Psychotherapy
Having a health condition or being in hospital can at times be a difficult experience. The events leading to a diagnosis and treatment may leave us with all sorts of feelings, such as fear, shock or anxiety. We all have different reactions and it can be hard to deal with and understand them during this time. The Psychotherapy and Counselling service is here to help and support you with this.
Common Issues
Breast cancer surgery can be a deeply traumatic experience. You may feel that your breasts are very important to your idea of yourself as a woman. The first months are likely to be very upsetting. Many women have conflicting emotions, such as grief, fear, shock, anger and resentment. These emotions may be mixed with relief that the cancer has been found and treated.
Although everyone reacts differently, there are some common effects people may experience when faced when undergoing breast reconstruction surgery. These are:
- Low mood, tearful or feeling depressed
- Getting angry for little or no reason
- Negative feelings about yourself and/or body image
- Anxious about or avoiding social situations
Our Psychotherapy Services
Sometimes these feelings can make it difficult to get on with everyday life. As a team we work with patients and their families. We know that both patients and those caring for them may have difficulties in coping with issues surrounding, diagnosis, treatment and/or hospital admission.
We can offer the following services:
- Individual counselling before and/or after hospital admission
- Couples counselling before and/or after hospital admission
- A variety of breast support groups for women diagnosed with breast cancer or with a breast cancer gene
- Support during your hospital stay
Contact Us
Please feel free to ask a member of Broomfield Hospital staff for a referral to the Psychotherapy and Counselling service.
St Andrews Centre, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex
Tel: 0300 44 31119
Our People
You will meet with many different people and teams throughout your treatment and care. Find out more about the people who will be supporting you here…
