Get involved and help Queenslanders living with cancer by volunteering. Volunteers are the heart of our organisation. Join us to make a greater impact and connect with like-minded people.
Every contribution helps support those living with cancer. Whether a one-off donation or monthly gift, your support ensures funding stability for long-term goals and future generations.
Leave a legacy by including a gift in your Will, starting a tribute page for a loved one, or funding a research grant for early-career cancer researchers driving clinical innovations.
Organise a fundraising event in your community, either as a team or an individual. You can join one of our existing fundraising events or you might like to come up with your own way.
When organisations work together, we can have a greater impact for every Queenslander going through cancer and help amplify our message for all Australians.
However you get involved, you’re making a direct impact on the lives of Queenslanders affected by cancer. See the results of what we’ve all achieved.
Helping Queenslanders navigate the challenges of cancer with connection and care.
Facing a cancer diagnosis, undergoing treatment, or supporting a loved one through cancer can be an isolating and overwhelming experience. Our Cancer Counselling and Peer Support Programs offer essential emotional support and guidance.
This service is available Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, with some evening appointments available. Bookings are essential, and peer support is subject to volunteer availability.
Our team is here to listen and support you.
Facing a cancer diagnosis, undergoing treatment, living as a survivor, or supporting a loved one can be an isolating and overwhelming experience.
We offer a 10-session model with psychologists (using the Mental Health Care Plan) and up to four sessions with our nurse counsellors. We do not offer couples counselling, on-going counselling or family counselling.
Our Cancer Counselling service provides Queensland’s leading cancer-specific counselling to support people affected by cancer in any form. The service is staffed by nurse counsellors and registered psychologists, all of whom are trained and experienced in addressing the emotional and psychological impacts of cancer.
Appointments can be via telephone or video conferencing. In-person appointments are also available in some locations, the Cancer Counselling Service is adaptive to your needs.
You are eligible if you’re a Queenslander aged 18 or over, impacted by cancer, and you have a current Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) plus a referral letter from your GP.
You can visit your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan and referral letter. The referral letter should be addressed to Cancer Council Queensland. When you make the appointment to visit your GP, ask for a longer session.
Please email your Mental Health Care Plan and referral letter (addressed to Cancer Council Queensland) to ccsreferral@cancerqld.org.au
Then give our friendly 13 11 20 Information and Support Line team a call to complete the referral process.
Once your referral’s been assessed, you’ll be contacted so we can find a session time that works for you. We’ll arrange a cancer counselling appointment with a nurse counsellor or psychologist. The appointment will be either over the phone, face-to-face or an online appointment.
You’ll receive up to 10 sessions with a psychologist at no cost.
It is a requirement to have a Mental Health Care Plan to access our services. We do not charge a cancellation fee, and we do not charge the Medicare gap fee, keeping our services completely free to people living with cancer, as well as cancer counselling for families, friends, and carers.
A Nurse Counsellor can provide up to 4 sessions to talk through your treatment concerns in a one-on-one session. In the session, your specific worries and concerns and work together with our nurse counsellor to develop strategies that might help. These sessions are free.
If you’re experiencing distress, it’s best to bypass the guided self-help and work directly with a registered psychologist. This is often a series of one-on-one therapy sessions.
We can help with a range of cancer concerns including:
Peer support in treatment facilities, known as our Peer Support Program, connects you with a trained volunteer who has a personal experience with cancer. Based at treatment facilities across Queensland, these volunteers provide support through effective communication, setting boundaries, self-care, and understanding our available programs. Our Peer Support Program volunteers can help you by:
If you are a Queenslander aged 18 and over, and are undergoing treatment in the designated ward at a treatment facility where there is a peer support volunteer, you are eligible for the program.
If you would like to know whether a Peer Support volunteer is available in the treatment facility you or your loved one are visiting, please contact us on 13 11 20.
If you would like to become a peer support volunteer at a treatment facility, we can check with one of our partnering facilities to determine if they have any vacancies for peer support. As an example, this role involves supporting cancer patients while they are having chemotherapy or other day services.
Learn more
Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who truly understands what you are going through. Peer support over the phone, known as our Cancer Connect program, connects you, your carer, or your loved ones with a trained volunteer who has had a similar experience. These volunteers provide support over the phone and can help with:
If you’re a Queenslander aged 18 or over and impacted by cancer, you’re eligible.
Call 13 11 20 to inquire about this service. You will need to provide details such as your cancer type, age, best time to contact and the topics you wish to discuss so we can match you with the most suitable volunteer.
You will receive an email from us within the next 2 weeks after your call confirming a volunteer match. This email will provide the volunteers information.
Volunteers provide up to six phone calls at mutually agreeable times.
Volunteers do not give medical advice or provide professional counselling. Cancer Connect support is subject to volunteer availability.
The information available on this page should not be used as a substitute for advice from a properly qualified medical professional who can advise you about your own individual medical needs. It is not intended to constitute medical advice and is provided for general information purposes only. See our disclaimer.
