Workshop May 2025

A day of insight, compassion and connection

In May, the Advanced Breast Cancer Group held the first of our two annual workshops for women in the group and their families.

These in-person days are a rare opportunity for women living with metastatic breast cancer — and their loved ones — to come together, meet face to face, and spend time together.

The day also included sessions from expert health professionals who shared insights, answered questions, and offered support on some of the most important (and often misunderstood) aspects of living with MBC.

A beautiful new setting: voco® Brisbane City Centre

This year, we were grateful to hold the workshop at voco® Brisbane City Centre, who generously donated the event space.

It was a calm, comfortable and welcoming environment — perfect for the kinds of honest conversations and quiet moments of connection that happen when this group comes together. We’re incredibly thankful to the voco team for their warmth, generosity, and thoughtfulness throughout the day.

What palliative care really means — with Danielle Roach

One of the day’s most valuable sessions came from Danielle Roach, Nurse Practitioner in Palliative Care at the Mater Cancer Care Centre.

Danielle offered a clear, compassionate explanation of what palliative care is — and what it isn’t. She helped demystify a topic that many people feel unsure or even fearful about, explaining how palliative care can support women with MBC through:

• Managing complex symptoms and side effects
• Balancing medications for quality of life
• Personalised pain management strategies
• Ongoing support, including remote care options

Her message was simple but powerful: palliative care isn’t just for end of life — it’s about improving life, right now.

Coping with cancer as trauma — with Dr Carly Cameron & Dr Keely Gordon-King

Psychologists Dr Carly Cameron and Dr Keely Gordon-King led a deeply moving session on how cancer can be experienced as trauma.
They spoke about how it can affect a person’s sense of self, their confidence and control — and how revisiting treatment settings can act as triggers. They also offered gentle, practical tools to help calm the nervous system, including:

• The butterfly hug — a simple, self-soothing technique
• A grounding question: “Is this helping me, or is it harming me?”

It was a session that brought reassurance, understanding, and the reminder that even small techniques can offer moments of steadiness and safety.

Thank you to everyone who joined us

We’re so grateful to the women and families who attended this year’s first workshop — and to Danielle, Carly and Keely for offering their time, care and expertise.

These workshops remind us how powerful it is to come together in person — to share stories, ask questions, and simply sit beside others who understand.

We’ll be holding our second workshop later this year, in October — and we look forward to sharing another meaningful day with the ABCG community.

To learn more about the ABCG workshops, visit: https://www.abcg.org.au/the-group/workshops/