justASKus
- the Podcast:
On our “Sofa without Plusch” Astrid (founder of justASKus) and Olivia (survivor) openly discuss overlooked topics like body image, sexuality, and fertility after cancer. This is a space for your questions, no matter how uncomfortable they might be. Life is complex and unique! Let’s explore together how we can make the most of it.
The “ASK Force” digs DEEP and invites experts to join discussions on our core topics. Questions like “How can I face challenges and reclaim my life?” are addressed here, with suggestions and insights on how to navigate these situations.
You have questions or issues you would rather talk about personally or would like advice and/or testing about your fertility? Whatever your issue, we look forward to seeing you personally at our ASK Clinic. You can come to us with questions about lots of different things, it doesn’t necessarily have to be about fertility. You might have more than one topic you would like to talk about. In our first consultation, the most important thing is that we get to know each other and to answer your initial questions. Depending on what your issue is, it might be a good idea to arrange a serious of appointments but that is something that is entirely in your hands. In addition to answering questions, we also offer fertility testing and, depending on the situation, the possibility of freezing eggs or sperm. We would also be happy to carry out annual gynaecological screening if you haven’t found a gynaecologist yet. Sometimes body or sex therapy might be useful, but this depends on your questions and the strategy we discuss together. It is entirely your decision as to what you feel would help you and what would not.
We are a team of gynaecologists with sexual therapy training and a whole range of other additional qualifications, such as:
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Gynaecological endocrinology and hormone disorders
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Reproductive medicine (fertility)
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Men’s health (male fertility and hormone disorders)
- Gynaecological psychosomatics
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Adolescent gynaecology
Astrid Ahler heads up the ASK Clinic and is usually your initial contact when you come to us for the first time. However, depending on your particular concern, we might suggest another team member or we can work out together who would be the best person to accompany you. Alternatively, you can always contact one of the team members directly when you are making an appointment.
Currently, the ASK Clinic takes place in either Basel or Olten.
You can come on your own or bring your parents or partner with you, whatever suits you best. Everything we talk about in your consultation at the ASK Clinic does not “leave our four walls” and is dealt with in the strictest of confidence.
The costs for counselling and testing are covered by your basic insurance.
ASK Clinic
Workshops
Sometimes, receiving information or advice isn’t enough—you need to feel and experience things firsthand to bring about change. This is especially true when it comes to feeling comfortable in your body again and dealing with changes. Building trust is crucial, and getting to know your own body can help rebuild that trust. That’s why we want to offer workshops on various body-related topics, featuring practical exercises in small groups. Our partners include circus performers, artists, and yoga instructors who support us in this effort. Sexuality, too, is often easy to understand in theory but challenging to apply in practice—especially when fear or negative experiences put the body on high alert. It’s important to first understand yourself and how things feel before opening up to a partner. We’re planning workshops with sex therapists on various topics, including sessions for couples. We want to keep our topics as diverse as possible and welcome your suggestions and ideas. You can find an overview of our workshops in the “Current Offerings” section, which is regularly updated. Communication Workshops for Oncology Healthcare Professionals A key need for cancer patients is having someone within their care team they can turn to. In this, healthcare professionals play a central role. The intensive nature of care often fosters closer relationships and opportunities to address sensitive topics. During our lectures for oncology healthcare professionals in Switzerland, we consistently saw great interest in the topics of body image and sexuality. While the importance of these issues was frequently acknowledged, the primary challenge cited was a lack of training to discuss these topics effectively without overwhelming patients or themselves. To address this, we offer communication workshops that use practical exercises to improve conversational skills in small groups. The goal is to build confidence and create a comfortable environment for everyone involved. This isn’t about becoming a sex therapist but about being open and unafraid to discuss sensitive issues. By providing the option to refer patients with complex questions to our justASKus project, we hope to lower the barriers to addressing such topics. If you or your department are interested in these workshops, please reach out so we can discuss your needs and preferences. The workshops are customized, and we’ll set the schedule together.
Platform for your questions
You have some questions on your mind, questions that have been bothering you for some time and you have not plucked up the courage to ask them or you haven’t yet had the opportunity to do so? That’s why we’re here! There is no such thing as a stupid or weird question or one that is not worth asking! If you can’t find the answer to what you want to ask in our FAQ section or you need to pursue a matter further, then drop us a line! Depending on the topic, we’ll take a look at your question as a team and send you a response as soon as we can. Of course you are welcome to ask a specific person in the team your question directly. Just include the name of the person you want to look at your question and we will forward your mail accordingly.
As many cancer patients are worried about asking questions themselves or do not know exactly how to phrase their question, so others will also benefit from your courage. This is why we have included the possibility in the form below for you to say whether you agree to your question being published in the FAQs on our website either anonymously or using your name and age. But it’s no problem if you don’t want your question published. Whatever you decide, we would like to take this opportunity of saying thanks for your trust!