ABSTRACT
The disciplined use of the therapist's self involves the cultivation of compassion, including self-compassion, emotion regulation, equanimity, humor, and creativity. Therapist compassion is central, and it must be nurtured by the therapist and ideally by the contexts and ecosystems in which the therapist is embedded. Compassion training can foster more resilient self-processes in therapists. Therapists working with cancer patients need not only the science and clinical skills that cognitive behavior therapy models bring forth. The distress from having cancer includes not only facing the possibility of a markedly changed life but also the possible looming threat of death. Many of the strategies for working briefly with depressed and anxious cancer patients involved helping them access social support, develop perspective-taking ability about others in their lives, and engage more effectively with the people in their lives, from the medical teams to their loved ones.
