Many women with breast cancer find it helpful to talk with a therapist about their concerns. Your friends and family may not be able to provide all of the support you need, and a therapist who is knowledgeable about cancer and cancer treatment can be an invaluable resource. It is really important to choose a therapist who has experience working with women with breast cancer. Many fine therapists are skilled in other areas but are quite uninformed about breast cancer and its treatment. You are looking for someone who can help you explore and understand your feelings, but also someone who is educated about the medical world you are entering. You don’t need to spend some of your valuable therapy time explaining about radiation or chemotherapy side effects, and you do not want to work with a therapist who may be poorly informed about cancer and may, because of this, frighten you unnecessarily. Feel free to ask your doctor or nurse or other health practitioner for a referral to a therapist whom they know to be helpful in situations like yours. You could also call the social work department of your hospital and ask to speak with their oncology social worker. If your hospital does not have such a specialist, try calling a large teaching hospital nearby. It doesn’t matter whether you are receiving your medical care there or not; an oncology social worker can still meet with you or refer you to other therapists in the community. If there is a local breast cancer hotline, they may also be a source of therapy referrals. Finally, you can try calling one of the national organizations for suggestions.
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