After the treatment finishes then what? (Dr Peter Harvey)
02 Background
The material presented here has been adapted by Dr Peter Harvey from two presentations which he gave initially at the request of the National Conference of Cancer Self-Help Groups in 1999 and 2002.
He presented a version of ‘After the treatment has finished, then what?’ at the inaugural conference of the European Federation of Psychosocial Oncology Societies in Glasgow in 2003. A version has been available on the Cancer Counselling Trust’s website since 2004.
The content has emerged over the years from a variety of sources - from individual conversations with patients, as result of discussions with support groups, by reading about patients’ experiences in books and articles. This means that the tone and themes of what follows are primarily patient-focussed and experiential rather than academic and research-based.
Where there is evidence and and there are useful theoretical ideas to support what is reported then this is included or the reader is directed to further reading.
Because of the author’s background and training, the content is strongly influenced by psychological thinking and ideas.
The scientific literature and other information can be assumed to be correct as of May 2008.
The authors
Dr Peter Harvey was a clinical psychologist until his retirement in September 2007. He has worked with adults with cancer for 15 years, first in Birmingham and later in Leeds.
He also served as Chair of the British Psychosocial Oncology Society for four years, was on the Clinical Advisory Board of CancerBACKUP for six years and was associated with the development of the CancerHelp UK website.
Dr Jane Haworth works full-time as the Principal Clinical Psychologist in Oncology at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She has worked for several years in cancer services and has special interests in body image, adapting to changes to the body, survivorship issues and supporting and training healthcare staff.
Her current role in oncology involves a wide range of work both directly with patients and their relatives, and also with staff. She has also been involved with training Breast Cancer Care volunteers.
The artist
Joan Newall BA (Hons) MSDC is a Textile Maker / Printmaker who began her textile career by studying City and Guilds Textiles at Craven College in Skipton and has since gone on to gain a first class honours degree in Art and Design from Bradford College, where she specialised in Textiles and Printmaking.
In her final year she was awarded sponsorship by Madeira Threads, was accepted as a Licentiate of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and has since been accepted as a full Member.
Joan's art work deals with the presence of breast cancer in our culture, how we perceive it and how we deal with it. She feels fortunate that she can use her work as a means of expression and has been able to confront her own breast cancer using image and narrative. These images, some of which are featured on this section of the site, can be seen on www.art-connections.org.uk
Her main interests are in the construction of 3D objects using hand made paper and wax with stitch and beading. Her main subject matter is the politics and presence of breast cancer in our culture, the way that it is perceived and its causes.
As well as continuing with her own practice she is now working as a part-time tutor in Textiles within North Yorkshire and in schools, providing a textile input to the GCSE art courses in the form of day workshops.
Joan is a founder member of Textilia III, a Skipton based contemporary textile group whose aim is to bring textiles to a wider audience and to further their own practice. She is also a member of Paperweight, an international group specialising in working with paper.
She exhibits widely with Textilia III as well as in private galleries. Examples of her work can be found at www.textilia3.co.uk/joan_newall.htm
Acknowledgements
Extracts from “Ups and Downs: An Average Rock Bun” by Alan Bennett from Untold Stories (© Forelake Ltd. 2005) are reproduced by permission of PFD (www.pfd.co.uk) on behalf of Forelake Ltd.
The Cancer Counselling Trust has now closed.
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