About Services Schedule an Appointment Location

Counseling & Therapy

Our psychiatrists and psychologists can help support patients, family members, and caregivers through the stress of cancer treatments. We focus on patients who developed mental health issues as a result of their cancer, and those whose preexisting mental health conditions are impacting their ability to engage in treatment.

We typically see patients during their cancer care or within one year of completing disease-specific treatment, for up to 12 sessions or one year.

Services

We provide an initial thorough psychiatric or psychological assessment of your needs and concerns. We then offer ongoing, problem-focused individual, couples or family counseling or psychotherapy. This may focus on:

Emotional support
Relaxation training, guided imagery
Mindfulness training
Specific problem-solving
Communication and assertiveness training
Specific psychotherapeutic expertise in:
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive processing therapy
Dignity therapy
Grief therapy
Meaning-centered psychotherapy
Management of symptoms of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and other concerns
Medication management (through psychiatry services)

Scheduling an Appointment

UC San Diego Health patients (including all Moores Cancer Center patients): Referrals should come from your oncologist or palliative care provider. Please have them obtain insurance authorization for mental health services, or you may obtain them from your insurer yourself. Then call 858-822-5381 for an appointment.

If you are not a registered UC San Diego Health patient, call 800-926-8273 to register. Then call your insurer to obtain authorization to receive mental health services, and then call 858-822-5381 to schedule an appointment.

Note:

Some insurance plans use a different carrier for mental health benefits. If this is the case, please check with your mental health carrier to determine coverage and other insurance issues.
If your insurance company will not cover mental health services at UC San Diego Health (whether or not you are a registered UC San Diego Health patient), we may be able to work with them to allow you to be seen, given that we offer specialized services. Please start by calling your mental health carrier, but if you need further assistance, call us at 858-822-5381.