Cancer Counselling

Our Cancer Counselling Service has social workers and psychologists who provide a wide range of services and support. These include:

• Individual counselling, and
• information and referral to other community services.

About this service

Both you and your family may experience a range of emotions and situations at the time of diagnosis, during and after treatment. It is natural to struggle to adjust to the changes that come with a cancer diagnosis.

Our counselling service can help you with:

• managing stress and worry
• managing anxiety and depression
• family or relationship issues
• body image changes
• sexual health
• work life balance
• life values
• self-care
• ways to manage concerns and uncertainty about the future, including fear of recurrence
• life after active treatment
• palliative care, end of life issues, bereavement support and counselling.

Who we care for

Our services are available to people who are accessing the public health system in the ACT who have a cancer or a diagnosis of cancer in the last 3 years and their family/carers. This service is available to those aged 16 years and over.

How to access this service

You can refer yourself to this service, please call Central Health Intake on (02) 5124 9977.

Health professionals including GPs, specialists, nurses and allied health professionals can also refer you or your family member.

You or your family may also be referred to us by other community agencies and services in the ACT and surrounding regions.

What to expect

We review all referrals promptly. We will contact you within two weeks to get any additional information and to offer you an appointment.

We have more information about what to expect before, during and after cancer treatment.

What to bring to your appointment

• Medicare card

Where we’re located

• Belconnen Community Health Centre
• Philip Community Health Centre
• Patients coming to the Canberra Region Cancer Centre for treatment will receive cancer counselling in the centre, Building 19, Level 2. This is located between the multi storey carpark and the main hospital building.
• Patients currently in hospital will be seen in their hospital room.

We have directions to the Canberra Region Cancer Centre and Canberra Hospital.

Resources

Cancer Counselling Service at Canberra Hospital (PDF, 622.92 KB)