Living with Secondary Breast Cancer chat group

About the Living with Secondary Breast Cancer chat group

The chat group is a new format of online groups for people living with secondary breast cancer. By typing messages, you’ll be able chat with others in this online space without having to turn on your camera or microphone.

Whether you want to connect with others, ask questions or just share what’s on your mind, you can message in a safe, confidential online chat group with people who understand.

Each 1-hour chat group will take place at the same time every month, and it will be facilitated by a qualified counsellor.

As this is a new service, we’re planning to test it out for 6 months, from spring 2025.

Is the chat group for me?

The chat group might be for you if you:

• Would prefer not to be visible or speak out loud on camera
• Aren’t able to or don’t want to travel to an in-person service
• Want a safe, confidential space to communicate with others with a secondary breast cancer diagnosis

You can also stay anonymous if you don’t want to share your name.

You'll take part from the comfort of your own home, joining a small group of other people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.

This service is available for all ages and to anyone in the UK. You can also take part if you’re British but living or working abroad.

Why are we trying this out?

Some people have told us that it can be daunting to attend an online or in person group. We hope that by removing the need for cameras and microphones in the chat group, more people will feel comfortable trying out our services.

We also want to learn whether a chat format like this helps you to feel more confident to use our other services for people living with secondary breast cancer.

Take a look at our Living with Secondary Breast Cancer services to find out about all the options available.

When does the chat group take place?

While we test out this new service for 6 months, there will be 2 sessions per month, one during the day and one in the evening. You’re welcome to come to one or both.

The dates we plan to hold the 2 chat groups are:

• 2nd Tuesday of each month from 8pm to 9pm
• 4th Thursday of each month from 1pm to 2pm

Please note that this may change, but we’ll let you know as soon as possible if this is the case

What happens once I've registered?

Once you’ve registered to try out the chat group, a member of our team will get in touch to explain how to create an account and access the chat each month.

Do I need to come to every session during the trial period?

We hope you’ll want to join at least a few sessions during the trial period, but we understand if you can’t.

However many sessions you join, we’d love to hear your feedback on how you found them. During the trial period, we’ll send you a feedback survey and invite you to a focus group or telephone call. This will help us learn whether the service is working well and what we can do to improve it.

How many people are usually in the group?

We’ll have 5 to 10 people at each chat group. There’ll also be a qualified counsellor who’ll facilitate the session, and a Breast Cancer Now coordinator who'll help with any technical issues.

What will people talk about during the sessions?

You can expect to talk about everyday issues and the impact of living with secondary breast cancer. You’ll be able to share information and experiences with people who ‘get it’ in a way that no one, no matter how hard they try, can understand, unless they’ve lived it themselves.

Sometimes the sessions may bring up themes and feelings that you’ll find difficult. But the counsellor will be on hand to support you and the other group members.

If you don’t feel like sharing anything, there’s no pressure.

Bear in mind that the groups aren’t a group therapy session, and they don’t provide individual medical care or advice

Are the chat groups private?

Yes. You’ll be in a confidential, safe space. You’ll be able to chat online, but there’ll be no cameras or microphones. The counsellor will help to create a safe environment for group members to be as open as they want to be. And everyone is reminded to keep the discussions confidential. There's also an option for you to stay anonymous if you don’t want to share your name.

How accessible is the chat group?

You can access the chat group from your mobile phone, tablet or computer.

When you register, we’ll send you an email with details of how to access the session on our forum. A few days before each chat, we’ll email you with the link to join.

During the chat, one of our team will be there to help you.

If you need other types of assistance, please contact us at secondaryservices@breastcancernow.org or 0345 077 1893.

What do people say about the chat group?

We asked what people liked most about the chat group. Here's what they said:

Register for our chat group

If you want to connect with other people like you, or just share what's on your mind, our confidential chat group is a great place to start.