Individual and Family Counseling
When someone is terminally ill with cancer, there are times when counseling is an important benefit for patient and family.Peter Trask, PhD
Assistant Professor
Brown Medical School
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For the cancer patient who is terminal and the family that is dealing with that, there are sometimes vastly different issues that as a therapist I help them with. It includes getting them to think about what they want to do before they die. Whether or not that's sort of a personal goal or a family goal--having them explore what they'd like to do. Do they want to take a family trip to Disney World? do they want to go camping? do they want to sit down and craft a will if they haven't done so already?
I think perhaps one of the biggest things that I help families and patients with at that point, thoug,h is maintaining communication. Helping a patient be able to express what they're feeling and having an opportunity for the patient to hear from the family what their going through. And to the extent that I can help them identify support systems that will provide assistance after either the patient dies or leave my office.
A lot of cancer centers have patient education resource rooms or resource centers with individuals in it that can provide them with a wealth of information on their illness and potential treatments as well as on resources that they can hook up with support groups are offered through the cancer center.
For individuals who are more spiritual or religious, it is often helpful for them to talk with their pastor or rabbi or individuals affiliated with the church. For individuals who are having more severe symptoms of anxiety or depression as a result of it asking whether or not there's a psychologist or psychiatrist that works with their oncologist or hematologist is helpful.
So for an individual who's feeling swamped, you know, or drifted to sea, if you will, as a result of the news of a cancer and its treatments, identifying the amount of education that they have and identifying the services that are available as support for them is very helpful.