Cancer, Serious Illness & Caregiving

Living with uncertainty, day after day.

Therapy for individuals and caregivers navigating cancer, serious illness, and the emotional impact of ongoing medical care

You may be holding more emotionally than people can see.

A cancer diagnosis or serious illness can change the structure of your life quickly, but it’s not just the logistics. There’s often a constant undercurrent of uncertainty, fear, and waiting that doesn’t fully let up.

You may find yourself staying focused on what needs to happen, while holding a lot internally that doesn’t have a clear place to go. Even when things look steady from the outside, there can be a lot happening underneath.

Whether you’re navigating your own diagnosis or supporting someone else, it can be difficult to find space for your experience within everything that’s unfolding.

I’ve spent 17 years working in oncology settings, including pediatric and adult care. I understand how much of this is lived quietly, alongside everything that needs to keep moving.

You don’t have to carry all of this on your own.

What might be coming up for you?

There’s often a lot that people are holding, including:

Ongoing uncertainty about what’s next
Fear that can be hard to name or share
Waiting for results, updates, or changes in treatment
Trying to stay grounded while things feel unpredictable
Holding it together for others while managing your own reactions
Emotional exhaustion that builds over time
Feeling like there isn’t space for what you’re experiencing
Navigating changes that feel out of your control
Strain on relationships or family dynamics
Carrying both hope and fear at the same time

You’re carrying the responsibility, and the fear and uncertainty that comes with it.

How can therapy help?

Therapy is a place where the reality of what you’re dealing with doesn’t have to be minimized or managed.

In our work together, we might:

Talk about what’s happening without having to filter it or make it more palatable
Say things that don’t have a place anywhere else
Stay connected to yourself in the middle of something that can take over
Not have to be the one holding everything together
Be with the uncertainty, instead of constantly trying to get ahead of it
Look at how this is affecting your relationships, as it’s happening

This is a place where you don’t have to hold it all in.

Why work with Susanna Vargo?

I’ve spent 17 years working in oncology settings with both adults and children. I understand the medical system, the pace of care, and how much often goes unspoken in these situations.

You don’t need to explain how this works. Our time can focus on your experience of living through it, including what doesn’t get said out loud.

There’s a lot that can come with cancer, serious illness, and caregiving. Below are answers to common questions about how therapy can support you.