Healing Is Possible

“Reading this book feels like sitting down for tea with an old friend. Jem Fredhamn (also known as Brother Phap Ho) brings the same raw honesty and profound love to these chapters that he has always brought to his life. This isn’t just a story of healing—it’s a living invitation to practice, offering gentle yet powerful guidance that transforms his personal journey into a roadmap for our own.”—Tim Desmond, author of Buddhist Practices for Healing Trauma and How to Stay Human in a F*cked Up World

“Healing Is Possible is a rare and generous offering, showing us how to meet illness with tenderness, courage, and deep presence. Through his lived experience with cancer, Jem Fredhamn embodies the Buddha’s teaching that we are of the nature to be ill, and shows how this truth, when met with awareness and love, can become a profound teacher rather than a source of despair.”
—Kaira Jewel Lingo, Buddhist teacher and author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons on Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption

“In Healing Is Possible, the lived experience of spiritual practice in the midst of illness finds its words—and we are all the better for it. After nearly two decades as a monk in the Plum Village tradition, author Jem Fredhamn meets Stage IV melanoma with tenderness, courage, and a deeply nonviolent way of healing: extending love and understanding to every part of himself. Whether you are facing the fear and uncertainty of serious illness or feeling overwhelmed by the calamities of daily life, his gentle guidance and companionship are invaluable.”
—Brother Pháp Lưu, author of Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature

“Cancer is not only a medical journey, but an existential one, and Jem writes from this deeper understanding with remarkable gentleness. Jem (Chan Phap Ho), a former Buddhist monk for eighteen years with Thich Nhat Hanh, shares a deeply personal account of living with stage IV malignant melanoma. Through lived experience and Buddhist wisdom, he shows how healing can unfold alongside medical treatment.”
—Anna Ottosson, founder of Food Power Cancer Rehab

“Please give yourself the gift of this wonderful book.…The author harvests his monastic training to show us a kind, effective way to face life’s challenges. He transcends the usual ‘illness is a battle’ metaphor and instead teaches us how to meet difficulties with clarity, curiosity, and love. Whether you’re going through cancer or wish to support someone who is, this book will be a beloved guide and companion.”—Jonathan Prescott, board-certified clinical chaplain, founder of Wise Caregiving, and author of The Road To Freedom: Learning to Drive with Joy and Kindness

”There is so much we can all learn from Jem Fredhamn AKA Brother Pháp Hộ’s journey back from death’s door, and from the rich, time-tested practice that enabled him to face the most difficult circumstances of his life with a joyful and open heart. May this book give you the courage to live beautifully with whatever comes your way.”— Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, author of Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing Body and Spirit