Coppull woman diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer sets up women only support group in her home

Psychotherapist Jacci Jones, 56, from Spendmore Lane was diagnosed last year and, after joining a support network to help her cope with the shock news, she wanted to help other women who may be at a loss as to where to turn. The first support group will be held next Wednesday, February 8, for 10 ladies from 7pm until 9pm, which she hopes to expand on if it goes well. The group will be centred around mental health covering every aspect whether it be anxiety, stress or depression-related. She is trained in transactional analysis - a method where social interactions are used to determine the ego state of the person and deals with client issues like anxiety, depression, overthinking, stress and relationship troubles.

She said: "The support groups aren’t therapy, but the support is based on therapeutic principles. We’re all unique, and what works for one won’t necessarily work for everyone, so it’s often about being curious and sharing thoughts and experiences. Knowing what we want to change is usually the first step and then we can work towards that. Often people say they want to be happy but what does being happy look like to them? The group is a way of me paying forward. Whenever I was going through my cancer diagnosis I went to a support group that really helped me. It's surprising how much you get from being around people going through similar issues and problems. Mental health issues such as anxiety is something that a lot of us are dealing with lately. It’s been a pretty tough few years for a lot of people.

"Being part of a support group can be a great way to connect with other people who are dealing with similar issues or challenges. When someone else ‘just gets’ how you feel it can be really comforting."

Before training to be a psychotherapist, Jacci was a foster carer - a path which lead to where she is today as she "wanted to help the kids more than just taking care of them physically". When she qualified in 2016 she began working from home and started an online 'Membership’ for women during Covid which is still running today.

She added: "One of the things I’m seeing a lot of lately is anxiety and low self-esteem. A lot of us prioritise everyone else before ourselves and then wonder why we get overwhelmed or anxious. We worry a lot about what other people think of us and get so caught up in trying to please other people that we lose sight of what we actually want. I’ve had periods of anxiety, I suffered from postnatal depression with all three of my kids and it really knocked my self confidence for quite a few years so providing a place for women to come together and support each other is really important to me. I really do think we are. stronger together."

She also has a Facebook page @sortyourshizzleout where she goes live every week offering confidence boosters.For more information on the meetings which are £10 per session, CLICK HERE.

You can also email [email protected].