Facilitator

I was invited to join the CLSW team in 2024 and feel grateful for the opportunity to be part of these wonderful retreats. I am a counsellor and psychotherapist, living and working in West Cornwall. I am also a parent carer for my son who has autism and complex needs. I became interested in working with those affected by cancer after my mother was offered support by a charity in Weymouth, when diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2012. Realising there was a lack of similar support in West Cornwall, Kay Parkinson (also a CLSW facilitator) and I set up a cancer support group in Penzance. In order to increase my knowledge and experience, I trained as a Living Well facilitator, offering retreats at the Penny Brohn Centre in Bristol. I went on to run a Breast Cancer Now secondary breast cancer group, in Truro, Cornwall.
What I love most, is offering a space in which people feel cared for and supported as they navigate the changes that inevitably come with a cancer diagnosis. With the Time to Retune retreats, this might include physical comforts, such as keeping the wood burners fired up, or serving nourishing, home-cooked food. I also enjoy offering activities which may be supportive, such as creative or relaxation sessions, or a space in which participants can share their experiences. As a carer myself, involved with other carers, I know how important it is to offer these resources to those supporting loved ones with cancer too, as they also need and deserve support.