Online Therapeutic Workshops and Online Psychological Support
During the Covid 19 pandemic, Dorset County Hospital had to rapidly change the way it engaged with people for counselling, converting from the usual face to face meetings, to telephone and video call sessions.
As people became more familiar with technology, the hospital started to see the many advantages this format offered patients – not having to travel, find a parking space, be in the comfort of their own home and of course it meant for those people having to isolate due to a cancer diagnosis, they also felt safer whilst still accessing the support they needed.
The hospital was keen to see how it could expand their services and offer timely interventions to those with a cancer diagnosis, and their families and as a result Online Therapeutic Workshops and Online Psychological Support (Talking Groups) were developed.
With the support of Wessex Cancer Alliance innovation funding, Dorset County Hospital has now developed online workshops to help patients explore some of the common issues experienced with cancer – Anxiety, Sleep, Fatigue, Communications and Relationships and Cancer and Beyond.
These workshops offer information, support, coping tools but most importantly connection with other people in similar circumstances in a time when they have been socially isolated.