Therapy for Those Navigating a Cancer Diagnosis
Specialized cancer mental health for patients and their loved ones in person in Broomfield and online throughout Colorado
If you have been diagnosed with cancer and are experiencing psychological distress, please know that this is completely normal and valid!
You are NOT alone.
Some studies show rates of distress as high as 1 in every 2 people with approximately 30% of individuals with cancer meeting criteria for a mental health diagnosis (e.g., Caruso et al., 2020).
This distress may show up differently depending on what type of cancer you have and where you are on your journey.
However, no matter where you are, I am here to help.
For wherever you are on your cancer journey…
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Perhaps you just received your diagnosis, and you are completely overwhelmed, but know that you want to do everything that you can to take care of yourself during your treatment.
Therapy can be a vital tool in your cancer journey as a proactive approach to your wellness!
I can help you with the psychological roller coaster of diagnosis from practical tips of managing scan-anxiety or anticipatory nausea or vomiting to general stress management. We can work together to take care of you as you begin your journey.
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Maybe you felt like you have been able to manage ok during the initial phases of treatment, but recently it feels like you have received blow after blow.
Therapy can help you figure out how to continue living and reconnect with hope.
I can help you face existential fears, and deal with symptoms such as cancer related pain that may be impacting your quality of life. I often say that cancer is clarifying and may times it can be helpful to explore what matters most to you and re-align your life.
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Sometimes patients find themselves on my website as they are dealing with the aftermath of cancer. Diagnosis and treatment can feel like a crisis and sometimes people are able to hold it together until the emergency settles. You may be stuck thinking “now what.” Perhaps you feel paralyzed by fears of recurrence.
Therapy can be a helpful tool to learn how to ride the waves of scans and monitoring. In survivorship we may also think about what/if any changes you want to make in your life. Together we can help you rebuild your life to one that suits you best now!
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As a caregiver, you want to make sure you are doing the best you can for your loved one, but you may feel the pressure building. Cancer, any chronic illness for that matter, takes a toll on caregivers.
An essential part of being a caregiver is taking care of yourself, so that you can continue to show up in your caregiving role.
Our work together may explore the practical (how can we lighten your load, learn to ask for help, think creatively about solutions). However, therapy can also be a place where you talk about your own fears and worries without concern for how this may impact your loved one. Often caregiving therapy will include grief work as you may be mourning the changing relationship.
Ultimately, I see my role as helping you to take care of yourself during this impossibly difficult time.
As an expert in Cancer Mental Health,
I have more than a decade of experience working with patients, couples, caregivers and families during their cancer journey. Most recently, I was an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Medical Oncology, where I was a key player in the development of their oncology counseling program. I have advanced training and certification in mindfulness based cancer recovery and cancer related pain. I have earned the psychosocial oncology knowledge certificate through American Psychosocial Oncology Society and remain an active member. I have been an invited speaker in local and national community organizations and have presented and published award winning clinical research. I am also preferred provider for Ray of Hope Cancer Foundation.
You may be wondering how this expertise translates to your experience?
I know cutting edge interventions to help in cancer related distress. I have the clinical knowledge to understand psychological effects of different treatments and how to mitigate these challenges. Having worked in a variety of health care system, I often understand what might be happening behind the scenes and how best to navigate it. When you work with me you won’t have to explain to me what certain cancer related terms are, I already know.
It is not your job to educate me. It is my job to support you during this time.