A Psychological Perspective: Dealing with the CLL Emotional Roller Coaster

A CLL diagnosis can take you on an emotional roller coaster. Join psychologist and CLL patient Dr. Alison Brown to talk about what patients often go through, including cognitive dissonance, fatigue, anxiety, anger, and depression. CLL patients can face the stress of uncertainty, whether they are making important health decisions based on incomplete and conflicting information or they are in “watch and wait” and experience the anxiety of inaction. Alison will share information on how to manage this roller coaster from a professional and personal perspective.

Moderator:

Brian Koffman, MDCM, DCFP, FCFP, DABFP, MSEd
Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
CLL Society

Speakers:

Alison Brown, PhD
Coordinator, Psychologist
Center for Wellness & Wellbeing at Santa Monica College

Alison Brown, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and coordinator of the Center for Wellness & Wellbeing at Santa Monica College in California, which provides individual counseling, crisis intervention, and mental health-related workshops and trainings to the campus community.  Alison is also a certified meditation teacher and is in the process of earning a certification through UCSD’s Center for Mindfulness to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction classes.  Alison was diagnosed with CLL in August 2016.