Counsellors join the fight against cancer

A TEAM of specialist counsellors are helping people fighting cancer across West Wales - thanks to charitable donations.

Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, is funding a pilot project, offering psychological support to people diagnosed with cancer and to their carers.

The scheme covers the health board region of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

As well as helping patients and their carers, the new service is also working with the cancer workforce in Hywel Dda.

It is providing training so healthcare staff can enhance their skills in offering psychological support, along with supervision and support to empower the cancer teams.

The Cancer Psychological Support Service (CaPS) is run and managed by the health board and sees the four counsellors working across the whole of the three counties.

CaPS offers short-term, robust, therapeutic help, of six to eight counselling sessions, with one of the specialist cancer counsellors.

Over the pilot period, which will come to an end in March next year, the service will have helped hundreds of cancer patients and their families.

The service prides itself on having no waiting list and being flexible and fitting around the needs of patients, carers and staff.

This resource of specialist cancer knowledge, advice and education in psychological aspects of care is aimed at promoting positive coping skills for the people affected by cancer and their carers, along with support for the cancer workforce.

The service is overseen by lead cancer nurse Gina Beard and managed by counselling lead Julie Brennan.

Gina said: “Our objectives are to give psychological support to those with cancer and their carers, and also to support the cancer workforce and offer extra training.

“Before beginning the project we spoke with our colleagues in psychological services and with charities working with cancer patients to fully understand the needs.”