Karin Sieger, Psychotherapist & Cancer Counsellor, Reg. MBACP (Accred)
I am Karin Sieger, a BACP registered and accredited psychotherapist and offer cancer support online via Zoom across the UK and beyond. I am a member of Cancer Counselling London and an approved health care provider with AXA Health, AVIVA, Allianz and CIGNA. I am based in Richmond (West London, UK). On this page you will find everything you need to know about my cancer work, qualifications and fees and how to book a free initial consultation.
1. How can I assist you?
I offer one-off consultations, short and longer term support for people affected by cancer (incl relatives, friends, medical staff and carers). Families and couples can also benefit from one off coaching sessions to help cope with a diagnosis or a particularly challenging stretch of coping with cancer treatment, life with cancer or preparing for end of life.
How can cancer counselling help – watch my 2 min video here.
2. I support you wherever you are at with cancer.
Common cancer related emotions include: fear (of treatment, life, death), uncertainty, loneliness, guilt, anger, loss of self confidence, irritability, stress, depression, hopelessness, relationship problems and suicidal thoughts.
I assist my clients during different stages of their experience:
During a diagnosis process and before confirmation of a cancer diagnosis: I can help you deal with the fears and prepare for potential scenarios.
After diagnosis: I can assist you in coping with the emotional impact, provide some grounding and help you think through helpful coping strategies for what may lie ahead.
During treatment: I can help you through treatment difficulties (eg needle phobia, fear of intravenous chemotherapy / scans / radiotherapy), treatment side effects (eg hair loss, body image issues following a mastectomy, lymphoedema, early menopause, low sex drive or impotence) and cancer feelings like anxiety attacks, depression, anger, hopelessness and more.
After treatment: I can assist you with shaping your life with or beyond cancer, fears around check-up times and more.
Cancer recurrence: Together we can work through the impact of this news and choices you want to make for your treatment and the rest of your life.
Terminal cancer: I can help you with making practical choices for your life and support you in preparing for dying, whenever that may be. Often this consists of practical issues as well as finding inner peace.
Family and friends, colleagues and employers also turn to cancer counselling, as they can also find themselves under emotional strain when most of the attention (understandably so) is on the person with cancer.
3. What you will get from working with me.
In working with you I have four goals:
- To offer you a safe and non-judgmental space where you can say frankly what is on your mind.
- To help you understand and process the feelings and chaos you might be experiencing.
- To work with you on deciding what you want to do and what is good for you.
- To help you stay motivated and an active participant in whatever is happening.
While I have been treated for cancer myself, I am respectful of the fact that everyone has their own experience and view on things. I aim to be open, welcoming, flexible, transparent, pro-active and down to earth.
4. Why work with me?
I am an experienced, BACP accredited and registered psychotherapist and cancer counsellor. Before setting up my private practice I trained and worked in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
Being a psychotherapist, having been diagnosed with breast cancer twice, supported and lost friends and family to cancer, I am experienced in how cancer affects our emotional and mental wellbeing – during diagnosis, treatment, remission, living with or beyond cancer or dying of cancer. Feel free to browse my cancer (and non-cancer) related support articles here open my website.
5. Practical Points
I offer a free 20 mins initial online consultation when we can discuss your needs, see whether I offer the right support and agree next steps.
My fees for one off consultations, short- or longer-term cancer counselling whether in person or online are as follows:
My standard (50 mins) session fee is £75 (until 1800 weekends, £80 at all other times). I offer some concessions.
My fee for an extended one off 100 mins consultation is £150.
Payments are done online via bank transfer or PayPal (incl PayPal fee) and have to be received on the day of our consultation.
I am an approved health care provider with AXA Health, AVIVA, Allianz, CIGNA and WPA. If you have either of these private health insurances, then you may be able to claim therapy with me through them.
All consultations take place online via Zoom (or by phone if you prefer) from the comfort of your own home or hospital setting. I have put together a little guide about online counselling here.
At a first meeting, whether in person or online, we would find out more about each other, to see whether I offer the right support and whether you would like to work with me. We would agree the number and frequency of sessions to fit in with any treatment commitments you may have.
Ethics and transparency are important to me. Therefore, every client receives a written agreement from me, which outlines the terms of our work and your goals. You can view my Privacy Policy here.
Cancellations with at least 48 hours notice (2 working days) a fee of £20 applies. For all cancellations with less than 48 hours (2 working days) notice the full session fee applies. However, within reason, I would always aim to offer you a suitable replacement slot, if available, especially if a cancellation is due to poor health and / or treatment.
My registered office address is “The Bridge Workspace, 7 (b) Parkshot, Richmond TW9 2RD UK”
