Justine Laidlaw - The Natural Bird

Justine Laidlaw - The Natural Bird Healing from Stage 3 aggressive colon cancer naturally is no easy feat, but I did it. I believed I could HEAL, so I did! No Chemo & No Radiation!

Hi...I’m Justine Laidlaw, Life Coach and Functional Medicine & Holistic Cancer Coach based in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. I love life, make the most of opportunities, and am certainly not afraid of change. I coach to help change lives as mine was changed drastically in 2013. At 45 years old I was diagnosed with Stage 3 aggressive colon cancer. I embarked on an enlightening journey

to find out the best possible course of treatment to stay alive and healthy. I believe that listening to my gut instinct along with knowledge is incredibly powerful. After many hours of research, reading and watching incredible videos, I had surgery but I opted out of the traditional treatment options and decided I could help heal myself by using alternative and holistic methods. I understood that a bigger part of my healing would involve continual exploration into what my body, mind and soul need from me on a day to day basis. Ozone therapy has played a big part in optimising my Immune system towards healing from cancer. I grow as much of my own food as I can on our small lifestyle block organically. Our food is additive and preservative free, we eat a combination of cooked and uncooked vegetables, fruits, activated nuts, seeds and fermented foods. When we eat meat or chicken I always buy free-range, grass fed and mainly organic. There are never any counting calories and healthy takeaways and dining out are still options. Join me as I continue along the path of healing to promote a healthy lifestyle, balanced nutrition, spiritual knowledge and a safe community to share ideas and positive thoughts.

I just love this woman. Belinda often shares my posts and adds her wisdom to help others understand her personal experie...
20/06/2026

I just love this woman. Belinda often shares my posts and adds her wisdom to help others understand her personal experience.

Belinda Hawkins and I connected after her incredible healing story was featured on the Radical Remission Podcast: Stories That Heal. After listening to her interview, I immediately reached out to Liz and Karla, who host the podcast, and said, "Please connect me with Belinda. I need her to be part of my workshops so she can share her wisdom with our participants."

Since then, we've become kindred spirits. You know those rare people you meet and instantly feel as though you've known them forever? That's Belinda.

Our philosophies around healing, wellbeing, and the body's innate ability to recover are so beautifully aligned. We both believe that true healing is about far more than treating symptoms.

We share a concern that too much of our healthcare system is driven by managing disease rather than creating health, and that profit can sometimes take precedence over empowering people with all of the information and support available to them. We believe patients deserve to be active participants in their healing, with emotional, mental, spiritual and lifestyle factors considered alongside conventional treatment.

Anyway, enough rant. Here's a little more about her extraordinary story. I'll pop the link to her podcast interview in the comments.

✨✨✨

In 2020, Belinda was in a wheelchair, dependent on oxygen, and told she wasn't expected to survive. After living with metastatic breast cancer for many years, she was facing what doctors believed were her final days.

But Belinda understood something many people overlook: the power of the mind.

Her oncologist often reminded her, "Keep your mind in the right place. Your mind is so important in the healing journey."

So that's exactly what she did.

She immersed herself in stories of healing. She read about the island where people forget to die. She devoured Radical Remission stories and drew inspiration from Anita Moorjani's remarkable recovery in "Dying To Be Me".

Then something remarkable happened.

By 2021, Belinda had found her way back into harmony with life. Her body began to recover, and during this time she uncovered something profound: unresolved emotional memories that needed healing.

Knowing her life was on the line, she reached out to a colleague and embarked on several months of deep subconscious healing work. Following this process, her tumour completely regressed without medication.

Belinda is a rare and beautiful bridge between science and spirit. With a background in medical science and training as a P.S.H. (Private Subconscious-mind Healing) therapist, she understands the powerful connection between emotional memory and physical health.

Today, she dedicates her life to helping others navigate their own healing journeys.

One of Belinda's recent reflections really resonated with me, and I felt inspired to share it with you:

"Ten years ago the mets showed up after doing everything the system told me to do.

Ten years later I'm alive and well.

This is what changed.

I learned to stop trusting a system built for profit that refuses to include the emotional and spiritual.

I learned to trust myself. My gut feelings. My inner guidance. My ability to heal.

Ten years after mets and 17 years after my original diagnosis feels momentous.

Don't believe everything they tell you.

There is a way. And so many of us have found it."

Belinda's journey and story is a powerful reminder that healing is often much bigger than the diagnosis.

It reminds us to stay curious, ask questions, trust ourselves, and remember that hope is always available, even when the odds seem stacked against us.

