Today's post is from Karin Sieger, a BACP registered and accredited psychotherapist based in Richmond who specialises in supporting people affected by cancer (including family and friends) as well as other life changing health conditions. Karin is one of Yes to Life's Practitioner Supporters and we are grateful to her for sharing her expertise on our blog.
I thought cancer counselling was self indulgent and wouldn't help.
This is a common view about counselling and
therapy. People affected by cancer are no exception. What's the point in dwelling on it? It's too upsetting. Others are
worse off. It won't cure me.
Cancer like any other life-changing or
life-shortening illness impacts
everything in our lives - not just our bodies, but also our mental and
emotional well being, our relationships, our faith and values, our finances,
our future, our trust in our bodies and our trust in the world. This does not
stop when treatment ends. It is normal to feel like this and it makes sense.
A
cancer diagnosis throws our lives into one almighty crisis, which can
cause a whole range of emotional
responses, like fear, depression, anger, rage, loss and grief,
irritability, self pity, loneliness, guilt, resentment and hopelessness to
mention just some.
