(NEWS10) — For the past month, NEWS10 has been sharing stories of remarkable women in our community, nominated by viewers for their commitment to helping others in the Capital Region.

Our fourth Remarkable Woman finalist learned first hand that being on the receiving end of a cancer diagnosis can be life altering. But she used that news to change her life and she’s now helping other people change their lives.

It doesn’t have to be cancer, there are any number of traumatic events that can impact your mind and body. Patricia Heitz says she’s humbled she can use her hard-learned lessons to help others through their difficult circumstances.

What do you believe about yourself? Empowerment coach and workshop trainer Patricia Heitz wants to help you find what negative beliefs are holding you back from achieving your dreams.

“You just need somebody to say get off the merry go round, and come over here and let’s pull this apart and put it back together again in a way that is better for you,” says Heitz.

It’s something that took her many years to learn, surviving childhood abuse and a suicide attempt at a young age.

“I’ve overcome a lot of difficult circumstance in my life,” Heitz said, “and now I feel like I can honestly say that I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I can really say I went from surviving to thriving.”

That thriving came right when her very survival was on the line, diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2002.

“Of course, whenever you hear the word cancer you think oh my God, I’m gonna die,” said Heitz.

With two young children depending on her, Patricia dove into healing her body and mind, pouring her research on energy healing into her book “Daydreams Come True.” She uses the self coaching manual to living a more joyful life in workshops held throughout the area and online.

“You can totally change what you believe about yourself,” said Heitz. ‘Then therefore, change your mindset and change your life. My thing is, change your belief, change your life.”

She says watching people’s transformation as they remove negative belief roadblocks is so gratifying and she looks forward to making dreams come true for more.

“We end the session with how do we create a new belief,” said Heitz. “What is your new belief that you can take into your life and create and support what you do want.”