Coaching for Resilience
Leadership / Self-Help / Health / Business
Date Published: April 29. 2026
Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing, Arizona, USA
This empowering book launches the new Cancer Compass; an essential self-leadership resource for people facing cancer. It extends its reach to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and organisations committed to offering meaningful support to anyone in their workforce dealing with cancer. It encourages us to see cancer not solely as a medical challenge, but as a profound moment to honour the resilience of our human spirit, embrace growth, and reclaim control of our lives for a brighter future.
Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño challenges her readers to shift their perspective, prioritising personal empowerment, connection and purposeful living. Her insights about resilience coaching and each person’s human potential are uplifting. Her book is deeply rooted in practical application, including thoughtful exercises and tools that prompt us to access our inner resources, engage in self-discovery and cultivate our secure bases. These unique gifts guide us to align our decisions with our values and goals, helping us chart a path forward with choice, clarity and confidence.
Can you tell us a little about the process of getting
this book published? How did you come up with the idea and how did you start?
The journey to write Navigate Cancer – Coaching for
Resilience began many years ago with my own cancer diagnosis. I was 36
years old and suddenly faced questions that no one seemed able to answer: What
resources do I have to navigate this situation in the best possible way? How do
I deal with uncertainty? How do I remain myself when cancer threatens to take
over everything? How not to fall into the projections others make about someone
with cancer?
Those questions eventually led me to become a professional
coach and later to complete a PhD researching how coaching can support people
living with cancer. The idea of the book came after finishing my doctoral
thesis. The book brings together that lived experience, years of coaching
practice, and five years of academic research. In many ways, it is the
culmination of a journey that began long before I started writing.
What surprised you most about getting your book
published?
What surprised me most was seeing how the original idea
evolved into something much bigger than I had imagined. What began as a summary
of my PhD gradually became a practical framework—the Cancer Compass—that people
can use to navigate cancer with greater awareness, choice, and agency.
It was fascinating to watch the book develop its own
structure and identity as I wrote.
Tell us a little about what you do when you aren’t
writing
Most of my time is dedicated to coaching. I work as an
executive coach with leaders and organisations, and I also support people
navigating cancer through coaching programmes and workshops.
Outside work, I enjoy yoga, spending time with my family, cooking,
scuba diving, walking our dog, travelling, and being in nature. Those moments
help me recharge and often become the source of new ideas.
As a published author, what would you say was the most
pivotal point of your writing life?
The day I met with the publisher of my first book. He had
not yet read the manuscript, but after listening to me explain the concept, he
looked at me and said, "This book is important. We have to publish
it."
That moment stayed with me. It made me realise that our
ideas can have an impact beyond what we initially imagine, and that the stories
we feel compelled to tell are often the ones that need to be heard.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think
that is?
While practising yoga, walking the dog, taking a shower, or
having a meaningful conversation with someone.
I think ideas emerge when the mind has enough space and
there is no judgement. When I stop trying to force an answer, my thoughts
become quieter and connections begin to appear naturally. I also love
brainstorming with other people. There is something energising about building
on each other's ideas and creating something together.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
I have actually been quite fortunate and have not received
any particularly harsh criticism as an author, at least not yet. Most readers
have been supportive, even when they do not agree with every aspect of my
perspective.
If anything, some readers initially expect a cancer book to
be either a personal memoir or a guide focused primarily on treatments, medical
information, and survival stories. While my own experience with cancer inspired
the book, Navigate Cancer is not the story of my journey. It
focuses on the person behind the diagnosis and offers a practical framework to
help people navigate the emotional, psychological, and human aspects of the
experience.
I have learned that whenever you offer a different
perspective, not everyone will immediately connect with it—and that is
perfectly fine. What matters is that the book resonates deeply with the people
it is written for.
What has been your best accomplishment as a writer?
Publishing Navigate Cancer – Coaching for Resilience has
been my greatest accomplishment as a writer. Not only because of the years of
work behind it, but because it brings together so many parts of my life: my
personal experience as a cancer survivor, my professional work as a coach, and
my academic research.
More importantly, it offers a different perspective on
cancer—one that sees people as whole human beings with the capacity to choose,
lead themselves, and find meaning even in challenging circumstances.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
A few unpublished short stories and poems that I have chosen
to keep private.
When it comes to books, I am very persistent. I rarely
abandon a project once I have committed to it. For me, a book is not finished
until it has reached readers, and I usually do not start writing a new one
until I have completed the previous one.
About the Author
At the age of 36, a breast cancer diagnosis marked a turning point in her life, redirecting her focus toward empowering people living with cancer. In the years that followed, she authored her first book, I Have Breast Cancer–What Now?, recognised for its inspirational and practical guidance, embraced motherhood, and founded a charitable initiative supporting young women navigating motherhood after cancer. She later earned a PhD focused on applying professional coaching methodologies to the specific needs of people facing serious health challenges. In recognition of her commitment to patient advocacy, she was honoured with the European Patient Champion Award by EyeforPharma in 2019.
Teresa is also an executive coach and coaches across multiple programs at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, including the flagship High-Performance Leadership (HPL) Program, supporting leaders in developing resilience, clarity, and sustainable performance.
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