FOR THE FAMILY
Including The Family
The diagnosis of cancer of one member of the family has a rippling effect throughout the whole family system; with the primary threat that of unfamiliarity, separation and losses.
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The stress of balancing care-giving responsibilities with work and daily life can also create burnout and emotional exhaustion. Couples therapy within psycho-oncology helps partners communicate openly, manage expectations, and find ways to support each other emotionally while maintaining their own well-being.
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As a therapist I understand the distress of family members when launched into an unfamiliar environment of cancer with little time to emotionally and psychologically absorb and integrate the illness within the average course of their lives. Therapeutically I involve the family from early on to support and attend to their concerns, role changes and disruptions to daily routines. A therapeutic aim is all about creating a new way of living and growing as a couple or family for a better quality of life.
Moving Forward Together As A Family
Coping with Loss and Grief
When cancer claims the life of a loved one, the emotional toll on the family can be overwhelming. Grief affects each family member differently, and navigating loss requires time, support, and understanding.
Psychotherapy provides a safe space for families to process their emotions, honour their loved one’s memory, and find ways to heal together. Family and bereavement therapy can help partners, spouses, and children work through their grief, adjust to life after loss, and rediscover a sense of meaning and connection as they move forward.
Helping Children Cope With A Parent’s Cancer Diagnosis
​Children, regardless of their age, are deeply affected when a parent is diagnosed with cancer. Younger children may struggle to understand the situation, while teenagers may react with anger, withdrawal, or anxiety.
Honest and age-appropriate communication is crucial in helping them feel safe and reassured. Family therapy provides a supportive space to help children express their feelings, ask questions, and develop healthy coping mechanisms as they navigate this difficult time.
Cancer At A Young Age
To interact with a young child and teenager when they are the cancer patient, requires skill and understanding. Especially working with the parents to understand the framework of living in the cancer world of your young child or teenager and provide skills to ease life with this hard reality.