Cancer Care and Counseling

Cancer Care and Counseling

Counselling is an important aspect of Cancer Management .The diagnosis of cancer puts the patient and his family in the state of cascading emotions. The stages that a cancer patient and his family typically go through can be explained as DABDA of emotions. One can need help of a counsellor at any of these stages of emotion. One can also need help for many other practical problems while dealing with cancer.

1. DENIAL

2. ANGER

3. BLAME

4. DESPAIR

5. ACCEPTANCE

WHEN SHOULD YOU CONTACT A COUNSELLOR?

You do not have to wait until you are referred by your doctor. If you answer yes to any of these questions, call us to schedule a consultation:

1. Do you feel overwhelmed and don't know how to cope?
2. Are you having problem accepting the cancer within you?
3. Is your overall distress interfering with your ability to participate in your medical care?
4. Is your distress causing problems in other areas of life, such as at home with family, in your role as a parent or spouse, or at your job?
5. Are you are looking for general support and counselling to help you cope with cancer?
6. Do you want help talking with your family, children or friends about cancer?
7. Are you looking for help talking with doctors and other medical staff?
8. Do you want help in making healthy changes to your diet or your level of physical activity?
9. Would you like to learn proven stress-management techniques, including breathing exercises, imagery and meditation, which may help you during your cancer treatment?
10. Do you have a history of mental-health issues, and is cancer making these challenges more difficult?
11. Do you feel like you need help in adjusting to symptoms or treatment side-effects?
12. Do you want help finding ways to move forward after treatment ends?
13. Do you struggle with fear that your cancer will return?

TYPES OF COUNSELLING

1. Individual counselling of cancer patient.

This provides a one-on-one exchange with a counsellor to talk about troubling events, thoughts, and feelings. The counsellor will listen closely, express caring concern, ask questions, and offer feedback , insights and discuss way in which you can cope with the situation.

2. Family counselling for the people supporting the cancer patient

When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, it is not an individual disease. The entire family is somewhere involved in the manifestation of this disease. The patient can only get well when the environment in which he lives is also healed. In my experience there are issues of discord and unhealthy relations in families of cancer patients. These issues cannot be kept unattended if the cancer patient is to get well completely. Counselling of family and friends in the right direction is a stepping stone to curing a cancer patient. As a family or friend supporting the cancer patient thinks could get overwhelming for the support giver. The counsellor helps you to empty out your feeling s which as often not expressed. Together we will work out the best method to support the cancer patient. As a family you need a counsellor if you find yourself answering a yes to these questions.do feel free to give make an appointment with us.

1. Are you caring for a loved one who has cancer and feel like you need support?
2. Are you a caregiver who is just feeling burned out?
3. Are the emotional ups and downs of the patient too much to handle?
4. Are you finding it difficult to get your cancer patient to cooperate for treatments, diets, and making healthy lifestyle changes?
5. Are you looking for help dealing with grief over a recent loss?

Dr. Mitali Upadhye is very experienced in structuring sessions to meet your specific needs. She works with individuals and families, in addition to offering group sessions for people who might benefit from interacting with others in similar circumstances.