This week, I found myself sitting with a client, helping her navigate her next steps as she has a few decisions to make....
19/06/2026

This week, I found myself sitting with a client, helping her navigate her next steps as she has a few decisions to make.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, she did what most people do. She met with her surgical team, had surgery to remove the tumour, and was then presented by the oncology team with the standard treatment pathway: chemotherapy, radiation, and five years of hormone suppression therapy.

Like many patients, she could have accepted the recommendations without question.

But she asked a powerful question:

"Is there any testing available that can tell me how much benefit I am actually likely to receive from chemotherapy?"

The answer was yes.

Her oncologist suggested an Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test.

The result came back with a Recurrence Score of 9, which is considered low risk. The report estimated a 5% risk of distant recurrence over 10 years and found that adding chemotherapy would provide less than a 1% additional benefit in reducing that risk.

Less than 1%

That statistic stopped her and me in our tracks. I was like WTF, why on earth would anybody subject themselves to that!

What leaves me scratching my head is that a treatment capable of causing significant side effects can still be recommended as part of standard care before we know whether it is likely to provide any meaningful benefit for the individual sitting in front of us. Surely personalised medicine should become the starting point of the conversation, not an afterthought reserved for those who know to ask the right questions.

What I find fascinating is that once the tumour has been removed, so much of the conversation often centres around additional treatments aimed at reducing recurrence risk, yet far less attention is given to understanding why the cancer was able to develop in the first place and what can be done to create an internal environment that is less hospitable to its return.

As an Integrative Cancer Coach, this is where I believe the conversation becomes incredibly important.

Because beyond treatment decisions, there is so much we can do to support the body. Things like nourishing ourselves with anti-inflammatory foods, moving our bodies regularly, improving sleep, reducing stress, addressing unresolved emotional burdens, minimising toxic exposures in our homes and workplaces, and cultivating more joy, connection and purpose in our lives. Many people also choose to explore evidence-informed integrative therapies and natural compounds alongside conventional care as part of a comprehensive healing approach.

While none of these approaches can guarantee an outcome, together they can help create a healthier terrain in which the body is better able to repair, regulate and thrive. What I love most about this client's story is not that she automatically rejected treatment, but that she became an informed participant in her own care. By asking questions, seeking personalised information and understanding her options, she will be able to make decisions from a place of knowledge rather than fear. That shift alone can be incredibly empowering.

One of the most important roles I have is helping people understand that they are not powerless.

You have the right to ask questions.
You have the right to understand the likely benefit of any treatment being recommended.
And you have the right to be an active participant in decisions about your own health.

I'm curious...

If a treatment offered less than a 1% projected benefit in your particular situation, would that information influence your decision-making?

👇 I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

And if integrative & holistic healing approaches are topics you've been wondering about, Jenny and I will be hosting a FREE online Q&A next Tuesday evening where we'll be there to answer any questions you have. Comment Yes if you would love to join us.

I was reading a recent post from Alexander Quinn about the shift from Gemini into Cancer energy. While he was referring ...
18/06/2026

I was reading a recent post from Alexander Quinn about the shift from Gemini into Cancer energy. While he was referring to the astrological sign Cancer rather than cancer as a disease, one part of his message really resonated with me.

He spoke about how we've become very good at gathering information, searching for answers, and trying to understand life through the mind. But eventually there comes a point where information is no longer enough. We are invited to move from our heads back into our hearts.

Over the years of supporting people through a cancer diagnosis, I've noticed that the physical body is often given the greatest attention.

What treatment should I have? What supplements should I take? What diet should I follow?

And whilst these things are incredibly important, I believe the emotional, spiritual and energetic aspects of healing are equally important, if not more so.

In fact, from my own experience, these have been some of the hardest areas to navigate.

Healing isn't always about finding the next answer.

Sometimes it's about sitting with the big questions.
Who am I now? What really matters to me? What needs healing within me? How do I find peace despite the uncertainty?

These aren't easy questions, and there are often no quick fixes. They require courage, honesty and a willingness to look inward.

For me, learning to work through the emotional and spiritual aspects of my journey wasn't a one-time event. It was an ongoing process of navigating challenges, facing fears, letting go of what no longer served me, and slowly finding a deeper sense of peace within myself.

The physical body matters enormously, however holistic healing often asks us to look beyond the diagnosis and beyond the treatment plan.

Not just what we know.
But what we feel.
Not just how we heal physically.
But how we heal as a whole person.

And perhaps that is where some of the deepest healing can occur. Hope you can join Jenny and myself for our healing stories and the wisdom we have collectively learnt at the end of this month.

PM for the link .

One of the things I love most about this work is the people I get to meet along the way.This week I reached out to a wom...
16/06/2026

One of the things I love most about this work is the people I get to meet along the way.

