Clinical Psychology

It is common to struggle with a diagnosis of cancer, the treatments and the after-effects. All healthcare professionals have a role in supporting you emotionally during this time and some have additional skills in providing emotional support, for example Clinical Nurse Specialists. Some charities also offer advice, support groups and counselling (see 'other organisations offering emotional support' below).

Some people experience more significant psychological difficulties which can affect their quality of life and go on for a longer period of time. Examples of this might include depression, anxiety or panic. If you are experiencing difficulties like this, then you might benefit from accessing our service.

Who is the service for?

We see people who are experiencing emotional distress related to their cancer diagnosis or treatment. The service is for adults who are under the care of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.

There is a separate psychology service for Teenagers & Young Adults with Cancer and more information is available about this here; Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Service (scot.nhs.uk)

Who is in our service?

We are a team of Clinical Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Psychologists. We are non-medical doctors who specialise in providing psychological interventions.

Clinical Psychologists are regulated by law and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). There is more information in the ‘Seeing a Psychologist’ leaflet;

What can I expect?

Appointments for psychological therapy usually last up to an hour. How many appointments and how often they are, will be agreed between you and your Clinical Psychologist. We offer face-to-face appointments at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, but we can also offer telephone or video appointments. You are welcome to bring someone with you to your appointments.

The first appointment is called an assessment and it is generally about getting to know you and hearing about your cancer experiences. During the assessment, we will discuss your needs and goals. The Clinical Psychologist can then advise as to whether therapy will be useful for you at this point in time. They may sometimes signpost you to other services if they feel they could better meet your needs.

We offer a range of evidence-based psychological therapies, sometimes known as ‘talking therapies’. During your sessions, we will offer you time to talk about the emotional impact of having cancer, help you manage any challenges and support you to try out new ways of coping with difficult feelings. You might be asked to do some tasks between sessions.

How do I access the service?

If you feel that you would benefit from our help, please talk to a member of your cancer team.

Information for Professionals

If you would like to refer someone to our service, please complete our referral form which is available in the Beatson Shared Drive under ‘Psychology Referrals’ or provide a clinical letter. Our referral triage meeting takes place on Thursdays.

If you would like to discuss a potential referral with us, our contact details are also in the shared drive folder.

Interpreters can be arranged for spoken and sign language support. We cannot provide a crisis service, so if you have concerns about a person’s safety then you should contact their GP (for outpatients) or Adult/Older Adult Mental Health Liaison (for inpatients).

Other organisations offering emotional support, supports groups or counselling