What we do

Psychological medicine is the branch of medicine concerned with the overlap between physical and emotional health.

The diagnosis and treatment of cancer causes great emotional stress for most patients and families. Some people adapt with time to these stresses with the help of family, friends and support groups.

Others benefit from additional specific treatments such as group therapy, counselling or medication.

We are able to offer this support and treatment by working with patients in outpatient clinics or wards at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. Unfortunately we are not able to see families and carers at this time.

The team is not able to offer a urgent response in a crisis. If you or someone you are concerned about is experiencing urgent mental health difficulties, please contact your local 24-hour mental health urgent care line:

Free listening services are also available. These services offer confidential support from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult:

  • Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
  • Text "SHOUT" to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text "YM" if you're under 19

Our team

Anne-Marie Orford – Specialist Counsellor in Psychological Medicine

Anne-Marie has been working in The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre since 2000. She initially worked as a teacher / trainer and then headed back to university to train as a counsellor in 2004.

Her counselling therapeutic background is in psycho-dynamic therapy and, as a cognitive behavioural therapist, she is able to offer CBT therapy as well.

Since qualifying as a mindfulness teacher in 2015, Anne-Marie has been working in partnership with Maggie’s Wirral delivering the 8-week MBSR course.

Dr Geraldine Swift – Consultant Psychiatrist 
Dr Jane Younger – Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Geraldine Swift and Dr Jane Younger are consultant liaison psychiatrists, which means they specialise in working with people who have complex physical and psychological problems.

They work both with inpatients in Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Liverpool and with outpatients in Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Liverpool and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Wirral. They also support staff in managing the psychological difficulties of patients and the challenges of their roles.

Eleanor McCrink – Mental Health Nurse

Eleanor joined The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s Psychological Medicine team in 2023.

Before this, she worked across a number of mental health services and has experience working in the fields of talking therapies, addictions, adult and older persons liaison and, more recently, in primary care mental health.

In her current role, she sees patients referred to the Psychological Medicine team while they are inpatients in Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Liverpool.

Helen Forbes – Counsellor in Psychological Medicine

Helen has been working in The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre for more than 30 years. 

After originally working as a therapeutic radiographer - and later in clinical research and data analysis with an interest in lung cancer - Helen qualified as a person-centred therapist in 2022 with an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Practice from Liverpool John Moores University.

Further information

Rachel's Story: Psychological Medicine at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (Trust Board March 2022) 

Referrals

The Psychological Medicine team can accept referrals for patients of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre:

  • Whose cancer has spread and is now advanced (metastatic spread), and
  • Patients who are experiencing mental health difficulties which are preventing them from accessing their cancer treatment

Referrals can be made by your clinical team and other staff at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.