At last, here is a comprehensive guide for practitioners who work with breast cancer patients and their families. It includes a series of psychosocial interventions to be used with couples during early stage breast cancer. Chapters present information on assessing the levels of stress in these couples and on the most appropriate interventions for this problem. There is extensive evidence that emotional and social support positively influences women's abilities to cope to breast cancer. The first person that a woman with breast cancer turns to for support is her husband or intimate partner. However, as partners of breast cancer patients are struggling with their emotional distress, helplessness, and anxiety with the diagnosis, they often feel inadequate about their ability to help their wives and partners cope. It is important for practitioners to understand this concept of twofold stress.

From the reviews:

"A family systems/cognitive behavioral approach to dealing with the stressors felt by a woman who is diagnosed with breast or gynecological cancer and her intimate partner. ? This book would make an excellent text for a graduate-level health psychology course dealing with the psychology of illness. It also would be good for a clinician ? . is a current, up-to-date refresher on the literature of how illness affects the individuals diagnosed as well as the loved ones who support and help care for them." (Leslie B. Rosen, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 53 (42), October, 2008)

"Helping Couples Cope with Women's Cancers is a guide that describes an approach to working with couples who are dealing with early stage breast or gynecological cancers. ... Overall, this book is a useful resource for clinicians working with women coping with breast or gynecological cancers. ... this book will serve as a helpful guide for clinicians working with this patient population." (Sharon L. Manne, Psycho-Oncology, Vol. 18, 2009)