Cancer-Informed Psychotherapy
ACT and CBT Tools to Guide Clients Through Anxiety, Fear & Uncertainty
- Speaker:
- Jessica Vanderlan, PhD
- Duration:
- 3.5 Hours
- Copyright:
-
May 07, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150653
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar - Also available: Live Webinar
Description
- Effective tools for the unique experiences of cancer treatment
- How to cope with uncertainty and health anxiety
- Strategies for managing pain and reducing fatigue
When a client shares a cancer diagnosis in therapy, everything shifts.
Even the most seasoned clinician can feel nervous as uncertainty and fear show up – because nothing about psychotherapy is simple when cancer is in the room.
And if you’re like most therapists, you were never trained for this.
Supporting clients through fear of the unknown isn’t the same as typical anxiety treatment … the classic tools for depression won’t improve clients’ mood when they feel hopeless and depleted … and helping clients grieve the loss of normality just isn’t standard grief work.
Add to that the medical, ethical, and existential complexities that go along with cancer – and it’s easy to feel unprepared.
That’s why Dr. Jessica Vanderlan psychotherapy service manager at one of the nation’s top cancer hospitals, created this training where you can quickly get the essential information and strategies you need to support your clients with cancer – whether they’re newly diagnosed, navigating medical decisions, already in the midst of treatment, adjusting to life after chemotherapy, or facing a terminal diagnosis.
Packed with tools you can use right away and designed to boost your confidence, this training will give you:
- CBT and ACT tool techniques for cancer-specific unhelpful thoughts and uncertainty
- Strategies to support pain management and reduce the physical side effects of cancer treatment
- Clear guidance on how to collaborate with your clients’ medical team and caregivers
PURCHASE NOW! Don’t wait to learn about cancer until you’ve already encountered it in your caseload – it will be too late for the client who needs you now.
Credit
Continuing education credit information is coming soon for this non-interactive self-study package.
CE hours may be available for select professions, as listed in the target audience. Hours will be dependent on the actual recording time. Please check with your state licensing board or organization for specific requirements.
There may be an additional fee for CE certificates. Please contact our Customer Service at 1-800-844-8260 for more details.
**Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.
Speaker
Jessica Vanderlan, PhD Related seminars and products
Jessica Vanderlan, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and manager of the Siteman Psychology Service at the Siteman Cancer Center, where she provides therapy to patients with cancer and cancer caregivers. She is a board member and director of professional education for the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and co-chair for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s distress guidelines panel. Dr. Vanderlan’s research focuses on psycho-oncology, distress screening, psychological functioning in gynecologic oncology, program development, and integrated psychological care. She is voluntary psychiatry faculty at the Washington University School of Medicine where she assists in training medical students and residents.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Jessica Vanderlan has employment relationships with Siteman Psychology Service, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University, and Ponce Health Sciences University. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Jessica Vanderlan serves on the board of American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the on the Distress Management Guidelines panel for NCCN. She is a reviewer with Society for Health Psychology APA Division 38 and is an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Psychological Medicine, and Supportive Care in Cancer.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info
Objectives
- Identify common psychosocial concerns in cancer.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions for cancer patients.
- Modify three CBT and ACT interventions to cancer-related depression and anxiety.
- Utilize one CBT intervention for cancer-related fatigue, nausea, or vomiting.
Outline
Cancer and Psychotherapy
From First Diagnosis to Survivorship
- The cancer continuum
- Cancer facts v. myths
- Importance of mental health care during cancer treatment
- Emotional responses to diagnosis and recurrence
- Key distress points and their typical timing
- Traumatic reactions to cancer and its treatment
Psychosocial Concerns in Cancer
Key Psycho-Oncology Interventions
- Common difficulties in adjustment
- The “cancer patient” identity
- Mood disorders and suicide screening
- “I might as well give up” – CBT for unhelpful thoughts
- Decrease rumination and catastrophizing
- Behavioral activation strategies to boost mood
- Strategies to respond to client social withdrawal
- ACT tools for managing health uncertainty and anxiety
- Interventions for fear of death
- How to cultivate acceptance of cancer and potential recurrence
- Manage fear of specific treatments
- Build a social support system that helps
Essential Pain Management Strategies
- Physical effects of treatment
- How therapists can support pain management
- CBT interventions for fatigue, nausea, vomiting
- How to talk with clients about avoidance of medical support
- Communication training for clients to interact with medical team/caregivers
Additional Clinical Concerns
Life Forever Changed
- Management of therapist reactions
- Collaborate with medical team and caregivers
- Identify support groups and other resources
- When cancer is in the past
- Limitations of the research and potential risks
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social workers
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Addiction Counselors
- Nurses
- Other Mental Health Professionals
Reviews
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ADA Needs
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