Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. Opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist and do not represent the position of other SelfhelpMagazine.com staff.

Question

I have received a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness and have been advised to attend counseling. Of what use is counseling in dealing with a medical condition?

Answer

The recommendation of counseling might seem odd, but keep an open mind and give it a try. It can be of value in several ways:

1. A diagnosis of a life-threatening illness can be very frightening. It helps to be able to talk those fears out with someone who is not as emotionally involved.

2. Counseling can help you develop an attitude of health in your battle with the illness. Such positive attitudes have been shown by several researchers, particularly O. Carl Simonton, to have the potential to have a positive impact on the course of your illness.

3. If you attend counseling with a counselor open to spiritual issues, you may be able to address spiritual issues raised by your illness. For example, sometimes when confronted with a life-threatening illness, some persons become concerned about making peace with those from whom they have been alienated. Counseling can be a great aid in such a process.

4. Counseling might also be of help in acquiring a degree of assertiveness. This in turn can be helpful in dealing with a medical establishment which does not always listen or provide adequate information to patients. One study compared outcome with medical staff ratings of patient's level of cooperativeness. Interesting enough, the best outcomes occurred with patients rated by staff as "difficult" in that these patients asked many questions and did not always readily comply.

5. Finally, persons battling a life-threatening illness sometimes have to adjust to changes in the pattern of relationships in their lives. Counseling can help in this area. In fact, if you take to individual counseling, you might at some point discuss with your counselor the value of family counseling.

03/14/98

Richard B. Patterson is a clinical psychologist in private practice in El Paso, TX. He is the author of three books on psychology and spirituality.