Embedded Files
Contact me today with any questions or to schedule your session!
Cancer. The journey no one plans for.....
From diagnosis to treatment, cancer patients face a rollercoaster of emotions, physical challenges, and countless questions.Hypnotherapy can help patients in many ways:
Hypno Oncology is not about ridding someone of cancer.
- Managing symptoms
- Reducing stress
- Helping patients feel more in control.
Hypno Oncology is not about ridding someone of cancer.
It is about healing the physical, mental and emotional pain and trauma that results from cancer and cancer treatment.
Physical Benefits
Physical Benefits
Decrease in Severity of Symptoms
Decrease in Severity of Symptoms
- Nausea and vomiting
- Hot flashes
- Fatigue and skin toxicity
- A decrease in the after-effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments ("Chemo Brain")
Pain Management
Pain Management
Hypnosis is often cited as the most common non-pharmacological way to control pain. Studies have shown that hypnosis can help reduce chronic and procedural pain in cancer patients.
Improved Sleep
Improved Sleep
As cancer challenges the body, sleep becomes vital. many patients struggle with sleep disturbances. Hypnosis has shown promise in improving sleep quality, ensuring patients get the rest they need.
Postsurgical pain
Postsurgical pain
Studies, like one published in the “Journal of the National Cancer Institute,” highlight the potential of hypnosis in improving post-surgical outcomes, including reduced pain, nausea, emotional distress and a speedier recovery.Clients who undergo hypnosis before surgery or before chemotherapy or radiation therapy generally heal faster, experience less pain and therefore need less pain medication, and are less anxious about their situation.
Maintaining & Increasing Appetite
Maintaining & Increasing Appetite
Maintaining weight is important during cancer treatment. Hypnosis can support healthy food choices as well improve taste and smell of food and overcome food aversions.
Mental and Emotional Benefits
Mental and Emotional Benefits
Acceptance
Acceptance
Numerous individuals take pride in their self-reliance. They may find it unfamiliar or uneasy to receive assistance, which can be particularly difficult for men. Hypnosis can aid in shifting one’s mindset to be more open to accepting help and offering support to others.
Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety and Stress
Cancer can take an emotional toll on an individual resulting in heightened anxiety.Hypnotherapy cam improve the mental state where the individual can experience less stress, less anxiety, and the feeling of a greater control and acceptance of the situation.Hypnotherapy can uplift mood, help individuals find inner calm, and enhance overall life quality.
Preparation for upcoming medical treatments and surgery
Preparation for upcoming medical treatments and surgery
Patients about to begin chemotherapy or radiation therapy may find that hypnotherapy can drastically reduce or eliminate the side effects of these treatments such as nausea, tiredness, etc.
Care for immediate family & caregivers
Care for immediate family & caregivers
Cancer affects the entire family and can create dramatic strains on relationships with family, friends, and at work. Hypnosis can help the person with cancer and their parteners and immediate family navigate through relationship challenges.
Establishing a new lifestyle
Establishing a new lifestyle
After cancer, people begin a new chapter in their lives, one that can bring hope and happiness, but also worries and fear that the cancer may come back. Living with the uncertainty can be terrifying. For many, cancer is financially devastating and they now have to live with the ramifications of exorbitant medical bills.
Sexuality
Sexuality
Women often struggle with issues related to body image, including concerns about scars, mastectomy, and their own desirability. Individuals battling gynecological cancers, there may be a loss or alteration of sexual function.In both men and women, reduced libido and fatigue can also lead to a perceived loss of desirability. Hypnosis can prove to be a valuable and effective resource in addressing these challenges.
End of Life
End of Life
Medical hypnosis can be employed in the palliative care for people at the end of life, not only for pain and suffering relief, but also to relief psychological and spiritual suffering. Medical end-of-life decisions are often the most challenging for terminally ill people and those who care about them and hypnosis can help to create the best possible choices for them
What Happens in a session?
What Happens in a session?
During hypnotherapy, the client enters a deep trance, specific suggestions are then carefully placed. These suggestions will be tailored to the client's needs.
Studies completed have reported patients stating they feel more comfortable and in control of their situation, and also experienced significant improvement with coping with symptoms and treatment.
Clients are often given instructions on using guided imagery to visualize their immune system working with their treatment to defeat the disease and eliminate toxins from their body.
A review of studies was conducted on the use of hypnotic techniques for pain management:
- 75% of the participants in the studies reported less pain compared with the control groups.
- Participants experienced less anxiety, less pain, less blood loss, and lesspostoperative nausea and vomiting.
- An individual's reactions to stress and other emotional factors can contribute to the onset and progress of cancer -- and how positive expectations, self-awareness, and self-care can contribute to survival.
Getting Well Again written by O. Carl Simonton, M.D., Stephanie Matthews-Simonton and James L. Creighton Ph.D. details what may have been the first end-stage cancer treatment research that included hypnotherapy.
"On top of being proven effective for symptom management (Liossi, 2006), the beauty of hypnosis is that it can be readily adapted to the needs of the patient, can be used to address physiological as well as psychosocial issues, and is extremely well-tolerated."
Award-winning psychological researcher, educator, and author.
Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology (2009), Certificate in Clinical Hypnosis (2009), and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (2013) from the top-rated, APA accredited program at Adler University in Chicago
Highly specialized training and more than 10 years of direct clinical experience:
Conducting diagnostic evaluations
Providing psychotherapy — primarily to survivors of childhood abuse or neglect, as well as combat veterans and victims of sexual assault
Helping medical patients with chronic pain, IBS, metabolic disorders, and obesity
Expert in hypnosis — I’ve given invited lectures to major scientific and professional societies, and served in major leadership roles in every professional clinical hypnosis society in the US
Recent study of 20 terminally ill cancer patients allowed each patient to choose the symptom they would most like to address using hypnotherapy.
As a result, 19 of those 20 patients reported dramatically improved quality of life, anxiety status, and ability to cope, as well as better sleep and more energy.
The symptoms they successfully addressed during the course of the study included pain, fatigue, malaise, irritability, insomnia, nausea and vomiting (NV), anticipatory NV (ANV), food aversions, anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, hostility, frustration, isolation, reduced self-esteem, and helplessness. (Peynovska, Fisher, Oliver, & Mathew, 2005).
Making the Choice
Making the Choice
While the benefits are promising, patients should consult their medical team before beginning hypnotherapy or any complementary treatments. Every individual’s journey with cancer is unique, and what works for one might not be suitable for another.
Page updated
Report abuse