This week I reached out to a woman who had recently been referred to me by Dr Stephan Neff. In her reply, she gently reminded me that we'd actually worked together before.

Back in 2022, she joined one of my Radical Remission workshops and later came to see me for a consultation. At the time she had recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer and was carrying a huge amount of grief and emotional turmoil.

I must admit, after almost 10 years of supporting people through workshops, consultations and coaching, I've met hundreds of incredible humans and sometimes I simply can't remember every name or every story. Thankfully she was very gracious about that! 😊

What touched me most was reading her update.

She shared that at the time, both the Radical Remission workshop and our consultation were hugely beneficial for her. As someone who often wonders what happens for people after we cross paths, it was really special to hear that.

Nearly five years on from her diagnosis, she continues to do incredibly well. Alongside her medical treatment, she has embraced so many of the things that support healing and wellbeing — nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, gratitude, emotional healing, writing her life story, and much more.

One thing she shared really stood out to me. She said that writing her life story has been spiritually and emotionally healing.

It got me thinking...

Behind every diagnosis is a person trying to make sense of what has happened, finding their way through the uncertainty, and learning how to keep living life in the midst of it all.

While we often focus on scans, treatments and outcomes, there is another journey taking place too. The inner journey. The healing of old wounds. The shifts in perspective. The deeper appreciation for life, relationships and what truly matters.

I see this time and time again.

This lady's email absolutely made my day and reminded me that even the hardest chapters of our lives can lead us to places of growth, meaning and possibility that we never expected.

And perhaps that's why stories like hers matter so much.

When someone is first diagnosed, especially with a Stage 4 diagnosis, it can feel as though the future has been written for them. Fear often takes over and it's easy to believe there are no other possibilities.

But when we hear stories from people who are living well, thriving, and creating meaningful lives years after their diagnosis, something begins to shift.

Fear starts to make room for hope.

And when hope returns, we become open to possibility.

That has always been one of the most important parts of the work myself & Jenny Kennedy - Speaker/Intuitive Healer do.

Helping people move from fear into hope, and from hope into a deeper belief that there may be more possibilities available to them than they can see right now.

Not because anyone can guarantee an outcome, but because healing journeys are as unique as the people living them.

Sometimes all it takes is one story to help someone see a different future for themselves.

16/06/2026

Can I ask a heartfelt favour?

Jenny and I have poured our hearts, time, energy, and resources into creating workshops and events that support people navigating cancer and serious illness, helping them move from fear and overwhelm toward hope, possibility, and practical action.

The reality is that reaching the people who need this support has become incredibly challenging. We've spent thousands of dollars on marketing trying to get these messages in front of the right people, yet despite increasing our advertising spend, we're simply not reaching those who may benefit most.

So today, we're turning to something far more powerful than advertising... human connection.

If you know someone currently facing cancer, supporting a loved one through cancer, or struggling with the fear and uncertainty that often comes with a diagnosis, would you consider privately sending them the link to our upcoming Hope, Healing & Possibility Webinar?

For just $29, they'll receive practical tools, insights, and a different perspective on what may be possible for their healing journey.

We know people are far more likely to take notice when a recommendation comes from someone they know and trust than from a social media advertisement. Your personal message may be the very thing that helps someone feel less alone and more hopeful.

Sometimes it isn't the big things that change a life. Sometimes it's one conversation, one shared link, or one person saying, "I thought of you when I saw this."

Thank you for helping us spread hope where it may be needed most. ❤️🙏

If you'd like the webinar link to share with someone, please PM me and I'll send it through.

On Friday night, Hubby and I grabbed tickets to see Kerryn Fields at the wonderfully quirky Jam Factory in Tauranga's Hi...
14/06/2026

On Friday night, Hubby and I grabbed tickets to see Kerryn Fields at the wonderfully quirky Jam Factory in Tauranga's Historic Village.

I'd never heard her music before, but what drew me in was reading that she was a storyteller with a beautiful heart, strong values, and a deep connection to people and community.

After spending the evening listening to her, I can honestly say that description couldn't have been more accurate.

Kerryn's songs felt less like performances and more like stories shared by an old friend. Woven through her music were humour, vulnerability, resilience, and heart.

What made her story even more inspiring was learning that as a child she spent years in and out of hospital with a serious bone disease and underwent a hip replacement at just 12 years old. Music became her sanctuary, and today her ability to connect with people is truly something special.

I also admired how authentically she showed up. Whether sharing stories about her life, her partner, or her journey, there was no pretence—just someone comfortable being exactly who she is.

As part of living my best life, I've always loved seeking out creative people. They remind me that joy, self-expression, connection, and authenticity aren't luxuries—they're important ingredients for a healthy and fulfilling life.

