Psychosocial Oncology - Medical Oncology

• Gain experience in the role of a health psychologist on a medical team managing complex medical diagnoses. 
• Gain knowledge about the field of psychosocial-oncology and related evidenced-based interventions. 
• Prepare for advanced training (fellowship) in health psychology by practicing in different modalities including individual counseling, assessment, group therapy and psychoeducational group classes.

By the end of the minor rotation, the psychology intern will:

• Be competent in completing intake assessments for oncology counseling patients including obtaining psychosocial history, developing rapport, initial case conceptualization and proper documentation.
• Be able to identify different evidence-based therapeutic modalities and supporting interventions to utilize in psychosocial oncology.
• The psychology intern will begin to gain competence in delivering appropriate, evidence-based interventions to those facing cancer in individual, family and group modalities.
• The psychology intern will observe inpatient consultation-liaison psychology support for hospitalized medical oncology patients to gain familiarity with presenting issues and interventions used in inpatient settings. There may be opportunities for supervised inpatient consultation-liaison work as part of this minor rotation.
• The psychology intern will become competent at delivering care via telehealth, documentation requirements for embedded health psychologists and how to communicate effectively with a multidisciplinary treatment team.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy, including specific interventions for chronic pain, sleep, trauma
• Acceptance and commitment therapy
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
• Brief existential therapies, including meaning-centered psychotherapy
• Biopsychosocial and family systems theoretical approaches are commonly used to conceptualize. 

• Brief and long-term psychotherapy 
• Adult individual psychotherapy 
• Psychoeducational group classes to treat specific concerns: chronic pain, mindfulness based approaches to stress management, sexual health concern
• Couples & Family psychotherapy 
• Group psychotherapy 

Patients are adults (including young adults) who have a diagnosis of solid tumor (versus hematological) cancer, which vary in type and stage (severity) of disease. We have a large team of oncology providers throughout Metro Denver, leading to diverse clinical presentations. Our program treats patients from a range of ages, ethnic and racial backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, sexual orientation and identities and from rural and urban settings in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.

At least one hour of weekly supervision is provided to the intern focused on education and review of clinical activities. We have a postdoctoral fellow in psychosocial oncology who serves as the initial reviewer of intern clinical documentation, which is then reviewed by the primary licensed supervisor for the rotation. This allows for greater feedback on clinical activities and documentation for the intern.

The developmental model of supervision is used. We begin with reading training documents, watching webinars and shadowing and then begin to introduce direct, independent patient care as the intern is prepared.