What can a counsellor do for you?

What is counselling?

The consequences of cancer are not only felt by the body – your thoughts and emotions, can also suffer. About 60 out of 100 people affected feel depressed, sad or hopeless after the diagnosis.

Counselling offers help: it can support you with all the problems that are connected to your condition. Counsellors are there to support you in every phase of the disease and therapy.

They are experienced and specially trained professionals. They use tried and tested methods to better understand your problems and worries. With this knowledge, they create a plan or therapy approach that is precisely tailored to your needs. Counselling has proven its worth for many years. It is an integral and recognised part of cancer therapy.

What can a counsellor help you with?

A cancer diagnosis often triggers many worries and fears. These include everyday problems, but also major questions about life. Counselling offers help in all these areas. If your relatives are also struggling to cope with your disease they can also make use of these services.

Counsellors will support you with, for example:

• dealing with the various emotions and feelings that come with the disease
• social and legal issues
• professional and financial problems
• work-related issues (returning to work)
• applying for social benefits
• coping with stress with the help of relaxation techniques.

Author: Dr. Volker Henn| Reviewer: Dr. Christian Keinki

Sources:

• Mental health and cancer. (2022, November 7). Cancer Research UK. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/mental-health-cancer
• Zhu, C., & Boutros, P. C. (2021). Sex Differences in Cancer Genomes: Much Learned, More Unknown. Endocrinology, 162(11). https://doi.org/10.1210/endocr/bqab170
• Rubin, J. B. (2022). The spectrum of sex differences in cancer. Trends in Cancer, 8(4), 303–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2022.01.013
• Cancer and your emotions. (2019b, February 28). Macmillan Cancer Support. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/treatment/coping-with-treatment/cancer-and-your-emotions
• Managing Distress. (2020, February 3). American Cancer Society. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/emotional-mood-changes/distress/managing-distress.html