Psychological difficulties in the context of cancer warrant a referral to a psychiatrist if those difficulties have become a source of functional impairment, such as disabling anxiety or depression leading to social withdrawal. Cancer patients with more average, expectable emotional and existential struggles can be served by other kinds of professionals. Among those other professionals are hospital chaplains, who often serve as a valued source of support for religiously oriented patients.

Secular patients generally do not avail themselves of chaplaincy services, and chaplains tend to avoid engaging non-believers. This need not be so. Many chaplains are skilled at providing general emotional support. They are also capable of engaging in existential counselling without invoking “God-talk”. Dr. Lewis is working with hospital chaplains in Toronto and at the national level in Canada to help them to better understand and serve non-believing patients.