Vandana Mahajan, Palliative Care Counselor, Cancer Counselor, Patient Advocate, and Cancer Survivor, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Cancer Counselling: Compassion Must Be Matched by Competence
A cancer diagnosis is one of the most vulnerable moments in a person’s life. Patients and families seek clarity, reassurance, and guidance when they are faced with complex decisions about treatment, prognosis, and the future.
I still remember the moment after my cancer diagnosis when someone told me, “You should be grateful you are alive. So many people die from this disease. Count your blessings.”
The words may have been intended to comfort me, but they left me feeling more alone.
At that moment, I did not need to be reminded of how “lucky” I was. I did not need comparisons with others. I did not need forced positivity or advice on how I should feel.
I needed someone to acknowledge my fear.
I needed someone to listen without trying to fix my emotions. I needed someone to recognize the grief, uncertainty, and sense of loss that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Survival does not erase fear. Being alive does not mean there is no suffering.
That experience changed my perspective on cancer counselling.
I realized that counselling a person with cancer is not simply about motivation, reassurance, or telling someone to “stay positive.” It requires an understanding of the disease, the treatments, the physical and emotional impact, and the complex journey patients go through.
A person who has not understood the biology of the disease, the realities of treatment, or the lived experience of cancer may unintentionally cause harm while trying to help.
People diagnosed with Cancer do not need empty optimism. They need compassionate, informed support.
They need professionals who can hold space for fear, acknowledge uncertainty, provide accurate information, and understand that every patient’s journey is different.
This is why cancer counselling must be delivered by trained professionals – not only people with good intentions, but people with the knowledge, skills, and humility to support patients through one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives.
Compassion matters.
Listening matters.
But in cancer care, competence matters too.
‘Cancer Counselling Requires More Than Good Intentions.'”
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