Psycho-social aspects of thalassaemia a psychodynamic understanding

Abstract

I was recently appointed as counsellor for the UK Thalassaemia Society, based in London. Soon after I was to attend the first UK Thalassaemia Society's National Conference held in Leicester where, along with a genetic counsellor, I was asked to facilitate a two-hour group discussion entitled ‘Psycho-social Aspects of Thalassaemia'. The day made a strong impact on me, and the writing of this article has been an attempt to integrate my feelings and in turn gain a clearer insight into the psycho-social experience of thalassaemia major.