Since 2020, we have provided a telephone and online counselling service for young people living with cancer (see criteria below).
We also accept referrals for young people who have someone close to them with a diagnosis, and for family members caring for a young person with a diagnosis. Family support can involve signposting, counselling or family therapy.
Young people living with serious ill-health can experience isolation and mental health difficulties. Access to specialist mental health services is often difficult and can involve long waiting times, adding stress during an already challenging time.
Criteria for Counselling
- Children and young people who have received a cancer diagnosis, or an associated condition treated by oncology services, before the age of 25
- Children and young people with a close relative/friend who has a cancer diagnosis
- Family members caring for a child or young person with cancer
Most child and adolescent referrals are secondary-school-age. However, we have supported younger children through online play therapy – please call to discuss referrals for younger children.
- Based in the UK
- Choice of telephone or online platform (Zoom)
- Languages: English, French
- Introductory/assessment meeting, followed by 10 sessions (with scope to re-contract/extend where appropriate)
- 30-50 minute sessions
- Delivered by qualified counsellors/psychotherapists (BACP/UKCP registration or equivalent)
AIMS
To support and improve the mental health of young people who are living with cancer (Counselling)
To strengthen family support systems for families with a young person who is living with cancer during a time of crisis (Family Support).
OBJECTIVES
- To enable people to talk about the ways in which their mental health is being affected and find positive ways of coping (Counselling).
- To provide support, advice and signposting to young people and their families, relating to the challenges caused by illness and treatment, and to enable them to access relevant services (Family Support).
- Recognising current pressures on mental health services, to respond to young people and families promptly and without long waiting times (Counselling & Family Support).
- To understand further forms of support that young people living with underlying health conditions will benefit from during the longer-term adjustment following the COVID-19 pandemic (Counselling & Family Support).
- To build a peer network of young people living with cancer in Cumbria who can make links and support each other (Counselling & Family Support).
Clinical standards
Flynne’s Barn is registered with the Charity Commission (reg. no. 1177897). The Counselling and Family support service is run by Robin Ewart-Biggs (Systemic family therapist, UKCP registration 06158736), who has been a mental health practitioner since 1992, in the NHS and the voluntary sector, with extensive experience of both delivering and managing services. All sessional counsellors have enhanced DBS checks and are registered with BACP/UKCP or equivalent. Clinical governance policies and procedures are available on request.
Following an initial pilot project, counselling and family support are now part of Flynne’s Barn mainstream services and continue to be evaluated – latest external evaluation report.
If you would like to print a copy of this then please open this page as a PDF – Counselling and family support
This project is funded through the National Lottery Community Fund
