Fighting Chance is America's oldest and largest free cancer counseling center that operates on a regional basis, in our case the Eastern End of Long Island, which is about 600 square miles and largely semi-rural. Because of our regional service model, we can (and do) have a walk-in office in Sag Harbor where patients will find "boots on the ground."
That means licensed health care professionals - including a clinical psychologist and oncology social workers - who can meet with the patient in person. In person counseling is the "gold standard" when helping a newly-diagnosed cancer patient cope with the negative psychological effects of cancer that include hyper-anxiety, depression, insecurity, and sleeplessness.
That means licensed health care professionals - including a clinical psychologist and oncology social workers - who can meet with the patient in person. In person counseling is the "gold standard" when helping a newly-diagnosed cancer patient cope with the negative psychological effects of cancer that include hyper-anxiety, depression, insecurity, and sleeplessness.
Services
Most cancer counseling today takes place over the Internet. Scores of charities offer advice via emails, texting and chat rooms. Fighting Chance is different. We emphasize a "boots on the ground" approach, meaning our counselors are all in a central office where you can visit them for face-to-face discussion.
PATIENT & COUNSELOR This is the most common format, especially during the initial sessions at Fighting Chance. Meetings typically are in the counselor's private office and last 45 minutes. The service is free of charge. PATIENT & COUNSELOR & CAREGIVER The main caregiver - usually a patient's spouse or adult child - can be subjected to enormous stress during a cancer journey and may have contentious moments with the patient as well.
According to the best data available - we estimate - about 200 Latinos are diagnosed with cancer each year on the East End. At Fighting Chance we decided to create some form of outreach and counseling to the souls whose English language skills are limited. Today, after months of effort, Fighting Chance supervises a monthly support group for Latinos with cancer.
Our Cancer Resource Directory offers a list of names and addresses tailored and curated for those living and battling cancer on the east end of Long Island. It contains helpful contact information for every phase of the Cancer Journey. Please refer to the Tips & Strategies page for contextual information and additional advice.
Knowing how to navigate through a bureaucracy is a craft learned from years of experience. A good navigator gets to know many of the players on a first name basis. They do the occasional favor, but expect a small favor in return. For those about to embark on a cancer journey remember that your therapy will not take just a few days, or even a couple of weeks.
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