CANCER

A diagnosis of any chronic illness brings a variety of fearful emotions along with it. When diagnosed with a life threatening illness like cancer, an individual questions their survival and also experiences a mix of emotions including fear, anger, guilt, regret, loneliness and isolation amongst others. Often, an individual may not want to burden their family with their emotions, as they want to portray themselves as ‘strong’ to them. However, it is helpful to process these emotions in order to avoid psychological disturbances.

With the help of counselling and psychotherapy, the clients are offered a safe environment where they can process and accept their feelings. It helps them examine their own thoughts, explore important relationships and helps them discover different ways to cope with their diagnosis and the rest of their treatment. Furthermore, the therapist also provides support managing any other difficulties that may arise during treatment such as professional delays, frustration, intimacy issues, future fears, anxiety, etc.

In addition, counselling and psychotherapy also helps the patient’s caregivers. This is because often while taking care of their loved ones, they themselves experience a range of emotions including fear, loss, anxiety, guilt, sadness, responsibility, etc. Therefore, counselling can provide a space to them as well to process these emotions and works towards avoiding future mental health problems for them.