PSYCHO ONCOLOGY DEPARTMENT

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Psycho Oncology Department

Psycho Oncology (Counseling in Cancer)

Counseling is a non-judgmental and unbiased psychological support to help you accept the current reality. It helps you understand the disease, treatment related to it, intent of treatment, doctors’ role and your role in the treatment.

In counseling, you have a professional who listens to you, tries to understand you and your plight in a supportive way. In the process of supporting, this professional also known as psychologist/counselor, helps to sort out the wide array of psychological problems that either you are facing or may face in near future. There are different types and kinds of counseling which varies from person to person and situation to situation. Counseling works best, when you seek it out for yourself.

When to Seek Support from Psychologist/Counselor?

When you are first diagnosed with cancer you may want to talk to someone with whom you can be transparent about your emotions, feelings, perception, fears, anxiety and worries.
When you are a caregiver for patient with cancer you may want to talk about difficulties (such as stress and burden) you are experiencing in order to keep your loved one safe, peaceful and healthy.
Whenever there is an emotional, psychological and social impact on you, be it before, during and after treatment.
When you are not able to cope up with difficulties in everyday life such as work, family, socialization..etc.
Facing problems in focusing, concentration, lack of coordination, and sleeping.
If there are evident, persistent relationship, sexual, or financial concerns.
When feeling of hopelessness and helplessness seeps in.
When adherence to treatment becomes an issue.
As a survivor/warrior if your are experiencing.
1. Persistent fear of relapse/recurrence.
2. Decline in memory
3. Decline in remembering names, places, dates and important events
4. Usually disorganized
5. Have a compulsive or repetitive urge to do things.

Why to Seek Support?

It becomes easier to talk to someone who just doesn’t know you. There are few advantages you have when you are talking to a professional about how you feel currently and still find a solution to your situation. Such as-

They will not judge you.
They will not please you by saying what you want to hear
You can tell your deep down wishes, hidden desires, fear, worries to them without a burden of hurting them.
Your shared information is going to be completely confidential.

Services at Your Disposal by Psycho Oncology Department

Currently Psycho Oncology (Counseling) Department is actively helping patients as well as caregiver of patients with individualized as well as group psychological therapies at different time points such as

At the time of diagnosis for fear of getting biopsy done
Breaking the bad news
Pre and post
1. Cognitive Rehabilitation post chemo brain.
2. Tobacco Cessation Counseling.
3. Pain and palliative counseling.
4. Adherence related Counseling.
5. Terminal counseling.
6. Bereavement and grief counseling.
7. Experience sharing counseling by volunteers of Support Groups such as CanSupport, Indian Cancer Society, Lymphoma Support Group and Cankids to name a few.
8. Group Awareness Counseling.
9. Myths bursting sessions.