Previvor Support: Why Therapy for Previvors is So Important
Previvors need specialized support. Whether that’s through previvor support groups or individual psychotherapy, the stressors and challenges that come with being a previvor can be difficult to navigate. Learning that you’re predisposed to certain cancers can be both empowering and fear-inducing.
As someone who specializes in providing therapy to previvors, I am highly aware of the specific obstacles that previvors face. Everything from the stress of high-risk monitoring, to the anticipatory grief of surgery, to the unexpected emotional challenges that can arise weeks to months to years later. No one asks to become a previvor, and no one should have to go through it alone.
There are specific ways that therapy can support the mental and emotional health of previvors, which I’ll cover in the post.
Keep reading to learn more.
What is a Previvor?
A previvor is someone who takes action by making a plan to address a genetic predisposition to cancer. This can involve heightened surveillance or undergoing preventative surgery to minimize their risk of developing cancer. Previvor means you do not become a survivor.
Typically, the term previvor is associated with individuals who are at high-risk for breast and ovarian cancer. They have completed genetic testing and cancer risk assessments, and have either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Many previvors (but not all) have a strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer.
According to the NCI, Women with a BRCA1 gene mutation have a 55%-72% chance of developing breast cancer and a 39%-44% risk of developing ovarian cancer by the time they are 70-80 years old. For women with a BRCA2 gene, the risk of developing breast cancer is 45%-69% and ovarian cancer is 11%-17%. The average risk of a woman developing breast cancer at some point in her life is about 13%, and 1.2% of the general population will develop ovarian cancer.
What are the Unique Challenges of Being a Previvor?
Finding out that you have a genetic predisposition to breast and ovarian cancers will likely stir mixed emotions. On the one hand, it can feel empowering to know your risk and to be given the opportunity to make informed, proactive decisions about your health. Finding a medical team that will closely monitor you or making a plan to undergo preventative surgery can reduce anxiety and increase a sense of control.
On the other hand, it can also feel overwhelming, scary, and present a new set of challenges to overcome. Opting to undergo a prophylactic surgery involves a shift in identity and is often as emotional as it is physical. Being a previvor means facing many big decisions, processing complex emotions, and needing a solid support system.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapeutic support offers Previvors are private, objective, and warm space to process their experiences and feelings. Certain aspects of being a Previvor may feel difficult to talk about or acknowledge. Therapy is a place where Previvors can safely release and explore their emotions without judgment. Therapy can help Previvors with:
Improving self-esteem
Relationships
Body image
Accepting change and uncertainty
Regulating emotions
Learning stress/anxiety reduction techniques
Recalibrating identity
Grief and loss
Anxiety, fear, or worry
Guilt and/or shame
Preparation for or processing high-risk surveillance
Preparation for or processing preventative surgery
Unexpected emotional or physical challenges
The goals for every person in therapy will vary. For some, individual therapy feels most helpful. For others, joining a previvor support group or a BRCA support group may feel better. It’s most important that each and every Previvor honor where they are in their journey and what they need most.
Summary
Previvors have a variety of challenges and needs that are unique to them. Previvors are tasked with making big decisions, and face questions that other people may never have to think about. Having a predisposition to cancer means that a person can be both empowered to make proactive choices while also feeling fear, anxiety, and stress.
Therapy can help, as it offers a consistently safe, objective space for previvors to process their experiences and emotions. Art therapy is an embodied form of psychotherapy that connects the mind and body together. Art therapy clients often report lower stress, less anxiety, and more clarity and self-awareness, and for Previvors, can offer a creative way to tap into their innate strengths and resources to heal.
If you’re a Previvor and you’re interested in beginning therapy, reach out today. My private practice is located in Montclair, NJ. I also provide virtual therapy to clients in New York and other parts of New Jersey.
Outside of this area? Find a credentialed art therapist near you here.
