There are a wide variety of roles within Tenovus Cancer Care, from nursing to fundraising, retail to campaigning. Today, we step into the life of one of our Counsellors, Sam Punn.
My day starts with commute up the stairs to my private home office, ready for our daily team check in at 9.00am. There are six of us within the team and we all work remotely. Working this way means that Tenovus Cancer Care can employ the best counsellors, without being restricted by proximity to our office in Cardiff.
Our daily check in is a chance to say hello - the equivalent of the office ‘waiting for the kettle to boil’ morning chat. We share our schedules for the day and by 9.15 we’re ready to go.
At 9.30am, I’m ready for my first client. Sessions last an hour, but I always need time before and after a session, to read notes and remind myself of the last session and then to write up notes and reflect on what was discussed. There’s a lot of sitting down and big emotions involved in this role and physical movement (even if it’s only running up and down the stairs a couple of times) is one way I process the emotions I’ve been holding. It’s an important aspect of my self-care.
By 11.00am, it’s time for my second client of the day, this time by phone. We usually see our clients over a video call, but sometimes people aren’t confident with technology or might not have a good enough connection so then we can work by phone instead. Some of my clients live in remote areas and feel quite isolated, so I often mention our Sing with Us Choirs, of which we have 16 across Wales. I gain consent and share their details with our administrative team who arranges for a colleague from the Sing with Us team to call them.
At around 12:30pm, I’m ready for lunch and a walk. Unless it’s particularly wet outside I always ensure I leave my office and get out for a good walk around my neighbourhood. Fresh air, nature and listening to some music enables me to come back refreshed and ready for the afternoon.
I’m back at my desk by 1:30pm and its time for my supervision meeting. As therapists, we are required by our professional body to have monthly supervision with another qualified and experienced therapist. This can be very emotional work and this time is hugely important for me, so that I can discuss how the work is impacting on me and talk it through with someone, confidentially. Unlike other jobs, we can’t offload about our day’s work onto our family members or loved ones so it’s crucial to have these supervision sessions. It also helps ensure I’m working safely and ethically with my clients.
I talk to my last client of the day at 3.30pm but sometimes things don’t go as planned as they can feel too unwell after a chemotherapy session earlier that week. The impacts of treatment can affect people’s ability to come to sessions, so we try and accommodate this where possible.
On occasions like this, I use the time to catch up and respond to emails from colleagues, contacting a new referral for their assessment call and writing up some evaluation on our groupwork project.
At 4.45pm, I have a quick chat with colleagues, sharing any feelings from our day before logging off.
If you ever need to support, please call our free support line on 0808 808 1010 or visit our Support and Information pages here.
