News

Palliative care volunteers often find themselves in emotionally charged situations, supporting clients facing profound challenges. To equip these volunteers, the PCNSW Volunteer Services Support Program organised an Accidental Counsellor Training session. The training aimed to enhance volunteers’ confidence in navigating these complex emotional landscapes.

The training took place on Thursday 20 February 2025, at training rooms kindly donated by Hammond Care at their head office in St Leonards.

The session, facilitated by counsellor and psychotherapist Mirna Tarabay, focused on essential topics such as effective communication, boundary setting, and self-care – all crucial for providing compassionate support to clients and their carers during this delicate time.

The training was a resounding success, with 18 participants in attendance from various palliative care volunteer services in northern Sydney including the The Manly Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice (AYAH) and Hammond Care services at Greenwich and Neringah Hospitals, the northern beaches, and community visiting.

Our next Accidental Counsellor training session will be held in Gosford on 1 May. Registrations open soon.

If you wish to be kept up to date with all the training, workshops, and events on offer by the VSSP, please click HERE and subscribe to our newsletter.