A cancer diagnosis can be a shock for patients and their families. It can cause worry, anxiety, depression, lack of confidence or self-esteem and an inability to concentrate, as well as triggering anxiety and problems from the past.
Counselling can help you manage more effectively through increased self-awareness. Sessions provide a safe place in which to explore emotional issues in confidence and give you an opportunity to understand your experiences in a way that helps you feel more in control.
Our counselling service is free of charge for NHS and private patients under the care of an oncologist at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.
How to book
- Call our helpline on 020 3826 2555 and refer yourself. Our helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm. Out of hours and during busy periods there is an answerphone. Please leave a message and we’ll call you back.
- Email us: [email protected]
- Drop in to the Lynda Jackson Centre and speak to a member of staff
- A member of your healthcare team can refer you
What happens next?
Following referral, you’ll be invited for an assessment session and then offered six weekly counselling sessions. These usually take place at the Lynda Jackson Centre at the same time each week and with the same counsellor. Sessions last about 50 minutes. If you’d prefer telephone or video appointment, please mention this during your assessment.
Our counsellors work to the codes of ethics and practice of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy or the British Psychological Society and are experienced in working with people having cancer treatment.
Art psychotherapy
In art psychotherapy, art materials are used as a way of expressing thoughts and feelings which may be difficult to put into words. The artwork is made in the presence of a trained art psychotherapist who will provide a supportive and confidential environment in which you can feel comfortable enough to express yourself verbally and creatively.
It is up to you to decide how much you wish to reflect and talk about the artwork and being good at art is not a requirement. The art psychotherapist can support you in the use of different art materials, however it is not an art lesson, and your artwork will not be judged as such.
Art psychotherapy can offer psychological support with issues such as reactions to diagnosis, altered body image, isolation, loss of meaning and changes in relationships. Art psychotherapy can also provide a creative experience and enhance a person’s quality of life and general well-being.
We usually offer up to six sessions depending on your needs – sometimes a single session is all that is needed.
Art psychotherapy may be available to patients during their stay on a ward at the cancer centre. Please ask the staff on your ward.
How to book
- Call our helpline on 020 3826 2555 and refer yourself. Our helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm. Out of hours and during busy periods there is an answerphone. Please leave a message and we will call you back.
- Drop in to the Lynda Jackson Centre and speak to a member of staff
- Email us: [email protected]
- A member of your healthcare team can refer you
You will be offered an assessment with someone from the counselling team, and they will discuss whether individual or group art psychotherapy would suit you. If you go ahead, you’ll be given an appointment as soon as a space is available.
Further information
If you can’t come to the centre for sessions or if you’ve finished your sessions with us, you may want to continue with another therapist. If you live in England and aged 18 or over, you can access NHS psychological therapies (IAPT) services. You can refer yourself direct.
You can also find listings of private registered therapists on the following websites:
- Art therapists: British Association of Art Therapists
- Counsellors and psychotherapists: British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
- Psychotherapists: UK Council for Psychotherapy
- Psychologists: The British Psychological Society
