Support after Womb Cancer – Talking Therapy

Living with and beyond womb cancer can be scary and lonely for many, and it’s not uncommon to experience ongoing problems including those affecting your mental health. This can include low mood, anxiety, depression and a fear of recurrence.

Talking therapies can be helpful to process some of the difficult feelings that might be experienced after cancer and to try and come to terms with things. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to getting the support that will suit you most. Some people find joining a support group helpful, while others prefer to talk 1-2-1. You shouldn’t worry if something doesn’t work for you, there will be an alternative.

We don’t offer access to counselling via Peaches but here are some ideas to hopefully signpost you to information that might help. 

You can access counselling in a number of ways. It is often most successful if the counsellor has experience of supporting people affected by cancer. If you are still in touch with your cancer team, they are a good place to check out what services are available to you locally. Your GP can refer you for psychological support, this may not be cancer specific, but this service will be free.

If you would like to find a therapist yourself, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) can help you, although there would be a cost involved. It’s important that you find someone who you feel comfortable with and usually counsellors offer a one-off appointment to see if they are the best person to help you.

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Other options are to access support via a cancer support centre such as Maggie’s or Macmillan. Maggie’s centres have cancer support specialists, psychologists and other approaches to provide support, such as workshops and courses.

Another option could be via your local day hospice. Often people think that hospice’s only offer support around end of life, but they usually have an excellent range of psychological and holistic support for those affected by cancer and might be worth a look.

Maggie’s | Everyone’s home of cancer care

You may also find the following Peaches Support Videos helpful:
What happens when your treatment ends
The emotional impact of finishing treatment for womb cancer
Accessing support and information

Peaches will be looking at more issues affecting life after womb cancer, these will include:

  • Ongoing pain and discomfort 
  • Ongoing changes to bowel and bladder habits 
  • Loss of libido and impact on sex life 
  • Loss of pelvic floor muscle strength and incontinence 
  • Lymphoedema, which is a build-up of fluid in your legs or pelvic area that doesn’t go away 

Previous articles:
Menopause and Womb Cancer