Reflections from the Counselling and Melissa: “Having newly joined the service in February 2020, I was just beginning to find my place in the team when the pandemic hit Britain. Reflecting on what it has been like for myself and the counsellors over the past few months naturally brought a metaphor to mind. Starting a new job can sometimes feel like one is stepping onto a rollercoaster. Being in a new job when Covid-19 hits is like that rollercoaster has been set on fire.”
Kathy: “We had the dilemma of how we could provide care to the many vulnerable patients and families accessing our service, as we were no longer able to offer face-to-face “All of a sudden, we were not able counselling sessions. As a team, to counsel people in the way we we decided to offer telephone have always done, we were counselling, this has proved an separated from many of our invaluable way of offering colleagues, and we could not run psychological support. For some the formal and informal groups clients this felt like a good option, that our service users find so for others, this has not felt so valuable. We quickly had to adjust comfortable. Later we were able to to using remote technology to keep offer video counselling. For many of the service running. We got the patients and families, feedback involved in supporting our frontline suggests that it is a close second to workers, and the need for ourselves face-to-face sessions. I am aware to apply the principles of self-care that meeting with a counsellor, we were teaching others, came into online or over the telephone, does sharp relief. I really felt honoured not appeal to everyone, and I to be part of a team that worked so wondered how these patients are hard to keep themselves in a coping. Because of this I developed position to be able to support a short video presentation about patients, families, carers and the psychological impact of a staff in amongst their own personal cancer diagnosis. turmoil and still be creative with what they could offer.” 10
