ABOUT MY JOURNEY
All of us experience life events that we have to navigate - some joyous and positive, others are harder and often full of uncertainty.
I’ve definitely had my share of highs and lows but through it all, I have always been surrounded by angels, both earthly and heavenly, who have walked with me on my journey. I have been incredibly blessed to have family and friends who have stood by me and with me: battling cancer three times, being diagnosed with diabetes, and losing my mom, dad, and brothers. These angels have held me up and supported me, celebrated me and with me, and helped me find my way when I got lost. For that, I am forever grateful.
Today, I am humbled to share my journey with you in hopes that it might help you on yours. I have separated my journey into two sections: My Cancer Journey and My Transformational Journey. Rest assured they are very much intertwined, but I wanted to tell my stories in a way that would make sense and would be easier to follow.
Welcome to my journey.
Gretchen Holmes, PhD is an experienced Graduate Medical Education professional and researcher, having published in top journals including Health Communication, Psycho-Oncology, and Injury Epidemiology. Her published research includes work in obesity management, rapport, provider-patient communication, health literacy, decision-making, and rural cancer health disparities. She has taught Behavior Change Theory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has served as a national-level patient advocate for the National Cancer Institute since 2002 and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Patient Experience. She was named one of the Top 100 Successful Women to Know in 2022 by Gulf Coast Magazine. A three-time cancer survivor, Dr. Holmes is a motivational and keynote speaker and is the host of the podcast, "The Work in Between," that focuses on the daily behaviors and actions necessary to achieve our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health goals.Dr. Holmes holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Communication from New York University and a PhD in Health Communication with a Graduate Certificate in Medical Behavioral Science from the University of Kentucky.
BOOK
The Work in Between - A Memoir About Stepping Out of My Shadows
After losing over one-hundred pounds and surviving cancer multiple times, Gretchen Norling Holmes, PhD, was a new person. The differences in her body were obvious. But the real changes went far beyond her appearance. An extension of her hit podcast, Holmes's inspiring memoir, The Work In Between, recounts her story of transformation. Diving deep into the ways childhood trauma, unregulated emotion, and a lack of self-worth shaped her body and her soul, Holmes traces her journey through some of the cruelest and most beautiful experiences life has to offer.
Witty, frank, and richly thoughtful,
The Work In Between is peppered with wisdom from the author's expertise in the field of Health Communication. Holmes brings an astute eye to the relationship between outward appearances and medical experiences as she draws from her doctoral education and years of service as a hospital executive. And yet, the complex web of stories that characterize The Work In Between extend far beyond Holmes's own experiences. As this memoir makes clear, we carry family trauma in our bones. Until we do the inside work of facing our demons and declaring our worthiness, we cannot live the full, happy lives we were meant to live.
MY CANCER JOURNEY
MY TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY
MY TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY
The first time I found out I had cancer was over the phone. I was a college student at NYU working at a law office at night and my doctor called me. “Ms. Norling, your pathology came back: it’s cancer." . . .
MY TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY
MY TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY
MY TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY
In February 2021, I was diagnosed with diabetes. My A1c was 6.7. I had been prediabetic for years and had plenty of opportunities to make healthy changes, but I didn’t. . . .
PODCAST
The Work in Between
The Work in Between takes a deep dive into the struggles, joys, and daily actions that move us toward physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Through interviews and stories from me and my special guests, we'll do this important work together!
EVENTS & SPEAKING
Book Gretchen
Gretchen Holmes is a dynamic speaker and host of The Work in Between podcast where she and her guests take a deep dive into the struggles, joys and daily actions that move us toward physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I Gretchen worked as a stand-up comedian and uses humor to navigate life challenges.