Relationship workshops launched for ‘life after the Big C’ by Maggie’s Centre
Two thirds of people living with cancer believe that their diagnosis and subsequent treatment has had a significant impact on their intimate relationships, according to Maggie’s cancer charity.
This month, Scottish cancer charity Maggie’s launched a series of new practical workshops designed to address the impact of cancer on relationships, including the relationship we have with ourselves and our bodies.
From navigating new relationships, to intimacy with a partner and uncertainty at work, Margaret Campbell, 62, from Coatbridge credits Maggie’s for helping her to accept cancer and realise “there is life after the big ‘C’.”
Margaret says: “Maggie’s helped me figure out my life as ‘the new me’ every step of the way.
“Before going to Maggie’s, I would never have wanted to walk in public with a stick but Maggie’s helped me to accept that that was okay.
“After my treatment, I believed I would just go back to work and life would carry on. Maggie’s helped me to realise that wasn’t going to be the case and I wouldn’t be able to work.
“The staff helped guide me through employment support as I’d stopped working suddenly.
“They helped me to put coping strategies in place to accept that my life had changed and helped me talk with my family about it.”
Clinical psychologist and centre head of Maggie’s Lanarkshire, Lorrie Forsyth, says the new workshops have been carefully designed to reflect the issues that her staff hear from centre visitors every day.
She says: “Our relationships workshops are an incredibly important addition to our core evidence-based programme of support.
“Relationships play such an important role in our lives and all relationships – be it with your children, a significant other or with yourself – are hugely impacted by a cancer diagnosis, so being able to access substantial psychological support through Maggie’s to navigate the issues that arise makes a tremendous difference to those trying to live as best a life as they can with cancer.”
These 5 stand-alone workshops are to be rolled out across the 8 Maggie’s centres in Scotland, as well as the 14 others world-wide and have been funded by donations from the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Laura Chow, head of charities at the People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Helping people living with cancer to nurture their closest relationships through workshops is a great initiative and the more people who can benefit from the expertise of the team at Maggie’s centres, the better.”
If you would like to speak to someone at Maggie’s you can visit your local Centre, which offers both drop-in and booked appointments.
You can also visit www.maggiescentres.org for more information about the new workshops, specifically.
By Katy Johnston
