ABSTRACT
Researchers have found that psychotherapy for paediatric patients with cancer markedly decreases the frequency and severity of their emotional problems. Child psychotherapists have had a first career in another profession, such as teaching, social work, or nursing. The child psychotherapy clinical training is specialized and extensive, taking a minimum of four years, after, in some trainings, two–three years of a pre-clinical course, as well as previous professional experience with children. Family therapy can be offered alongside, or instead of, individual psychotherapy. Indeed, family therapy is more widely available than individual child psychotherapy, and is a very suitable therapy of choice in many instances. The group could 'bring home' to parents the fact that their child had cancer. In other words, some parents had not fully digested this fact until the group met, and were then 'moved on' from their disbelief.
