As a psychotherapist we are taught to hold space for other with empathy, care and skill. We do not need to have personal experience of every mental health condition in order to support those who are struggling.

However, supporting my partner through a diagnosis of brain cancer gave me a unique, up-close and deeply personal insight into the emotional realities of living with cancer. This lived experience now informs my work, allowing me to offer compassionate, grounded support to individuals and families navigating a cancer diagnosis.

Psychotherapy can help individuals at any stage of diagnosis, treatment, remission, or end-of-life care by supporting:

• Emotional processing – fear, shock, anger, grief, sadness, or numbness following diagnosis

• Anxiety and depression related to uncertainty, scans, treatment side effects or recurrence

• Adjustment and identity changes – changes to body image, cognitive functioning, roles or sense of self

• Coping with treatment – managing overwhelm, fatigue, pain and loss of control

• Existential concerns – meaning, mortality, spirituality and life priorities

• Relationship changes – communication with partners, family, children and medical teams

• Trauma support – medical trauma, invasive procedures, or prolonged hospitalisation

• Cognitive and emotional changes – “chemo brain,” brain tumour–related changes, mood shifts