ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines psychological aspects of cancer and describes the problems of patients attending treatment for cancer-related difficulties. It presents the transcript of an initial interview with a woman presenting to psychology services following therapeutic mastectomy to illustrate how an Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy perspective informed the clinical work undertaken. Psychological distress is a significant issue for patients with a diagnosis of cancer, and their relatives. In addition to anxiety and depression, patients with cancer may present to psychology services for help with anxious preoccupation, treatment-related fears, marital, sexual, and relationship problems, perceived losses and perceived threats to physical integrity, body image, and autonomy, and fears concerning the future—Damocles’ syndrome. Evidence-based approaches appropriate to the treatment of psychological difficulties associated with experience of cancer include person-centred, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural and existential therapies. Experiential dynamic psychotherapies are talking treatments that help a patient to solve problems associated with unconscious emotions or conflicts.