Sometimes healing begins not by fixing what's wrong, but by rediscovering what brings you joy.

And that's exactly what Jenny and I will be exploring in our Hope, Healing & Possibility Webinar on June 30th. For anyone navigating a cancer journey, we'll be holding a gentle space to help you move beyond fear and overwhelm, reconnect with hope, and explore what healing and possibility can look like for you.

DM me for the details. ❤️

Since returning from Greece, I've shared that I found myself in a real funk. Not just physically exhausted, but mentally...
10/06/2026

Since returning from Greece, I've shared that I found myself in a real funk. Not just physically exhausted, but mentally and emotionally challenged too.

When we're in that space, it's easy to reach for distractions. Comfort food, scrolling, binge-watching, shopping, staying busy, overworking, or avoiding the conversations we know we need to have.

But what I've learned over the years is that healing doesn't come from distraction. It comes from being willing to sit with what is there. To feel the emotions. To acknowledge the fears. To ask for support. To rest, reflect, get grounded, and allow ourselves to be exactly where we are.

Stepping away from everyday life created space for me to ask some big questions about my family, my relationships, my work, and what truly brings me joy.
For a while, I lost touch with the appreciation I normally feel for my life.

Yet what I discovered was that there is often incredible freedom waiting on the other side of the things we're most afraid to face.

What's struck me recently is how many people I walk alongside are experiencing something similar. Whether it's cancer, illness, grief, burnout, relationship challenges, or simply a feeling that something needs to change, many of us are being called into a period of deep emotional, mental and spiritual growth.

If that's where you find yourself, please know that I see you.

Perhaps these experiences don't arrive to break us, but to bring us back to ourselves. To soften, to grow, and to reconnect with hope when we've lost sight of it.

These are some of the themes we'll be exploring in the Hope, Healing & Possibility webinar later this month. If it feels aligned, I'd love to have you join us.

Pm for details or jump on my naturalbird links to website and events.

:::

There was a time when both Jenny and I sat in doctor's offices hearing words that changed everything.Words that brought ...
10/06/2026

There was a time when both Jenny and I sat in doctor's offices hearing words that changed everything.

Words that brought fear.
Words that brought uncertainty.
Words that made us question what the future might hold.

Jenny was navigating ovarian cancer.
I was navigating colon cancer.

Neither of us knew each other then, but we were walking similar paths. Like so many people facing cancer, we were searching for answers, looking for hope, and trying to find our way through a world that suddenly felt very confronting.

Along the way, we discovered something unexpected.

While every cancer journey is unique, there were stories of people who had healed against the odds. Stories that challenged what we thought was possible. Stories that reminded us that statistics don't tell the whole story.

Those stories became a lifeline.

Not because they promised certainty, but because they offered something equally important: hope.

As we continued on our own healing journeys, we came across the work of Dr Kelly Turner and the Radical Remission research, which explored the common factors found among people who had experienced unexpected recoveries from cancer. We were fascinated by what these cancer thrivers had done differently and inspired by the many paths people had taken to support their healing.

Today, both Jenny and I are thriving. Not because our journeys were easy, but because they taught us lessons about healing, resilience, mindset, connection, and the incredible capacity of the human body and spirit.

Over the years we've had countless conversations with people affected by cancer—those newly diagnosed, those supporting loved ones, and those searching for a little light in what can feel like a very dark time.

Again and again, we hear the same thing:

"I just want to know what's possible."

That's why we've decided to come together and share what we've learned.

On 30th June, we'll be hosting an online seminar called Hope, Healing & Possibility.

During this 90-minute conversation, we'll openly share our own healing stories—what helped us, what challenged us, and the insights we gained along the way. We'll also introduce the Radical Remission research and explore some of the key healing factors identified by Dr Kelly Turner.

Sometimes the most powerful medicine is simply knowing that Hope, Healing & Possibility still exist.

Hope doesn't mean pretending everything will be okay.

Sometimes hope is simply being open to the possibility that there may be more options, more healing, and more potential than we can currently see.

Hope, Healing & Possibility
📅 30th June 2026
🕒 90-Minute Online Seminar
💻 Join from anywhere
$29 NZD

Details in the comments

Breast Surgeon Recommendations please in NZ!I am reaching out on behalf of a lovely client who has recently been diagnos...
10/06/2026

Breast Surgeon Recommendations please in NZ!

I am reaching out on behalf of a lovely client who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently exploring her options.

She is looking for a breast surgeon, preferably in Auckland (although she is willing to travel), who has an excellent bedside manner, takes the time to listen, and is open to working collaboratively with patients who wish to take an integrative or holistic approach alongside their medical care.

