Transformative process in narratives of bodily autobiographical memories: A psychological clinical group intervention with breast cancer survivors

Breast cancer survivors often report internal sensations of discomfort that influence body image or the subjective representation of one’s appearance, which can cause a disconnection between body and personal identity. 12 breast cancer survivors were involved in a group psychological intervention which focused on the management of autobiographical memories related to their own body after breast cancer. Three open questions related to their body autobiographical memories were administered pre, post and 1 month later after the intervention. Autobiographical memories were analyzed with a qualitative methodology to explore the transformative process at three time points. Findings highlight three main themes: (1) narratives of cancer-related memories (2) narratives of emotion towards the body after cancer (3) narratives of memories of internal reflections. This innovative psychological group intervention appears to support breast cancer survivors in re-taking control of their own autobiographical memories related to the body and their related emotions.