautifully from that. I feel terrific!

The pathology report came back last week and my lymph nodes and pelvic area are clear so that was great news!

There is one confounding factor, however, called lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). I had never heard of that.

What it means is that although the tumor was small, some cells left the tumor and entered the lymph/vascular pathways within the uterus. Even though the uterus was removed, LVSI increases the risk of a recurrence. So I will need radiation to reduce that risk.

Radiation will start later this summer after I've fully healed from the surgery. I'll need only about 3-5 treatments. The process seems fairly easy.

Even though I caught this very early, and even though it's early stage, the LVSI changes the course of treatment. I had hoped the hysterectomy would have taken care of this but I still have another step in the process.

I am SO grateful that I found this early and that my gynecologist responded thoroughly. And that my community offers exceptional healthcare.

It does not escape me that others are not as fortunate.

Please friends... I know it's easy to dismiss some symptoms. I had only one day of a very minor symptom. It would have been easy to take a "wait and see" approach.

The thing is... up to the day of surgery, that symptom never returned!

If I had waited, the tumor would have gotten larger and the LVSI would have been more invasive.

It's critical to treat even a seemingly minor symptom with action and let your health care provider be the one to decide whether or not it's a concern.

That's not being paranoid. It's being prudent.

I'm actually in the Adirondacks with my husband. This trip was planned before the diagnosis and came at a good time. I'm taking it easy and relaxing with walking (no strenuous hiking for a while), reading, and knitting. Very peaceful.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend.

Much love,
Diane 💜

05/30/2026

Important truth. Notice...

Do you see yourself here? If so, what will you learn and change about yourself?

Do you see people you know here? Is so, what will you learn from this?

05/21/2026

Hello Friends... I want to thank you all so very much for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers prior to my surgery on Monday.

I was home Monday afternoon and am doing remarkably well. The surgery went as expected, recovery is going smoothly, and I'm enjoying this week of rest and healing.

For those of you who are local and if ever in need, my surgeon is Dr. Christina Bandera. She is highly skilled and I knew I was in great hands. That confidence helped.

I had never before had a surgery that required general anesthesia and that was the one thing I had been feeling anxious about. (A tube... down my throat?!) All went well there too.

So here I am on the other side of this feeling incredibly grateful and blessed and wanted to offer you a heartfelt Thank You. 🙏

05/17/2026

I feel great... AND... I was recently diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Fortunately, I caught this very early. I need to have a hysterectomy and most likely that's the only treatment. Surgery is tomorrow morning. It's laparoscopic and robotic so recovery should be fairly easy.

I wrote an article on Substack about this because I think my experience will be helpful to you. I feel blessed to have always felt deeply connected to my body. That interoceptive awareness, coupled with my ability to take quick action, helped me catch this in time.

I had a very subtle symptom that was so easy to dismiss. But I intuitively knew that something wasn't right.

My body whispered to me. I noticed. And took action.

I hope you enjoy reading this article and that it helps you to notice the whispers of wisdom your body sends you, too. 💜

Here's the link and I'll post it in the comments too:
https://dianepetrella.substack.com/p/i-have-cancer-and-its-okay

05/09/2026

Wishing all mothers who celebrate a Happy Mother's Day weekend. 🌷

And to those for whom this day may elicit mixed or sad feelings, these flowers and my warm thoughts are for you. 💐🩷

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05/03/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness month so I wanted to address something that many people don't like to talk about.

As a psychotherapist, one area that can be a source of shame for clients is using medication. That is so unfortunate because medication can be a game-changer in your healing and recovery.

I don't prescribe medication so I refer my clients to medication providers when I assess that a consultation is needed. Sometimes depressive and anxiety-based symptoms, mood instability, and obsessive thoughts don't respond to traditional therapeutic techniques. Medication offers support and stabilization on a physiological level and you often experience relief in a short period of time.

When I was in psychotherapy in my 20's and 30s, I took an anti-depressant for a few years. No shame about that. And it helped.

If you take a psychotropic medication, good for you for taking care of yourself in this way. I hope that if you feel any shame you're able to let that go.

If it's been suggested to you to take a medication for psychological reasons but have been reluctant, I hope you will reconsider in consultation with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner who can explain everything and answer all your questions.

There is no shame in doing what helps your mind, body, and spirit so that you can live your well-deserved best life.

04/26/2026

A happy Sunday to you!

Yesterday, Carl and I went to Wicked Tulips Flower Farm. Thousands of tulips to admire and pick. It was so beautiful and fun!

Then we went for a 5-mile hike in the Great Swamp area and found this cool stone lounge chair. Perfect for a much-needed rest.

How are you spending your weekend? I hope it's joyful!

04/23/2026

Body positivity sounds reasonable enough, doesn't it? But what if you don't feel positively about your body?

So hear me out: It's okay if you don't like or love your body.

You feel what you feel and that's okay.

Instead of holding a body positive mindset that may not feel true and authentic for you, how about holding a Body Supportive mindset? For example:

“I may not love my body AND I’m willing to take good care of it.”

“I’m critical of my body AND I can be attentive to its needs.”

“I feel ashamed of my body AND I can treat it with compassion.”

You're on this earth having a physical experience because of your body. No matter how you feel about it, your body depends on you for its health and vitality. It needs your willingness to treat it with loving attention.

What are your thoughts about a Body Supportive mindset?

04/18/2026

Whether in the home or in schools, hitting children is just not right. Corporal punishment is shame-inducing and traumatic.

These states below allow corporal punishment in public school classrooms. While it's legal, some districts in these states fortunately have banned it. But it's still legal and happening:

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.

If you live in one of these states and feel as I do, will you contact your government officials and voice your concerns?

Shame-filled and traumatized children become shame-filled traumatized adults. We could stop violence—towards self and others—if we stop tolerating child abuse.

Children need us to protect them. Will you help?

04/14/2026

I was looking at some photos from my trip to Hawaii and wanted to share this. It's from an elementary school. I loved that school officials valued teaching this message to their students.

It's a good message for all of us.

Because the harsh words you say to yourself are your worst enemies. And the kind words you say to yourself are your greatest friends.

Be a kind friend to your mind today (and always), okay?

Address

11 South Angell Street #355
Providence, RI
02906

Telephone

(401) 831-1341

Website

http://www.dianepetrella.com/

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