The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007 there will be 1,444,920 U.S. cancer cases. This was up from their estimated number of U.S. cancer cases in 2006, which were 1,399,790, and an increase from 2005 estimates, which were 1,372,910. This does not include the millions of people that have survived, are in remission or in active treatment. The Center for Cancer Counseling focuses on surviving cancer with a fulfilling life through an array of services to help the patient and family members better adjust to a cancer diagnosis.

The Center is for you if you are:

• Consumed and overwhelmed dealing with cancer
• Irritable and easily frustrated
• Afraid, scared and anxious
• Feeling like life is out of control
• Struggling with facing and managing treatments and side effects both physically and emotionally
• Feeling sadness and crying easily
• Having a difficult time concetrating or remembering things
• Having trouble sleeping
• Dealing about grief and terminal cancer
• Feeling isolated, alone and unable to talk about feelings
• Wanting a place to gather your thoughts and gain coping skills and tools

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How the Center Can Help

Offering individual, family, play, group and marital therapies, our services are individualized according to the needs of each patient. Generally in the first meeting the patient and family decide, with their counselor, what services are appropriate and set a plan for future meetings if necessary.

Individual Counseling

Individual counseling offers patients one-on-one time with one of our counselors. It is an opportunity to express all of the thoughts, fears and concerns that may be difficult to talk about with family and friends.

The intent is to focus in on your worries, put your most important needs first, and find an approach to dealing with the situation to manage overwhelming fears and concerns. The sessions enable you to learn the tools necessary to navigate through this time and continue to participate in life to your fullest ability. Some people find that even one session helps them feel relief and energizes them.

If your child is having counseling, you will meet with our counselors together with your child, or, you may meet alone for an update on your child's progress. This is typically done through play therapy for younger children. For teenagers, the most helpful method is talking about problems.

Family Counseling

The goal of family counseling is to better understand one another. Family sessions are a wonderful way to honestly open up with one another during the difficult time of a cancer diagnosis. Facilitated by one of our counselors in a warm and supportive environment, these sessions focus on getting the entire family comfortable dealing with and expressing their thoughts and feelings.

Offering a perspective from outside the family, our counselors help each family look at the cancer situation from several points-of-view and provide new ways to help and support each other. Families with children have an especially rewarding time learning to use games to communicate feelings and to overcome fears about expressing their thoughts.

Play Therapy

Children may pretend to be okay, so that their parents don't have to worry about them. They want to be like everyone else, but they focus on the cancer all day and worry, sometimes thinking that they somehow caused the cancer.

Play therapy is for young children affected by cancer, either having a family member diagnosed or being diagnosed themselves. We specialize in helping these children better understand what is worrying them through play therapy.

Utilizing games and drawings, we provide a safe way for children to communicate what they are thinking and feeling. Parents are always included in some part, if not all, of this process.

Group Therapy

Hearing about how family members might react to a cancer diagnosis, learning the ropes of a treatment program, or discovering how other cancer survivors move on once the treatment is complete are typical scenarios of group therapy at The Center for Cancer Counseling.

Group therapy provides cancer patients and survivors an opportunity to meet people in similar situations in a comfortable, non-clinical environment. Group members have an opportunity to connect and learn how others are dealing with the challenges presented by the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Group therapy also offers the opportunity to gain support and strength in trying out new coping skills.

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SET AN APPOINTMENT AND LET HOPE BEGIN TODAY
BY CALLING 949.474.4337.