Counselling and Individual Support

Counsellors are specially trained to understand the unique challenges cancer brings. They offer confidential, free support to help you manage the emotional, social, and practical impacts of cancer. This can include developing coping strategies, navigating school or work, and managing changes in relationships.

Sessions are delivered either online or face‑to‑face. Support is available no matter where you live, and you can choose the format that feels most comfortable for you.

Canteen’s counselling services are completely free and available to young people impacted by cancer – whether you’re dealing with your own diagnosis, a family member’s diagnosis, or grief after a loss. Counselling is tailored to your individual situation and needs.

Through Cancer Hub. Free professional counselling is available for every member of a family impacted by cancer, with separate pathways by age and audience.

For young people aged 12 to 25 with cancer or impacted by a family member’s cancer, Counselling and Individual Support (Canteen) is the dedicated pathway, with sessions in person, by phone, or online. For children aged 5 to 17, Children’s Counselling (Redkite) is the option. For parents and carers, including parents with cancer themselves and parents of a child or young person with cancer, parents counselling through Cancer Hub is available, alongside Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite) for peer and expert support. After the death of a family member, Grief and Bereavement Support takes over.

You do not have to work out which counsellor to see or how to refer yourself. The Cancer Hub intake team identifies the right service for your situation and books the sessions.

Call 1800 431 312, or talk to someone on our team.

Cancer Hub’s intake team handles this. Call 1800 431 312 and tell them where you are based and what your situation is. They will identify the right counselling pathway for you and book the sessions, including arranging the format (in person, by phone or online) that suits your circumstances.

The counselling services available through Cancer Hub are:

• Counselling and Individual Support (Canteen, 12 to 25),
• Children’s Counselling (Redkite, 5 to 17), parents counselling through Cancer Hub (for parents and carers)
• Grief and Bereavement Support (after a death in the family).

All are free. Most can be delivered remotely if you are not near a Canteen, Camp Quality or Redkite service site, which means location is rarely a barrier to getting connected.

When you are dealing with cancer or supporting a family member through it, finding the right counsellor is one of those tasks that gets put off because it feels too hard. Letting the intake team do it removes the friction.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our support page to see how you can get in touch.