Start with your own care team
The hospital or cancer center treating you, or the person you care for, is often the quickest route to support, because staff there know what is available to their own patients. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) suggests asking your health care team whether your cancer center or hospital has support groups, asking a hospital social worker where to find them, talking with other patients who have tried groups, and looking at advocacy organizations for your specific type of cancer.
Programs differ from one hospital to the next, so ask directly. Useful questions include: Is there a social worker or patient navigator I can talk with? Are there support groups for patients, or for family members? Is free counseling available here? Who do I call between appointments if I am struggling emotionally? The American Cancer Society (ACS) notes that if counseling is not offered where you are treated, your team can often suggest counselors in your area. The same questions apply after treatment ends: ask at your follow-up visits, because emotional needs can continue long after the last treatment, and Therapy for Cancer Survivors looks at that later stage.
Support for the whole family
Cancer support is not only for the person with the diagnosis. NCI notes that support groups can help children and family members too, with a focus on role changes, relationship changes, financial worries and how to support the person with cancer, and that some groups include both survivors and family members. ACS adds that groups for children and teens are usually organized by age, often with a separate group for parents. If a partner, child or parent is struggling, ask the same questions on their behalf.
Before you call any program, it can help to jot down the type of cancer, where you are in treatment, who the support is for, and whether you prefer in-person, online or phone contact. That makes a first conversation quicker, especially on a tired day.
Community support in Oakland County
Gilda's Club Metro Detroit (Royal Oak)
Gilda's Club Metro Detroit describes itself as a free cancer support community for anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis: people who have been diagnosed, the people who love them, and those who have recently lost someone to cancer. It says it serves all ages, all genders and all cancer types. Its programs include support and networking groups led by licensed clinicians, educational presentations, healthy lifestyle workshops, social activities, and resources and referrals.
Its Royal Oak location is at 3517 Rochester Road, and it also lists other sites in Metro Detroit and a virtual space for people who cannot easily travel. Call 248-577-0800, and check its website for current hours and the program calendar.
Helplines and services available across Michigan
American Cancer Society
ACS runs a cancer helpline at 1-800-227-2345. It says its trained cancer information specialists are available 24 hours a day by phone, with online chat on weekdays, and that it connects patients, caregivers and family members with services and resources, including referrals to patient programs. For medical questions about your own care, ACS encourages reviewing its information with your doctor.
CancerCare
CancerCare is a national organization whose professional oncology social workers provide free emotional and practical support for people with cancer, caregivers, loved ones and people who are bereaved. It offers support by phone, online and in person, along with educational workshops, and says it provides limited financial assistance for cancer-related costs and co-payments. Its website, listed in the sources below, explains how to reach its services.
When you need help right away
Crisis lines are not only for people who are thinking about suicide. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline describes itself as being for everyone, including people facing emotional distress or who just need someone to talk to, and says conversations are free and confidential and available 24/7. You can call, text or chat, and you can also reach out on behalf of a friend or loved one. In Oakland County, Common Ground offers crisis support at 1-800-231-1127. For any medical emergency or immediate danger, call 911.
If an urgent problem is physical, such as a fever during chemotherapy or new severe pain, use the after-hours number your oncology team gave you. Emotional support services are not a substitute for medical care.
Matching the resource to the need
- Bills, insurance, rides or forms: your cancer center's social worker or navigator, CancerCare, or the ACS helpline.
- Connection with others who understand: Gilda's Club Metro Detroit or a support group through your hospital.
- Information about a diagnosis or treatment in plain language: the ACS helpline, then your own oncology team for anything specific to you.
- Caregiver strain: CancerCare, which serves caregivers, or Gilda's Club Metro Detroit, which includes loved ones, plus your own doctor for your health.
- Ongoing fear, sadness or relationship strain: individual or couples therapy with a licensed mental health professional.
- Thoughts of suicide or feeling unsafe: 988, Common Ground or 911, right away.
Many people use more than one. If you are unsure whether a group or one-on-one help fits better, see Cancer Support Groups vs. Individual Therapy.
Individual therapy in Franklin
Dr. Lehmann is a licensed clinical psychologist in Franklin, Michigan, in Oakland County, with an insight-oriented, integrative approach. Read more about cancer-related emotional support. Telehealth sessions are available for clients physically located in Michigan at the time of the session, which can help if treatment makes driving hard. Appointments are during the day, Monday through Thursday, and the practice does not offer after-hours or crisis care, so the crisis options above remain important even if you are in therapy. For more local and general mental health resources, see the resources page.