In particular, she is hoping to find a surgeon who is willing to have open discussions, including a more conservative approach to lymph node removal where appropriate, rather than automatically removing healthy surrounding nodes if they do not appear suspicious.

She has private medical insurance, so both public and private recommendations are welcome.

If you have personally worked with a breast surgeon who was compassionate, respectful of your choices, and willing to partner with you in making informed decisions, I would be incredibly grateful if you could share their name and your experience below or send me a private message.

Please keep comments constructive and based on personal experience where possible, as this is a very important decision for someone navigating a challenging time.

Thank you so much. 🙏
Justine

I've shared quite a bit of my Greek adventure over on my personal page, but I thought I'd share a few photos here that c...
09/06/2026

I've shared quite a bit of my Greek adventure over on my personal page, but I thought I'd share a few photos here that capture the journey as a whole.

Looking back now, our 14 days of hiking across the Greek Islands was one of the most incredible adventures I've had in recent years. I went with my Nauropath friend with a group of women over 50 from NZ and Aussie.

What drew me to this trip wasn't just the destination. It was the desire to challenge myself. To commit to something that felt a little outside my comfort zone. To have a goal to train for. To strengthen my body and prove to myself that at this stage of life I can still take on big adventures.

Throughout the trip I found myself feeling incredibly grateful for my health, my fitness, and the ability to move my body in ways that allow me to experience adventures like this. It felt like a celebration of life and a reminder of just how precious good health really is.

What surprised me most wasn't the hiking itself, but how long it took me to recover physically, mentally, and emotionally once I returned home.

Fourteen days of back to back hiking over challenging, rocky terrain took more out of me than I realised. Add in the 70-hour journey home with three flights, airport transits, disrupted sleep, different foods, constant stimulation, and living out of a suitcase, and it all caught up with me.

When we're away, we are often in "go, go, go" mode. We push through because we're excited, stimulated, and focused on the experience. Sometimes it's only when we stop that our body finally says, "Right, now it's time to rest."

For me, that exhaustion didn't just show up physically. It affected me mentally too.

Coming home, I found myself questioning things. Wondering if I wanted a different direction. Dreaming of more freedom, more travel, more adventure. Graeme and I spent many hours talking about our future, our business, where we are heading as a couple, and the challenges we are navigating just like everyone else.

Part of me wanted to pack everything up and start a completely new chapter somewhere else.

Yet as the fog slowly lifted, I realised much of what I was experiencing wasn't just physical exhaustion.

One of the gifts of travel is that it keeps us incredibly present. Each day brings a new destination, a new challenge, new people, new experiences, and new things to take in. We are focused on what is right in front of us. The next hike. The next ferry. The next meal. The next breathtaking view.

In many ways, that constant presence leaves very little room to process the deeper emotions and questions that sit quietly beneath the surface of everyday life.

Then we come home.

The stimulation slows down. The distractions disappear. The suitcase is unpacked. Life becomes quieter again.

And often that's when the emotions, questions, uncertainties, and realities we have temporarily stepped away from begin asking for our attention.

I realised that what I needed wasn't a complete change in direction. I simply needed time to move through what was surfacing. To rest. To reflect. To have the deeper conversations. To reconnect with myself and what truly matters.

Like many people, we feel pulled in different directions at times. Dreams of new adventures. The need to support family. The responsibilities of running a business. The reality of life. And sometimes those competing desires can create their own internal struggle.

The gift has been working through it all rather than making decisions from exhaustion.

And now, standing on the other side of that, I feel incredibly grateful.

Grateful to live in New Zealand.

Grateful for my own bed.

Grateful for green grass, fresh air, and the beauty we often take for granted.

Grateful for a relationship where I can talk openly about the deeper things in life — our dreams, challenges, fears, hopes, and where we are heading together.

Grateful for family, even when they are part of the reason we stay rooted when other parts of us dream of adventure.

Grateful for the lessons that travel teaches me about myself.

And most of all, grateful to be back supporting my clients, both existing and new.

The work of cancer healing continues to light up my heart. There is something deeply meaningful about helping someone move from fear to hope, from overwhelm to possibility, and watching that spark of belief return to their eyes.

Travel reminded me that while I love adventure, I also love purpose. And helping people find hope, possibility, and a deeper connection to themselves remains work that fills my heart.

Sometimes the return home is just as much a journey as the adventure itself.

Keep a look out for the next workshops that Jenny & I have lined up for later this month on Hope, Healing and Possibility....the reset has happened and now I am back to help you!

Address

Tauranga

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Justine Laidlaw - The Natural Bird posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category