Gary Kelly Centre is helping so many
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN COUNSELLING AFTER DIAGNOSIS INCREASES
THE Irish Cancer Society has released its 2016 counselling figures and said that the number of people accessing these services in cancer support centres has increased by 68% in just four years.
However, it said women still make up the vast majority of the service, with over 7 in 10 of the clients in 2016 being female and just under 3 in 10 were male.
Louth people represented over 5% of the Society’s national figure, with 75 people from the county availing of the counselling service.
The Irish Cancer Society’s affiliated support centre providing counselling in Louth is Gary Kelly Cancer Support.
The Society uses a short-term model, and often a client only needs one or two sessions to help them understand that their emotional reaction is normal and to enhance their own coping techniques.
Dorothy Thomas, Community Support Network Coordinator at the Irish Cancer Society said: ‘Once cancer patients embark on a cancer journey, they are supported with the physical aspects of their illness through the health system, attending hospital appointments and treatment.’
‘However, the emotional effects of cancer may not be felt until weeks, months or years after the initial diagnosis. Often, it is only after treatment finishes that they realise how much cancer has changed their lives.
‘Cancer diagnoses affect a huge network of people and often the support is needed throughout an entire family.
Gary Kelly Cancer Support provides psychosocial care for cancer patients and their families in their own communities.
‘ The Irish Cancer Society works closely with these teams to provide a range of proven programmes, including the counselling service, free of charge to cancer patients and their families. Coping with cancer can be difficult and families may experience many emotions such as anxiety, fear and sadness.’
The counselling service supports people of all ages affected by cancer. The majority of those attending the service across the country were between the ages of 45-64 (50%) while almost one third of clients (26.3%) were between the ages of 18 and 44 with this age group experiencing significant issues such as relationships, fertility and careers, all impacted on a cancer journey.
Clients under 18 made up 4.4% of clients, almost all of these children were struggling with the diagnosis of a sibling or a significant adult in their life.
Other main results from the report include:Breast cancer was the number one cancer represented and accounted for 31% of clients
Anyone who is concerned about cancer or is interested in accessing the counselling service, can contact the Irish Cancer Society’s Cancer Nurseline on Freephone 1800 200 700 or visit www.cancer.ie/support/ counselling.