Psycho-oncology Services

There may be several reasons why you may be referred to our psycho-oncology service. One reason may be that your team has noticed you are having difficulty in coping with your initial diagnosis, treatment, effects after your cancer experience, or even other past circumstances that come to the surface during this time. For instance, some patients might experience anxiety or depression, for which they may need important coping skills to help improve their quality of life. Other patients might have a history of different mental health concerns, which can become more complicated with a cancer diagnosis. For example, you might have experienced depression in the past or a significant loss in your life, which might require some specialized trauma-focused attention. Another important reason why a team member may refer you to psycho-oncology may be because you scored high on The Distress Thermometer. A psychologist or psychiatrist is here for you to help alleviate the distress you may be experiencing during your cancer care.

The Distress Thermometer is a screener that helps us gather information on your levels of distress and reasons why you may feel his way. This routine screener can inform us about your distress before it becomes more difficult to treat. The Medical Assistants at the cancer center will give you this screener when you come for visits. 

The psychologist or psychiatrist can be accessed at your request. However, this team is usually referred by your medical doctors. Other team members may also introduce you to our service based on how well you are dealing with your cancer, or if your score is high on the distress screener. Our specialized patient representatives can assist you in providing information about your particular insurance coverage or co-pays.

Psychologists and psychiatrists are doctors who receive different types of training for the diagnosis and care of mental health concerns in patients. Although both can provide psychotherapy, psychologists focus primarily on “talk” therapy and psychological testing, whereas psychiatrists may rely more on prescribing medication.

Psychology is the study of the mind, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. In order to be called a psychologist in the U.S., a person needs to earn a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, a doctoral degree in psychology, and in some states (such as Florida) postdoctoral residency to take a licensing exam in that state. Fellowship training refers to specialty training after residency. The educational process to become a licensed psychologist takes about 10-12 years after high school. These professionals may have a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy with a psychology major), or a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology). The psychologist here at the cancer center is fellowship-trained in psycho-oncology.

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine, with a specialization in psychiatry. These professionals can have an M.D. (Medical Doctor) or a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). To become a psychiatrist, the person needs to earn a bachelor’s degree, a medical school degree, and a postdoctoral residency. The educational process to become a psychiatrist takes about 10-12 years after high school, before taking a state licensing exam. Fellowship training refers to specialty training after residency. The psychiatrist here at the cancer center is fellowship-trained in psycho-oncology.