What Cancer Taught A Disaster Psychologist About Faith and Resilience

Dr. Jamie Aten is the Founder and Executive Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and Chair of Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership at Wheaton College. A survivor of colorectal cancer, he's also the author of A Walking Disaster: What Surviving Katrina and Cancer Taught Me About Faith and Resilience.

During our conversation we discussed:

How Terror Management theory explains why some people struggle to support those going through traumatic experiences like cancer.
How he struggled to ask for help during his treatment and how he overcame this challenge.
Redefining "strengths" and "weaknesses."
How growing up in a small, blue collar town impacted his view of the world and his career choice.
How he came to be diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014.
Why those touched by cancer should be cautious of optimism.
How Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can affect cancer patients.