When isolation and cancer coincide

Many women affected by cancer say they don’t want to burden their loved ones with their thoughts or worries about their cancer. With so many people understandably concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing impact, you might be feeling even more pressure to put on a brave face. This can leave you feeling even more isolated.

May is one of the Counterpart Peer Support Volunteers who is working from home at this time making calls to women experiencing breast or a gynaecological cancer. She shared her thoughts on how she is able to help the women she talks to.

‘Peer support means using my experience to help someone in a similar situation. I can walk alongside someone who has experienced cancer to comfort and help them as I have walked along a similar path. It might be their first time diagnosed with cancer or they may have been on the path before and just want someone to listen to their story.

Right now, peer support is especially important, as many of us are feeling the effects of isolation. I think Counterpart Peer Support Volunteers can help because we know what it is like to have cancer, and we can give women a space to talk through their feelings or worries.

Feelings of uncertainty and a sense of being even less in control may be magnified at this time.

Someone undergoing treatment may feel concerned about infection with their already low immunity. Telehealth is assisting women in receiving medical care, but some have found they miss the extra emotional support and comfort they get from a face-to-face appointment.

Separation from support systems due to social isolation measures may be distressing for some who cherish every moment they have with their loved ones. Their regular care may also be disrupted at this time. With virtual meetings, the healing power of touch is unfortunately restricted.

The women I speak with as a Peer Support Volunteer can see that we survived through the tough times and ‘live to tell the tale’. It can give them hope when they see that we are living well after the experience.

Many also want to share the war stories as well as the good news stories to really feel that they are not alone.’

Speak with a Peer Support Volunteer

Phone 1300 781 500 and leave a message
Email [email protected]
Request a call online

Some free guided meditations to help you look after yourself

If you are stuck at home because of the coronavirus precautions, it may be a good time to give guided meditation a try.

During stressful times, following a guided meditation can be helpful. Meditation is a practice that can help you clear your mind. It can also calm your emotions and improve your wellbeing. Many women find this helpful, especially when worried or anxious.

Our friend Matt Young, the director of the Melbourne Meditation Centre, has shared some short guided meditations with us.

Matt has presented many wonderful meditation sessions at Counterpart/BreaCan over the years. We appreciate his clear, kind and no-fuss approach to meditation.

You can visit the Melbourne Meditation Centre‘s website for more information, meditation CDs and online meditation courses.

Matt is also presenting our online workshop on meditation on 4 May.

Three Senses Meditation (for immediate anxiety relief)

Calming Breath

At Home Within Yourself

Cancer Survivorship Care Consensus Statement

In 2019, community support organisations met to discuss work around cancer survivorship. One of the key recommendations from these forums was to produce a consensus statement. This was facilitated by the Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC).

Counterpart, as a service of Women’s Health Victoria, is proud to be one of the 19 community support organisations to have endorsed this statement.

The statement outlines the important role of community support organisations in supporting people who have been diagnosed with cancer. It also identifies the different ways community support organisations help people affected by cancer.

Download the Community Support Organisations’ Cancer Survivorship Care Consensus Statement (PDF 1MB).

Year in Review 2018–2019

During the last financial year, Counterpart connected, supported and informed well over a thousand women affected by breast or a gynaecological cancer across Victoria. The Counterpart Year in Review 2018–2019 highlights our work, shares stories from women who have used the service, volunteers and a health professional working in regional Victoria. We also share the outcomes of a number of successful projects supported by the Victorian Government, LUCRF Super Community Program, Pink Affair and the Besen Family Foundation.

The Counterpart Year in Review 2018–2019 was released at the Women’s Health Victoria Annual General Meeting in October 2019. Read online below or download a PDF from our publications page.

Supporting women affected by cancer through telehealth

Women supporting other women affected by cancer at the heart of Counterpart’s service. Thanks to the support of LUCRF Super, we are using technology to connect, support and inform more women affected by breast or a gynaecological cancer across Victoria.

