Therapy for Previvors
What is a Previvor?
A previvor is someone who has an increased risk of developing cancer due to an inherited genetic mutation, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, Lynch syndrome, or other hereditary cancer syndromes.
While previvors may not have a cancer diagnosis, they often live with ongoing medical monitoring, complex decision-making, and a level of emotional strain that is frequently misunderstood or overlooked.
Living with hereditary cancer risk can shape how you move through the world: emotionally, physically, relationally, and medically. Many previvors carry an ongoing, invisible weight, even when others assume everything is “fine.”
Therapy for Previvors
Hereditary cancer risk is not a one-time stressor. It is an ongoing experience that can resurface at different life stages, appointments, and milestones.
I offer therapy for previvors navigating hereditary cancer risk, including BRCA, Lynch syndrome, and other genetic mutations. This work goes beyond general anxiety support and is grounded in trauma-informed care, medical-system awareness, and a deep understanding of the emotional realities of the previvor experience.
Therapy can support you in managing anxiety, processing grief and uncertainty, navigating medical decisions, and feeling less alone in an experience that is often invisible.
Common Experiences Previvors Bring to Therapy
Previvors often seek therapy around:
Anxiety or hypervigilance about the future
Grief for the body or life you expected
Deciding whether or not to pursue genetic testing, and coping with results
Stress related to surveillance, procedures, or preventive surgeries
Complex family dynamics and differing beliefs about risk and prevention
Decision fatigue, guilt, or constant “what if” thoughts
These reactions are not overreactions. They are understandable responses to living with uncertainty, especially when layered with medical decisions and family dynamics.
You Don’t Have to Carry This Alone
Being a previvor can feel isolating, even when you are surrounded by support. Therapy offers a place where you do not have to explain or justify the weight you’re carrying.
If you’re navigating hereditary cancer risk and looking for care that understands this population, I invite you to reach out.
I offer therapy for previvors in New York and New Jersey via virtual sessions.