It’s common to experience a lot of difficult thoughts and feelings when your life is affected by cancer. Psychological therapy (or talking therapy) gives you a chance to talk about how cancer has impacted your life.

Like any medical treatment you are offered for cancer, psychological therapy has been looked at in research studies and found to be helpful to people.

It’s a joint process between you and a trained professional, talking together about how cancer has affected your life. The aim is to help you through this difficult time.

We know that talking to someone you don’t know can be daunting. However, people often tell us that because their therapist is not in their daily life, they are able to talk more openly without the worry about how the person they’re speaking to may feel. Therapy can give you a private, safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your deepest thoughts and feelings without fear of what others might say.

If you have been affected by cancer, and have found yourself wanting to talk to someone about this, then you might benefit from psychological therapy.

There is no set timeframe for struggling with cancer, and different people find different stages more challenging than others. You may be worried about investigations for cancer, or have recently received a diagnosis. You may be waiting for or having treatment for cancer, may have finished treatment recently, or some time ago. You may be living with an incurable cancer or be supporting a loved one with their experiences of cancer.

Many people who’s lives have been impacted by cancer can experience times when they feel worried, stressed or down. Feeling like this can change how you think and feel about yourself, and affect what you do in your daily life.

It’s impossible to write a list of every way cancer may impact your life. However, some common experiences include:

• Feeling hopeless, sad and anxious about the future
• Worrying that the cancer may return or progress, or worrying about your health generally
• Thinking or worrying about death
• Struggling with painful memories related to cancer treatment
• Worrying about how those around you are feeling – feeling like you’re a burden or are letting people down
• Feeling a sense of loss for the person you were before cancer, and the roles and relationships which cancer has affected (e.g. changes to intimacy and sex, friendships, work role)
• Wondering about who you are as a person following a cancer diagnosis and what’s important to you now
• Feeling dismissed or unheard by medical professionals.
• Struggling with changes to your body as a result of treatment – e.g. feeling sad about your appearance, or frustrated and angry you can no longer do things the way you used to
• Feeling like you don’t have control over your life

Talking through your concerns with a psychological professional can help life to feel better and less difficult while you are on your journey with cancer.

Your therapist will ask you questions about a range of things which may include:

• challenges in your life
• the ways you are thinking and feeling
• the things you feel able, or less able, to do
• your strengths
• the things that are important to you

Your therapist will work with you to understand your unique situation, and to think about your hopes for therapy. They may practice strategies and skills with you, encourage you to try things out between sessions, or help you to consider different perspectives.

There are different types of therapy. For example, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps you pick and focus on specific goals like returning to an activity you enjoy, or learning skills to cope with emotions. In other therapies such as Counselling, you may not have a specific goal and instead just want a space to talk and be listened to.

There are lots of other forms of psychological support which people may find helpful outside of psychological therapy:

Online resources

Can-Empower – Can-Empower is a free online resource for people affected by cancer. The website provides information to help you make sense of the emotional challenges of living with and beyond cancer, as well as talking providing coping tools and techniques.
The resource has been created by people with experience of cancer, healthcare professionals and researchers at the Centre for Psychosocial Research in Cancer (CentRIC) at the University of Southampton.

Cancer Care Map – The Cancer Care Map is a free website that helps you to find cancer support services in your local area, wherever you are in the UK. Local cancer support groups are often listed on here.

Living with and beyond cancer – Living with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available both during and after treatment. You may find you don’t feel the full effect until after your treatment has finished. On this page you will find information to help you manage the effects of cancer – on your emotions, your body, your diet and your finances. Everyone’s needs will be different, depending on age and circumstances.

Further afield

Cancer Support Centres – Cancer centres are a haven of support and advice for anyone affected by cancer. We are fortunate to have a number of cancer centres across the Wessex region. Most cancer centres are led by a mix of volunteers and trained professionals, and can provide:

• counselling
• complementary therapies
• help with filling in forms
• help understanding your diagnosis or treatment

None of the services on this page offer emergency mental health care for people in crisis. Support is available from specialist services if you need urgent help.

Urgent Help

In an emergency call 999

If your life is in immediate danger, call 999 or go straight to A&E

For urgent help call 111

If you feel at risk of harming yourself or others, call 111 immediately. 111 is open all day every day.
It’s free to call from every landline and mobile phone

Emotional support

For confidential, emotional support you can contact a support line:

The Mix
Support for under 25s
www.themix.org.uk
Freephone: 0808 808 4994

Samaritans
Support for everyone
www.samaritans.org
Freephone: 116 123

CALM
Support for men
www.thecalmzone.net
Freephone: 0800 58 58 58

Shout
Support for everyone
https://giveusashout.org/
Text: 85258