A to Z of services

Clinicians

Our Team:

Lead Clinical Psychologist – Dr Anna Sandall

Psychotherapist – Anastasia Synesiou

Psychotherapist – Alex Khan

Dramatherapist – Hannah Tottenham

Clinical Psychologist – Francesca Morreale

About Us

We understand that a cancer diagnosis can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. We are here to support you from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.

Our experienced clinicians specialise in helping people affected by cancer. We offer up to eight free one to one therapy sessions to help you cope with how you are feeling as well as offering practical advice and support. Sessions are confidential and typically one hour long. Face to face appointments are held at Croydon University Hospital where we are based and we can also offer video or telephone appointments. We are also able to support people whilst in hospital.

Our Services:

Sessions typically focus on helping you to talk about your thoughts and feelings, and finding effective ways of coping with the emotional impacts of the cancer. After treatment, it can be challenging adjusting to the many changes you have faced and we will support you to adjust and move forward with your life. We also offer brief couples therapy for issues directly related to cancer, as well as therapy groups for people with specific needs.

Typical issues we help with are:

• Making sense of your diagnosis and support with decision making about treatment
• Anxiety and depression, or feelings of anger
• How to talk to others including children about cancer
• Living with uncertainty in your present and future
• Understanding and recovering from traumatic experiences
• Managing the demands of home and family life while caring for yourself
• Adjusting to change and feelings of loss and grief
• Feeling unhappy about changes in the way you look
• Coping with pain, discomfort, fatigue and treatment side-effects
• Coping with how cancer affects your relationships and/or sexual functioning
• Coping with how cancer affects self-esteem and sense of self
• Navigating end-of-life issues
• Managing complex mental health issues alongside cancer
• Initiating and/or reviewing psychiatric medication

Who can be referred?

Referral Criteria

The service is open to anyone over 18 years, living in Croydon and is affected by cancer. We are able to support carers and family members as well as people with cancer. We see people at any stage, from diagnosis, treatment and afterwards.
 

Referrals:

Croydon health professionals can refer by completing this form here and emailing it to us at ch-tr-cuhcaps@nhs.net. Please note we require the patient/carers’ consent in order to process a referral. We are happy to discuss potential referrals.

Patients are contacted within 7 days weeks of receipt of a referral with the outcome of their referral. 

We accept self-referrals both in person at the Macmillan Centre at Croydon University Hospital or by phone/email.  

Contact details:

Email: ch-tr.cuhcaps@nhs.net

Telephone:  0208 401 3345

Address: Croydon University hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon CR7 7YE

Opening hours: 9 – 5pm Monday – Friday