This service exists to offer non-judgemental understanding and empathy, in a safe and confidential environment, supporting individuals coping with life-changing situations.

Aims of the service

The Counselling Service aims to support individuals with a life limiting illness and / or families of individuals with a life limiting illness through the provision of high-quality counselling. The service is tailored to individual needs and aims to empower individuals and / or their carers by addressing their emotional, physical, psychological social and spiritual needs.

Who are we?

The Counselling and Bereavement Service is co-ordinated by a lead counsellor, working alongside other qualified counsellors, and a bank of qualified volunteer counsellors. In addition, the team supports counselling students.

What is counselling?

Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting. This could be to explore a difficulty the client is having, a distress they may be experiencing, or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of sense of direction and purpose.

Counselling is a way of enabling choice or change, or of reducing confusion. It does not involve giving advice or directing a client to take a particular course of action. Counsellors do not judge or exploit their clients in any way.

Bottled up feelings such as anger, anxiety, grief and embarrassment can become very intense, and counselling offers an opportunity to explore them with the possibility of making them easier to understand.

What does bereavement counselling involve?

The loss of a significant person causes a broad range of reactions which is normal. Some people are able to cope with these reactions and work through their grief. Some people however, find that they have trouble dealing with their feelings and loss and this can get in the way of them moving forward with their own lives.

Counselling can help a person to deal effectively with grief by considering thoughts, feelings and behaviours that are new, and / or may be difficult to cope with.

There is no set rule when bereavement counselling can begin. In some situations, the counsellor is asked to make contact with the family members prior to the death, or contact them briefly at the time of the loss, and offer them extended contact a week or so after the funeral service. In some instances the introduction to bereavement counselling may begin some time after the event.

Who is counselling available to?

The counselling service is confidential and is offered to clients over the age of eighteen who are:

  • Patients with cancer or a life limiting condition.
  • Carers, family members, friends, and children of individuals with cancer or a life limiting condition.

The service offers a range of counselling including, bereavement counselling, one to one counselling, family counselling and couple counselling as appropriate.

The service offers flexibility to individuals providing a choice of face to face, telephone or virtual appointments.

Where are we based?

The service is based at:

How to get here

By bus

There are frequent buses from the Frenchgate Interchange, Doncaster town centre to Weston Road, Balby. Call Traveline on 0871 200 2233 or go to http://traveline.info/ or for First Mainline buses go to www.firstgroup.com

By car

From Weston Road, turn into the main entrance for Tickhill Road Hospital. Continue up the main drive and take the first right turn and then the second right into the centre’s free car park.

Who can refer?

Individuals can refer directly into the service by contacting the number above or by emailing. We also accept referrals from health and social care professionals.

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