Counselling Sessions For Cancer Patients

Aim

This project aims to fund twelve months of free counselling sessions for cancer patients and carers, including bereavement counselling.

Funding Our Counselling Support Service:

We are seeking funding to provide free counselling sessions for those affected by cancer for the next twelve months . 

We Need Your Help!

This service will cost £3,700 per year to provide over 400 individual and couple counselling sessions, we are seeking funding to secure the delivery of this service  and hopefully beyond with your support!

We want to provide:

Star Throwers aims to provide a minimum of six free counselling sessions per service user, enabling them to benefit from talking about any of the effects of cancer on their lives. These 45 minute sessions can be provided remotely via video or phone or face-to-face when safe to open our cancer support centre to the public once more. 

The Star Throwers counselling service is suitable for those who:

• have a diagnosis of any type of cancer
• are newly diagnosed
• are undergoing treatment
• trying to adjust back to ‘normal’ life and work after treatment
• are facing a life-limiting prognosis

or have lost a loved one to cancer. 

What is Counselling?

Counselling is a talking therapy that can help with a range of emotional issues that someone may face during a cancer diagnosis and beyond. 

Friends and family are a key source of support for any person with cancer but often it is difficult to have an open discussion about any fears and concerns (whether as a patient or a carer) they may have as they are worried about protecting their loved ones.

Counselling is a therapeutic tool that support someone  at any stage of their cancer journey. The Star Throwers counsellors are trained to listen and allow appropriate  space to share emotions and to clarify thoughts without worrying about negatively affecting others.

Who are our Counsellors?

The Star Throwers counsellors are qualified and experienced therapists on the Accredited Register of The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social care and follow the ethical frameworks for their specific regulatory bodies. (Details available on request).

Jacqui Empson-High is a counsellor registered with the BCAP, supervisor and poet with a background as an oncology nurse and end of life care, having worked at the Royal Marsden cancer hospital in London. She also runs the ‘Writing for Wellbeing’ group at Star Throwers which is a monthly therapeutic writing group session for patients and carers.

David Spicer is an integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor with 13 year experience, he is a member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy and has a degree BSc(Hons) in Integrative Counselling.

Why is Counselling Support so important right now?

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer services has been huge, with an estimated drop of 70% in referrals and 1 in 3 patients having their treatment impacted. As a result, 7 out of 10 people who experienced delays in their treatment or diagnosis felt frustrated and anxious - our counselling support can help ease some of these pressures and emotions at this time. We predict that demand for our counselling support (and other services) will continue to increase as the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health system are experienced.

About Star Throwers

Since the Star Throwers cancer support centre opened in 2009 we have supported over 2,000 people affected by cancer with individual information support sessions and wellbeing therapies all completely free of charge. 

In 2019 we provided 1,590 individual and group support sessions to 264 cancer patients and their carers at our cancer support centre in Wymondham, Norfolk. 

In March 2020 we had to take the decision to close our doors to the Star Throwers centre in order to comply with Government guidelines surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic. In August 2020 we were delighted to open our services again in a virtual capacity to be able to support people affected by cancer and have since provided over 100 cancer support sessions remotely. 

Who We Support

Star Throwers provides cancer information sessions, nutritional support and wellbeing services to people (age 18+) who have had a cancer diagnosis and also to their carers and loved ones.  

If you know anyone who would benefit from our services, please get in contact or visit our website to find out more: www.starthrowers.org.uk

This project successfully funded on 23rd March 2021