For more than fifty years -- longer than any other cancer center in the country -- Memorial Sloan-Kettering has provided expert assistance to patients with cancer-related distress.
We know there is no one-size-fits-all coping style for dealing with cancer. Our clinicians are interested in handling any kind of distress that patients develop, whether it's minor or major.
Counselors Who Know Cancer
Our counselors have learned much by talking to patients about how to deal with cancer, its treatment, and their impact on life. Because anxiety and depressive symptoms can interfere with treatment and recovery, obtaining assistance in coping may be important while you are in the hospital.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering researchers investigate the problems that people confront in adapting to cancer and its treatment. Studies at Memorial Sloan-Kettering have led to national guidelines for managing distress in cancer patients.
Current areas of research include cancer prevention, particularly in smoking cessation and genetic testing, and ways patients and their families can maintain and even increase a sense of meaning and purpose, despite cancer. Such research protocols are sometimes offered to eligible patients through the clinical trial process.
Counselors, Nurses & Support Groups
Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers counseling to meet the individual needs of each person, and our professional counselors -- psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers -- are available to speak with every patient. Our social workers can also assist with practical issues such as transportation, financial concerns, and the effects of cancer treatment on employment.
Support groups, led by a healthcare professional, give patients the opportunity to receive information about psychosocial concerns and to meet and talk with others whose diagnoses and treatments are similar to theirs. Nurses and social workers convene support groups on a regular basis in various locations throughout Memorial Sloan-Kettering, including each patient floor.
At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, a social worker is assigned to each patient floor who is available to you, your family, and friends for help in dealing with the problems associated with a cancer diagnosis. Social workers provide
- counseling on adapting to serious illness
- help communicating with family and friends, including young children
- assistance with the impact of illness on employment.
Social workers also have information about programs in your community that assist with practical needs such as transportation for treatment and home-care costs, and that offer continued emotional support to you and your family.
Throughout the hospital, nurses and social workers conduct weekly support groups for patients and their families. These meetings are an ideal way to meet other people who may have similar concerns.
For Memorial Sloan-Kettering Patients
To find a social worker, talk to your doctor or nurse, or call the Department of Social Work at 212-639-7020. Memorial Sloan-Kettering patients may also call the Department of Psychiatry at 646-888-0100 for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
For spiritual counseling, call the Department of Chaplaincy Services at 212-639-5982.
