For example, which type of counseling works most effectively for which population. There are many questions to be asked but the question of whether or not counseling needs to be integrated as part of treatment of people with illness and part of our prevention of illness has been addressed. Now we are working on how to integrate counseling into health care. We are developing a standardized approach to counseling persons with serious illness and a standardized approach to training counselors. I come to this field as a board certified radiation oncologist and am used to things being done in a very specific and standardized way.
Radiation oncology is standardized throughout the world.
In treating cancer patients I ve come to appreciate the role of the mind, emotions, and issues of the human spirit in the healing process. When we begin to address the issues of the mind, emotions and human spirit we are dealing with counseling. It is unfortunate that counseling is not standardized. We need to develop very standardized counseling approaches. Much of what is taught in counseling is not effective for people with serious illness.