In August 2018, Counterpart began our Telehealth Project with funding from LUCRF Super Community Program. This enabled us to install new, modern telehealth facilities at Women’s Health Victoria which are being used to host high-quality webinars for women across the state. Six regional health services have hosted live webinar events to give their patients access to information provided by expert presenters as well as a chance to connect with each other. Women who could not otherwise participate can also join in from home.

This video was created by LUCRF Super and features women who have experienced cancer and volunteered to help spread the word about Counterpart.

Join our mailing list to be notified of upcoming webinars or visit our upcoming events page.

Health professionals can email us at [email protected] to discuss hosting future webinar events.

Resource Centre temporary move

The lift in our building (Queen Victoria Women’s Centre at 210 Lonsdale St, Melbourne) is being replaced, and there will be no lift from May to August. While this is happening the Counterpart Resource Centre will move from the 5th floor to a temporary space on the ground floor.

During the lift closure our City – based What’s On sessions will be held Women’s Health Victoria at Level 8/255 Bourke Street. See Women’s Health Victoria Map here…

Heading out around Melbourne and Victoria

Our first program of events for 2019 included six sessions held in different locations around metropolitan Melbourne. These have been a huge success with events filling up quickly and getting lots of positive feedback from women who attend.

Increasing access

Many women tell us that distance is the biggest barrier to attending events. Thanks to additional funding from the Victorian Government, Counterpart has been running more events across Victoria.

Local access was very important esp. if unable to travel — I couldn’t have attended otherwise.
— Participant, lymphoedema webinar screening with Eastern Health

In the last six months, Counterpart has held health and wellbeing sessions and events in Altona, Berwick, Blackburn North, Lilydale, Mornington and Ringwood East. These have included information sessions on clinical topics and creative or wellbeing activities such as yoga.

More women have taken part in our webinars, watching a presentation and having the opportunity to ask questions of the presenter over the internet. This is another way more women are connecting with our service from all over Victoria.

Increasing connection

In partnership with local regional health services, Counterpart webinars have been screened in regional and outer-metro locations. Webinar screenings have taken place in Ballarat, Bendigo, Blackburn North, Geelong, Maroondah, Shepparton and Warrnambool.

These events allow women to participate in the webinar, but also connect with other women from their local area. For many attendees this was as valuable as hearing the presenter’s talk.

In the future

In the May to August 2019 What’s On program, Counterpart is organising even more outreach activities.

We are also encouraging health professionals to get in touch with us to find out how they can host a webinar screening in their area.

Support over the holidays

While Counterpart celebrated our 15th birthday in 2018, we were also busy continuing to connect, support and inform women with breast or a gynaecological cancer to live well. We close over the holiday season to give our Peer Support Volunteers a break from their important work and an opportunity to recharge.

The Counterpart Resource Centre will reopen on Monday 14 January 2019.

If you need to talk to someone, Counterpart Peer Support Volunteers will provide limited phone support between Monday 17 December to Thursday 20 December and between Wednesday 2 January and Thursday 10 January. Counterpart staff will also respond to calls and emails over that time.

You can also ring the Cancer Council’s Helpline on 13 11 20 if you want to talk to someone over the Christmas/New Year period. The helpline operates over the entire period, except public holidays.

Our next What’s On and Making Connections programs will be available in mid-January 2019.

Year in Review available now

In 2017-18, we expanded our reach to more women affected by breast or a gynaecological cancer across Victoria. Our Counterpart Year in Review 2017–18 shows the many ways we have supported women to live well after a cancer diagnosis. Our Year in Review also includes stories from some of the women who use our service, women who volunteer and health professionals.

In 2018, our service is celebrating 15 years of connecting, supporting and informing women with cancer. We have expanded the Year in Review to commemorate our 15th birthday. The publication shares photos and highlights from our history as BreaCan and then Counterpart.

Please click below to read online or download the PDF from our Publications page.

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New What’s On out now

Our final What’s On program for 2018 is out now.

As always, we have included a range of informative, creative and wellbeing-related sessions. If you have experienced breast or a gynaecological cancer, we hope you will find something of interest.

This program includes three webinars so you can participate online, even if you can’t travel into the city.

Have a look and see what is on offer, and please book in early!

[email protected]