Hayley Russell

Hayley Russell is a passionate and committed clinician and researcher, working largely in areas which have traditionally held a level of stigma including death and dying and grief and loss. Over the last ten years her career has involved highly specialised clinical work alongside research collaborations which truly make a difference in the lives of bereaved and cancer impacted Australians. Hayley currently holds the senior position of Bereavement Family Support Worker- Specialist Support with Eastern Palliative Care, the largest community palliative care provider in Victoria and a role as Senior Research Manager with Ovarian Cancer Australia. She is also a member of the team at Monash University conducting research into the impact of Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) legislation. Hayley completed a Master of Social Science (Human Services; Counselling) with Swinburne University and chose to further specialise by undertaking a volunteer role with St Joseph’s Hospice, London and obtaining a Graduate Certificate in Bereavement Intervention at the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement.

Hayley holds clinical membership with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and has presented research at several Australian conferences as well chairing a symposium and presenting data at the International Psycho-Oncology Symposium Conference on multiple occasions. Hayley has co-authored papers published in journals including Psycho-Oncology, Frontiers in Psychology, Supportive Care in Cancer and the European Journal of Cancer Care. 

Her experiences of working with families grieving the death of a family member after VAD have highlighted for her the need for, and importance of, future research to provide the best possible evidence-based support. Inspired by the experiences of her clients, she is determined to increase knowledge in this area and translate these learnings into real, tangible support services as well as education for the health professionals who care for these families.