Two new therapists specialising in Children and Young People’s Therapy have been appointed by CancerCare in Barrow and Furness.
The children’s therapists will help to meet increasing demand for the service across the Furness Peninsula.
Up until recently there has been one children’s therapist working at the Furness Centre at Trinity Church on Warwick Street in Barrow which is run by CancerCare North Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Due to the rapid expansion of the Furness Centre, demand for therapy sessions has been increasing and this has been especially true for the Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS).
The CYPS is for children and young people from the age of three years to 18 years of age. They may have had cancer or be coping with the fact that a family member has cancer or a life-limiting illness. The service is also for children and young people who have been bereaved for any reason.
CancerCare’s free therapy services are also available to adults who have been affected by the impact of cancer or serious illness.
Rachel Minshull, Barrow and Furness Development Officer, said: “The aim of the CYPS is to provide a confidential and safe space, allowing them the opportunity to ‘tell their story’ and express themselves.
“The therapy can take a variety of forms. We offer three main types; play therapy, art therapy and counselling.”
Play therapy involves activities such as dressing up, role play and playing with toys. This can help children to make sense of their world and move forward.
Art and creative expression involves using clay, paints or collages. This can enable the young person to explore feelings, memories and fears that they may find difficult to speak about.
Counselling can help children to realise that their feelings and ideas are, in fact, ‘normal’ and help them to enjoy life again.
Neil Townsend, Chief Executive of CancerCare, added: “We are delighted that our CYPS is now able to reach out to even more children and young people in the Barrow and Furness area.
“Child therapy is an incredibly important part of the provision that we make for people affected by cancer.
“It can help children and young people to make sense of what is happening and enable them to get back to living a happy life. It also has the knock-on benefit of helping family members as they can be confident that their child is receiving professional, free and excellent care at a difficult time.”
To find out more about CancerCare’s CYPS and other therapeutic services in Barrow and Furness, please email [email protected] or call the Furness Centre in Barrow on 01229 836926. You can also find information on CancerCare’s website at www.cancercare.org.uk/how-we-can-help