Clinical Psychologist at Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC) talks to us about her work.
Q: Tell us about your career so far?
A: I qualified as a clinical psychologist from the University of Surrey in 2010. Upon qualification, I initially worked in London, but moved to Northern Ireland at the end of 2011 to begin working at RBHSC.
Q: Tell us about your role in supporting children and their families affected by childhood cancer?
A: My role is incredibly varied, which is one of the reasons why I love my job. Day to day, my time is split between supporting inpatients and their families on the ward, and seeing patients in my outpatient clinic. Clinical psychologists use their knowledge of behaviour and feelings to try and understand any problems that children and their families may be having. We listen to concerns and then, along with the medical team, try to find a helpful way forward together.
During treatment for cancer, this work might include adjusting to a diagnosis, supporting procedures and/or difficult aspects of treatment, developing coping strategies to manage pain/symptoms of treatment, supporting uncertainty and difficult decisions that need to be made, juggling cancer and everyday life, carrying out neuropsychological assessments, and helping support families whose child is at the end of life.
In addition to the therapeutic work, I’m also involved in training and teaching other professional groups, offering staff support and being involved in service development initiatives, research and audits. There are so many rewarding prospects in paediatric and adolescent cancer care for clinical psychologists.
Q: Did you always want to be involved in childhood cancer care?
A: I knew during my doctorate training that I wanted to end up working in paediatrics, but it wasn’t until my first post at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), where I was working in the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit, that my passion for this patient group began. I realised then that this was an area of work that I loved.
Q: What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?
A: Too many things! Having the privilege to get to know and work alongside families during one of the most challenging times of their lives, has to be one of the most rewarding parts of my job. It never ceases to amaze me how children, young people and their families cope and manage with cancer treatment, and to be invited to support them during this journey is an honour. Working alongside amazing colleagues, who are equally as committed and passionate, is also incredibly rewarding. There’s no price you can put on feeling valued in work.
Q: What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
A: I can think of many moments where I’ve felt proud of the work I’ve done, and proud of the teams I belong to. But creating systemic change, whereby families directly benefit from something I have supported and/or stood up for, gives me the most pride and job satisfaction.
Q: Do you have any advice for families affected by childhood cancer to help with their wellbeing?
A: Try and be kind to yourselves and remember how amazing you are. You can only do so much. Whenever you can, breathe in fresh air and nourish your bodies with some gentle movement and rest. Learn how to find joy in the simple things in life that matter to you, whether this is the smell of coffee, the beauty of cherry blossom, or the sound of the sea (even if it’s only on an app!).
From Contact magazine issue 95 - Summer 2022
