ABSTRACT
The current article offers an overview of the development of a psychosocial counseling component in a complex outpatient and inpatient oncology treatment setting. Central to the article are the descriptions of the relationships that exist before, during, and after the transitioning of the psychosocial team into the larger treatment team. Also significant are gains and losses in our learning to handle touch, confidentiality, and related issues in a medical rather than a psychotherapy setting. Members of the psychosocial team speak in their own words about the experience of becoming part of this overall effort to treat holistically the oncology patient and her or his family.
We gratefully acknowledge the patients and staff of the Southwest Cancer Treatment and Research Center, University Medical Center and Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, for allowing us to become part of their lives.
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Professions, Graduate Psychology Education Program (Grant D40HP00010).