Beyond The Cancer Diagnosis: Dialogue with Amanda Balakirsky, Hosted By Adrian Pogacian

In this new episode of ‘Beyond the Cancer Diagnosis’, Adrian Pogacian highlights the opportunities within challenges for an early career in Psycho-Oncology with Amanda Balakirsky, clinical psychologist,  Co-Director of the Bereavement Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Co-Chair of the ECPP Committee within IPOS.

Dr. Amanda Balakirsky is a clinical psychologist and the co-director of the Bereavement Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She provides care to individuals across the spectrum of cancer-care (surveillance through end-of-life), caregivers, and bereaved individuals. She is passionate about managing the psychological sequelae that can develop following a diagnosis, helping patients find meaning and purpose, and assisting patients in developing a sense of peace and acceptance towards end-of-life.

Amanda’s work is heavily influenced by meaning-centered, existential approaches to care. She has developed an expertise in psycho-oncology over the last decade and completed specialized training while on internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Veterans Affairs (VA) New Jersey Healthcare System.

Adrian Pogacian, MS Psychology, clinical psychologist with executive education in Psycho-oncology, holding a degree in Global Health Diplomacy from Geneva Graduate Institute.

Currently, researcher and associate lecturer with focus on Impact of Cancer Diagnosis on Couples and Families, Communication in Cancer Care and Posttraumatic Growth. His expertise is on Coping with Cancer and managing Fear of Recurrence.

Additionally, Founder of INCKA Psycho-oncology Center, Host of Beyond the Cancer Diagnosis Interview Series as well as Writer and Host Content in Psycho-oncology at OncoDaily.com, Editorial Team Member of OncoDaily Medical Journal, co-author of the first Romanian Multimodal Care Guideline in Pediatric Onco-hematology, active contributor to the International Psycho-Oncology Society, presently IPOS Fear of Cancer Recurrence SIG member and IPOS Early Career Professionals in Psycho-Oncology Committee founder member.

Early Career in Psycho-oncology: opportunities within challenges?

Adrian Pogacian: Dr. Balakirsky, as Assistant Attending Psychologist, I would kindly ask you to share with our audience, briefly, your responsibilities at MSKCC.

Amanda Balakirsky: I am an Assistant Attending Psychologist and the Co-Director of the Bereavement Clinic at MSKCC. As such, I primarily work with individuals across the spectrum of cancer care, caregivers, and bereft individuals. I am also involved in our training program and supervise doctoral students who are completing year-long training opportunities at our hospital.

Adrian Pogacian: Additionally, I would appreciate it if you can offer a personal interpretation of what is Psycho-Oncology?

Amanda Balakirsky: Psycho-oncology is a specialty (in oncology and/or psychology) that addresses the interplay between mental and physical health within the context of cancer. Professionals in the field address the psychological, emotional, social, existential, and behavioral concerns that develop among those managing cancer diagnoses. Ultimately, cancer varies from person-to-person and has the capacity to impact all areas of life, making patient-specific care a particularly important component of psycho-oncology.

Adrian Pogacian: Not long ago, you’ve been appointed co-chair of ECPP – Early Career Professionals in Psycho-Oncology. What are the main objectives of this Committee within IPOS?

Amanda Balakirsky: This committee is meant to bring together early career psycho-oncology professionals across the globe. My hope is to make the early career experience a bit less lonely for those of us dedicated to the care of individuals with cancer, whether through networking events, continuing education opportunities, and/or case conferences. We aim to host a minimum of four events each year and to cater to the needs/wants of our growing community. To join the ECPP, early career professionals must be members of IPOS; there is no added cost to join our committee. Please check out the IPOS website for more information about joining IPOS and the ECPP.

Adrian Pogacian: What are the general requirements to be considered a potential candidate for this Committee?

Amanda Balakirsky: The main requirement for committee membership is being an early career professional, which is defined as someone who is within 7 years of finishing their last degree. Students are welcome, as well!

Adrian Pogacian: In a previous interview, Dr. Lam, acting president of IPOS, argued that Psycho-oncology is a subspecialty of oncology. In Eastern Europe, for example, Psycho-oncology is a subspecialty of Psychology. Do you think that this different approach influences the aim and values of ECPP?

Amanda Balakirsky: I find this distinction to be interesting and believe that there is truth in both categorizations of psycho-oncology. Still, to provide the best care for our patients, I believe that we must be mindful of the relationship between mind and body and aim to address all related concerns. I believe this – that it, holistic, individualized care for those across the cancer care spectrum, is one of the core values of ECPP and IPOS more broadly.

Adrian Pogacian: With regard to early career in psycho-oncology, what do you consider to be the priority: the research or the practice in this field?

Amanda Balakirsky: It’s important to prioritize both research and clinical practice. Personally, I am a full-time clinician, but I have many colleagues who are either full-time researchers and/or part-time researchers and part-time clinicians. I appreciate being able to look towards the latest research to inform my work and believe this is especially important as skills-based care (e.g., CBT, DBT) becomes more popular in the outpatient hospital setting. This approach to treatment allows patients to experience rapid symptom reduction, which is particularly beneficial when coping with a cancer diagnosis and all that comes with it.

Adrian Pogacian: And the last question: what are the personal goals of Dr. Balakirsky as co-chair of this committee?

Amanda Balakirsky: I personally would love to help new members feel welcome in IPOS and as if they have joined a tight-knit community of like-minded professionals. IPOS provides the unique opportunity to connect with colleagues worldwide, so I hope to foster these connections not only for the sake of feeling well-supported and connected but also to further the field and practice.

Previous editions of “Beyond The Cancer Diagnosis”

Edition 1: Beyond The Cancer Diagnosis: Psycho-Oncological Aspects Of Kate Middleton’s Diagnosis

Edition 2: Beyond The Cancer Diagnosis with Sonia Amin Thomas – Survivorship

Edition 3: Beyond The Cancer Diagnosis: Dialogue with Wendy Lam, Hosted By Adrian Pogacian

Edition 4: Beyond The Cancer Diagnosis: Dialogue with Camille Moses, Hosted By Adrian Pogacian

Edition 5: Beyond The Cancer Diagnosis: Dialogue with Tihana Gašpert, Hosted By Adrian Pogacian