Counseling

What is Counseling?

Counseling helps people manage and respond to their mixed emotions about life’s challenges. Counselors cannot always solve problems, but they provide a safe place for people with cancer to talk about their concerns. Because counselors are separate from a person’s life, they provide a helpful, outside viewpoint.

When to seek counseling?

It is normal to feel distressed while living with cancer. But it is important to seek help when the distress is long lasting. Seeking help is also important when your feelings affect your ability to cope with your daily life. You may find counseling helpful even if your level of distress is not severe. Living with cancer is a huge challenge for everyone. Even a few counseling sessions will likely help you.

How counseling helps

Counseling may help you:

• Learn ways to cope with a cancer diagnosis and feel less overwhelmed and more in control.
• Explore what your cancer experience means to you.
• Manage depression and anxiety.
• Manage cancer symptoms and treatment side effects, such as pain and fatigue.
• Learn how to communicate effectively with the health care team.
• Address relationship issues with family and friends.
• Discuss financial concerns and identify helpful resources.
• Explore options and get feedback about important decisions.
• Consider workplace issues and strategies to manage them.
• Discuss your concerns about what comes after finishing treatment.
• Learn how to help your family understand and adjust to changes in routine.
• Explore concerns around intimacy and sexuality.

Types of counseling

The type of counseling you choose may depend on your needs, preferences, and finances. Options include:

• Individual counseling. 

This provides a 1-on-1 exchange with a counselor to talk about troubling events, thoughts, and feelings. The counselor will listen closely, express caring concern, ask questions, and offer feedback.

• Couples or family counseling. 

When meeting with a couple or with multiple family members, a counselor listens fairly to every person in the session. The counselor helps to find how certain thoughts and actions may be adding to conflict. Family members learn new ways to support one another during stressful times.

• Group counseling. 

A group of people with similar concerns may meet together. A counselor leads the discussion and provides support and guidance. Group members learn from the counselor and other members.

Types of counselors

Usually, mental health workers must complete expert training and pass a state exam before becoming a licensed counselor. The following professionals are trained to provide counseling services:

• Psychiatrists. These are medical doctors who specialize in detecting and treating mental disorders. They can provide counseling and also prescribe drugs.

• Psychologists. These specialists have a doctoral degree and advanced training in detecting and treating mental disorders. They perform psychotherapy and research, but they cannot prescribe drugs.

• Licensed clinical social workers. These specialists are also called psychiatric social workers. They have a master’s degree in social work and advanced training in counseling. They also provide practical assistance, such as help managing health insurance issues. In addition, social workers can connect patients with local resources.

• Oncology social workers. These specialists have a master’s degree and focus on the effects of cancer on people and their loved ones. They provide services such as counseling, education, and referrals to local resources. They also often act as a link between people with cancer and the medical team. In addition, they help people navigate the health care system. Oncology social workers often have the letters “OSW-C” as part of their title. Learn more about how an oncology social worker can help.

• Psychiatric clinical nurse specialists. These specialists, also called psychiatric nurse practitioners, are registered nurses who have a master’s degree in mental health nursing. They treat mental disorders and provide counseling.

• Licensed counselors. These specialists, also called licensed mental health counselors, have a master’s degree in counseling.

• Licensed marriage and family therapists. These specialists have a master’s degree and are trained to conduct counseling with couples and families. Learn more about how a marriage and family therapist can help.

• Licensed pastoral counselors. These specialists have a master’s degree in ministry or divinity. They conduct counseling within the context of religion and spirituality.

Choosing the right counselor

Once you have a list of potential counselors, briefly interview each one over the telephone before choosing. Ask the counselor if there will be a cost for the first phone call. Often, a brief initial phone call is free of charge.

The following suggestions will help guide your conversation:

• Describe your situation briefly and explain your reasons for seeking counseling.

• Ask the counselor whether he or she has experience treating people with cancer or people with other serious medical conditions. This is very important. You do not want to waste your valuable time and money with someone who does not have this background. 

• Ask the counselor to describe the approach he or she would use to help you. Ask for more details if there is something you do not understand.

• Ask the counselor to explain his or her professional degrees, training, and licensured. You can double-check a counselor’s credentials by contacting your state licensing board.

• Ask about office hours, fees, billing arrangements, and insurance plans the counselor accepts.

Many people feel nervous when talking to a new person about personal issues, even when that person is a professional counselor. The success of counseling often depends on how well you interact with the counselor. Also, not every counselor will be a good match for you. If you do not feel at ease after several sessions or think the counselor’s suggestions are not helping you, then consider finding a new one. And find out whether the type of therapy and the topics of discussion have been the right match for your needs. This will help guide your search for a new counselor.

The Importance of Counseling

According to the American Counseling Association “Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education and career goals.”

Our world is increasingly becoming more interconnected. This globalization highlights the need for highly trained mental health professionals to address trauma, addiction, depression, academic and career concerns in clinics, hospitals, schools, and universities.

Counselors are highly-trained professionals assisting people to live more joyful, productive lives. No one would seriously doubt that life is challenging and, at times, heart-breaking—we need only to look around.

Then, there are others issues that while seemingly less pressing, can be very big concerns for the person grappling with them. A good example of such concerns involve career and vocational identity issues. School counselor and career counselors help students and adult clients address career and employment concerns through testing, interviewing and, of course, counseling. Good career “fit” certainly is an asset to optimal mental health and, conversely, people unhappy in their job (or those unemployed) likely will be depressed.

The counseling profession is growing exponentially. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov/) projects most counseling fields are growing much more rapidly than most professions. So, students and others interested in the counseling profession will find there are jobs available provided they are willing to stretch both their comfort zone and, in some cases, their time zone.

Anyone interested in becoming a counselor must be healthy themselves. Counseling is challenging work and maintaining one’s own physical and mental health is critical for success in the profession. Counselors must also be open-minded, nonjudgmental, tolerate ambiguity, and be lifelong learners.