Our Psycho-oncology Department  is dedicated to supporting the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of patients and their families throughout their cancer journey. Based at St. Luke’s Hospital in Rathgar, St. James’s Hospital and Beaumont Hospital, our team of experienced psycho-oncologists provide compassionate, evidence-based care to address the challenges of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Our goal is to empower patients and families by offering tailored psychological support, education, and resources to cope with the emotional impact of cancer. We work closely with the multidisciplinary oncology team to ensure holistic care that complements medical treatment.

Clinical Services

The Psycho-Oncology Department offers expert psychological advice to patients and staff on the emotional challenges that may arise at all stages of the cancer journey. In addition, there is a limited service available to support family members.

Psycho-Oncology is a specialty in cancer care concerned with understanding and treating the psychological, emotional, quality-of-life and functional aspects of cancer, from prevention through bereavement.

It is normal for patients to feel distressed when diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. However, at least 25% of patients will develop depression and anxiety. It is known that psychological support and intervention at all levels can reduce psychological distress, improve the patient’s quality of life, lead to a better functional and emotional outcome, and facilitate a return to daily activities.

Individual Consultation, Assessment and Therapy

Our Psycho-oncology Department offers a range of psycho-educational and support services to help patients across the lifespan and families navigate the emotional and practical challenges of cancer. These services include:

  • Individual Intervention: One-on-one sessions to address anxiety, depression, fear, or other emotional concerns.
  • Family Support: Family sessions to help systemic coping and help caregivers support their loved ones.
  • Support Groups: Facilitated groups for patients and caregivers to share experiences, build community, and learn coping strategies.
  • Psycho-educational Workshops and Group Interventions: Evidence-based interventions to support coping skill development for cancer patients

Our psycho-educational programs are designed to enhance resilience, improve quality of life, and provide practical tools for managing the emotional aspects of cancer treatment.

Groups intervention
Cancer Thriving and Surviving Self-Management Programme

The Cancer Thriving and Surviving Self-Management Programme is open to patients post radiation therapy. The programme was established in 2018, it is located in St. Luke’s at Rathgar and Beaumont, and is supported by Psycho-oncology department and a peer (patient) facilitator.

Adapting to life after cancer treatment brings many challenges.  This post treatment phase can be a demanding journey but also a period for personal growth.  Our cancer Thriving and Surviving Programme is a self-management programme designed to encourage participation and mutual support from participants who are in the post treatment phase.  Topics covered include: Healthy eating, Exercise, Dealing with emotions and Effective communication.

Classes involve participation for 2 1/2 hours each week for six weeks.

For more information or any queries, please contact the Psycho-oncology department on (01) 4065163 or Dr Nicola Elmer on Nicola.elmer@slh.ie

8 Week Mindfulness Programme

Mindfulness training is associated with significant health and wellbeing benefits.  Participants will be supported in cultivating mindful awareness through intensive mindfulness training over 8 weeks.  We closely follow the course from the best-selling book, ‘Mindfulness: a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world’, which is a development of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

The course gives a practical experiential introduction to a range of mindfulness practices. See www.franticworld.com for more information on course content.

What commitment does the mindfulness course require?
  • 90-minute class once a week for 8 weeks
  • Participants must be able to attend all 8 weeks
  • 30 minutes daily home practice for 8 weeks

To fully benefit from the course, it is essential to engage in 30 minutes of daily home practice on all non-class days (6/7 days) for the duration of the course.

***This group is open to both patients and staff attending St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network Hospitals. The course is best suited to patients who have completed medical treatment and are in the post-treatment phase. ***

Facilitator:  David Shannon (Senior Psychologist)

To apply:  Please e-mail David Shannon at david.shannon@slh.ie for more information. Places will be allocated following a brief pre-course interview to ensure that this is the right time to undertake mindfulness training.

Children and Adolescent Service

Our psychology service offers emotional support to children and adolescents who are receiving radiotherapy at St Luke’s Hospital Rathgar. We can offer support while going through treatment and after. We provide psychological therapy for low mood, anxiety, body image concerns related to cancer treatment, adjustment to having had treatment and side effects, as well as many other cancer related concerns.

We also offer support to parents, either to help them support their child during a difficult time or to have therapeutic space for parents to share their anxieties (potentially then supporting with onward referrals if parents would like to access individual counselling locally).

Our psychology department at St Luke’s works with the psychologists in Temple Street Hospital and Crumlin Hospital, to help with continuity of care throughout a child’s entire treatment journey. As paediatric cancer treatment is sometimes spread over different hospitals, we try to coordinate psychological care depending on what stage of treatment the young person is at.

We can also support with local referrals to community cancer care support centre, who offer one-to-one therapy or play therapy for children, as well as supports from charity organisations.

If you would like to request referral for your child, please ask a member of the medical team supporting you at St Luke’s.

Research

The Psycho-oncology Department collaborates with the St. Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research to advance understanding of the psychological and social impacts of cancer. Our research focuses on improving physical and mental health outcomes and overall quality of life for cancer patients. The department places a strong emphasis on evidence-based practice and clinical research.

Our research is conducted in partnership with universities across Ireland ensuring that findings translate into improved care practices.

Researchers interested in collaborating with the psycho-oncology department can contact our Principal Psychology Dr Nicola Elmer on 01 406-5064 or Nicola.elmer@slh.ie

Teaching/Lecturing

Educating patients and health professionals in psychological coping techniques and practice is the third area of work undertaken by the Psycho-Oncology Department. The members of the department also teach on various university undergraduate and postgraduate courses as part of their role.

For more information or any queries, please contact the Psycho-oncology department on (01) 4065163

Useful Links and Resources

Explore the following resources for additional local support and information:

Get Involved

We welcome feedback to improve our psycho-oncology services.

If you’d like to be a part of our latest service evaluation project, please follow the link here.

Contact Information

Psycho-oncology Department, St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network
Highfield Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, D06 E169
Phone: 01 406 5163