Our Support Team

Sakeena Mohamed Executive, Registered Nurse CanHOPE Counselling & Support

1. Why become a counsellor? If not a counsellor would you have been in any other profession?

I chose to be a counsellor because I strongly feel the importance of providing support for patients during their cancer treatment journey. Coming from a nursing background, it is important for me to see the patient keeping his or her dignity as a person while being treated, in being able to understand and make informed decisions. Being a counsellor provides me with this opportunity. If I weren’t a counsellor, I might have joined a profession that involves helping someone to improve his or her quality of life in one way or another.

2. What’s one goal you hope to achieve as a counsellor?

My goal is to empower patients and their families to cope well and make informed decisions at different phases of their lives.

3. Any interesting experiences? Or unforgettable incidences?

I was supporting a patient who was diagnosed with lymphoma. He was a pleasant man and was shaken by the fact that he was diagnosed with cancer, so I listened to him as he tried to come to terms with the reality.

Along the way, he shared about his disappointments as well as achievements in his life. I also got to know his family members, and how they were coping. There were ups and downs in the treatment journey, when they just needed someone to be there to understand what they were going through; and to give them a picture of what was ahead, so that they could do some preparation on their part to support him.

From time to time, we explored the definition of hope. One unforgettable experience for me was to see the patient being at peace with himself and achieving what he had hoped for in the remaining part of his life. I was glad that in his final moments, I was able to help in reuniting the family despite the major differences and misunderstandings they had.

4. How do you cope with the patient’s emotional state? Does it affect you as well?

The key element to counselling is to empathise with the patient. It is impossible to say that it does not affect me, but it is also about having “one foot in and one foot out” of the patient’s situation, so that I can understand what he or she is going through, yet at the same time explore possible options for the patient. With more experience, I have learnt to cope better.

5. What would you say to someone who would like to volunteer or counsel with CanHOPE?

To someone who is willing to volunteer or counsel with CanHOPE, I warmly welcome their courage and good intentions. It is the sincerity they bring along with them, that makes a positive difference in the lives of patients coping with cancer.