Our Counsellors

A cancer diagnosis can be very hard to hear and even harder to cope with.

Our Counsellors at ESCA CancerSupport offer personalised, targeted interventions to address these symptoms that may enhance coping skills, help set goals and strengthen the capacity to process thoughts, emotions and behaviors at all phases of the cancer journey.

Christian Holyoak

Counselling & Support Services Manager Lead Counsellor

Christian is the Counselling and Support Services Manager at ESCA CancerSupport and oversees all client support services.  Along with his own personal and family experience with cancer, Christian is an experienced clinical and counselling psychologist having qualified in Australia.  He has worked in various contexts in Australia, Israel and now in Switzerland where he is a registered psychologist.

Christian provides assessment and treatment for children, adolescents, adults and couples presenting with a wide range of emotional and interpersonal issues.  This includes having a special interest working with trauma and with infants/young children and their parents.

Christian is skilled in using a number of evidence-based psychological treatment approaches including psychodynamic, attachment, cognitive behaviour therapy and interpersonal process psychotherapy. He is a member of Fédération Suisse des Psychologues (FSP).  

Antonia

Support Services Coordinator

Antonia serves as first contact for those seeking support. She has a Master of Science degree in Organizational Behaviour from Birkbeck College, University of London and a Master of Arts degree in Counselling. Prior to moving to Geneva, Antonia worked in London and New York where she spent many years volunteering with children with special needs, as well as with the elderly.

In 2014 she became involved with ESCA CancerSupport, firstly as a volunteer and peer supporter, before joining the counselling team in 2016.

She is a member of the Swiss Association for Counselling (SGfB), the American Psychological Association (APA) and is a registered member MBACP of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Raynelle

Counsellor

At ESCA CancerSupport, Raynelle provides individual and group therapy consultations to clients and family members. Along with her personal experience with cancer, she has a master’s degree in counselling, certification in the treatment of developmental trauma, and training in Applied Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to provide individual and group counselling.

She has interned and counselled at Associazione Tumori Toscana (ATT), a hospice association, and currently trains and supervises the ESCA CS peer support team. She is a member of the Swiss Association for Counselling (SGfB), and the American Psychological Association.

Patricia

Counsellor

Tricia is an integrative counsellor who works with adults and adolescents to help them make sense of their situation and address the challenges they are facing.  She also gives workshops and helps facilitate support groups. An ESCA CancerSupport peer supporter since 2011, Tricia has first-hand experience of cancer in her family as well as undergoing treatment for skin cancer in 2014.  Tricia joined the counselling team in 2016.

She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology, a master’s degree in counselling, and is trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer.  She is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and the Swiss Association for Counselling (SGfB).

Carey

Counsellor

Carey has a private practice in Lausanne and, through ESCA CS, provides counseling to adults diagnosed with cancer and their family members in the Canton Vaud. Carey has a Master’s degree in counseling from the U.S. and is trained in grief counseling and cognitive behavioral therapies such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT),  acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and compassion focussed therapy (CFT).

Prior to joining the ESCA CancerSupport team, Carey worked in private practice in Dubai and ran the Raymee Grief Center. Carey is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS). 

Christina

Counsellor

Christina is a Counsellor and a Therapeutic Play Practitioner for ESCA CancerSupport. She helps support children and adults face the challenges of life with cancer. She qualified as a Forensic Psychologist in the UK where she lived and worked in a variety of difficult and challenging settings both in the public and charitable sectors.

Along with her personal and family experience with cancer, Christina also has a master’s degree in Counselling, a PGDip in Therapeutic Play Skills from Play Therapy UK, Advanced Level in Somatic Experiencing and is a registered member of the Swiss Association for Counselling (SGfB), BPS, BACP and PTI.

Rosemarie

Counsellor | Playtherapist

Rosemarie is an Accredited Playtherapist and Grief Counsellor.  She supports children and young people face the challenges of life in Cantons Vaud and Geneva.  Rosemarie comes to the work with children and young people having experienced cancer within her own family.  She works to create a safe space for young people to fully express themselves and to connect to the resources they need to cope and manage their lives.  She uses play and creative arts as these are powerful mediums that allow this process to occur.

Rosemarie has experience in various settings: with hospitalised children and their families, unaccompanied minors and kids in foster care, children and teens experiencing grief owing to family illnesses or parental separation.

She holds qualifications in Play Therapy and in Grief Counselling, a Diploma in Relaxation for children and teenagers, a Masters degree in Education and a Diploma in Theology.   

Milena

Counsellor

Milena supports clients and their families impacted by cancer in her private practice in Lausanne.  She holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Boston College and completed post-doctoral training in health psychology/behavioral medicine. Prior to moving to Switzerland, she primarily worked in hospital settings with clients facing a variety of medical, emotional, and mental health challenges.

She aims to help her clients feel empowered and to maintain the best quality of life during difficult times. Her theoretical orientation is integrative, and mind-body centered. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP).

Luana

Coach | Work & Cancer

My name is Luana Eckhardt. I am a certified coach and an HR professional with more than 14 years of experience. I have lived firsthand with what it means to face and fight cancer, and how to live through this transition and find my way back to a professional life and successful career.

I am looking forward to meeting you as a coach and mentor; to accompany you and help you find your answers and share my HR experience whenever the time is right for you.