Psychological support

Take care of all respective who are going through the process of a child with cancer.

The care of these families begins from the moment they know the first diagnosis, continues throughout the whole treatment process and during the finalization of treatment and relapses if any.

 

We consider it very important to support these families in the management of emotions such as anxiety, anguish, anger, sadness, fear, joy, euphoria… which can manifest throughout the process.

During this period people can suffer from imbalances at different levels, in their interpersonal relationships, with their partners and in their return to the world of work. In order to tackle these problems, we provide services both on the 4th floor of the Materno Infantil and at our Foundation’s headquarters to attend to any need or problem that may arise, whether it be individual, couple or group therapy.

The care provided contributes significantly to improving the quality of life, of the sick and their families.

Individual psychological support

 

We have a psychological care service for children and their families during the whole process of the sickness, and after its end. Our top priority is to reduce the negative psychological impact and contribute to the well-being of the family at such a delicate time. In this respect, the work in this area is mainly focused on:

– Offering emotional accompaniment and personalised care support.

– Providing information and advice on psycho-emotional aspects.

– Preventing psychosocial maladjustment of the child and his/her family.

– Psychological support for coping with grief.

– Encouraging and strengthening a positive attitude..

– Encouraging adequate coping throughout the process.

– To facilitate readjustment to daily life after the illness.

– To facilitate adaptation to the illness and the period of hospitalisation/treatment.

Psycho-educational guide

 

With our Psychoeducational Guide for families of children with cancer, we want to help in moments as hard as a child’s sickness. A difficult and unknown process for the majority that undoubtedly affects the whole family.

In this guide, you will find basic information about emotional aspects that can help when facing this difficult situation for both the family and the patients themselves. The fact that it is brief and practical makes it easier to use, as in the first moments the impact of the diagnosis and the complexity of the medical information often leads to confusion. Nevertheless, the family can ask our psychologist for any additional advice or information.

Musical workshops

 

Our musical workshops in the hospital aim to improve the quality of life of the children during their treatment (chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy…), improving their tolerance of the treatment as it helps them to deal positively with their hospital stay and adapt to their new life circumstances.

Through the musical interpretation in each session, the child is able to connect with his/her vital and infantile aspect characteristic of his/her age and thus “counteract” the disease.

Decrease anxiety, stress and distress, maintaining a state of calm and relaxation during the sessions, which could be extrapolated to other areas of daily life.

Decrease muscular pressure, learning to relax.

To reduce blockage, facilitating emotional expression.

Reduce negative thoughts and excessive concern about the future, increasing the ability to focus attention and concentration on the proposed activities, so that they serve as a distraction.

Decrease sadness and depressed mood.

To reduce physical and emotional fatigue, increasing physical and mental resistance.

To increase the motivation for leisure activities: singing, playing, moving, communicating… being able to get excited about these activities and enjoy them.

To increase personal safety and self-esteem, as well as to increase creativity and feelings of personal self-fulfilment.

To increase the ability to interact with the group, as a form of mutual emotional support, with each person finding their place in the group.

Support groups

 

In support groups, people who are experiencing similar situations in life come together to share their experiences. The people involved benefit from the support of the various members, the opportunity to express their thoughts and the exchange of ideas to address the issues raised.

At the Fundación Olivares, we have a support group for grieving parents, which, coordinated by a psychologist, meets regularly at our headquarters.

Virtual Reality

 

One of the latest tools we have incorporated are virtual reality glasses, a new way of working with the senses and the imagination. With the virtual glasses a new world of possibilities is opened through which any child (hospitalised or in consultation) can approach life experiences that in a real way are not possible to realise.

They are very useful for developing positive coping strategies: relaxation, cognitive distraction, reduction of pain perception, etc. These therapeutic experiences can be applied to both children and adults.

The timetable of the Headquarters:

 

Mornings:

Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 1.00pm

Afternoon:

Form Monday to Friday from 5.00pm to 8.00pm

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