The Cancer Journey
Hypno-Oncology is an adjunct therapy to support those going through their cancer journey, combining psychological techniques and the therapeutic use of hypnosis to help ease the mental and emotional burden of cancer and improve a patient’s mental strength and ability to cope with, and adjust to, the road ahead.
I am an accredited member of the Association of Hypno-Oncology Practitioners and my goal is to assist you with your mental and emotional well-being and help you deal with treatment side effects, making that journey as comfortable as it can be for you, on diagnosis and throughout.
The techniques and approaches used have been researched, developed and tested over many years in academic and hospital oncology settings and have been used successfully with cancer sufferers over many years.
Some of the main areas where hypnosis and/or therapy and hypnosis combined can help along every step of your journey with psychological, physical and metabolic changes are:
- alleviating emotional concerns such as anxiety, mood disturbances, fear, worry, anger and frustration
- assisting with pain control management
- managing fears and phobias connected to all aspects of treatment, such as needles, claustrophobia in scanners and masks, anaesthesia etc.
- pre- and post-surgery – working towards a better outlook and outcome, promoting wound healing and reducing anxiety and pain/medication ratio
- treatment side effects (for example – chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery) – nausea, vertigo, taste issues, hot flushes, sleep problems, eating and appetite issues
- teaching self-help techniques to help you help yourself
Whatever the diagnosis and whatever stage of the journey you are on, the experience can be a very stressful one, affecting how you think and feel. Having your mind on your side can be instrumental in how you cope.
There are no side effects with hypnotherapy. It is safe, adaptable and effective. Alongside symptom management and mental health, it can be a time for you to just ‘let go’ and have some enjoyable ‘me time’ in what can be difficult circumstances, letting your mind take you elsewhere for a while.
In addition, there is a considerable body of research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) which indicates that the immune system can be seriously compromised, causing further health issues in cancer patients which could potentially influence the course of the disease due to psychological stress, depression, anxiety etc. As a Hypno-Oncology Practitioner, using theories connecting both mind and body, I work with experimental areas such as guided visualisation techniques adapted personally to specific needs to enhance the immune system psychologically.
IMPORTANT – HYPNOTHERAPY DOES NOT TREAT CANCER
I offer an adjunct therapy working to support you as you progress on your journey with your professional medical team. I do not offer a substitute for treatments recommended or provided by medical professionals. This therapy is designed to be used in conjunction with conventional treatment.
There is, however, considerable evidence to show that hypno-oncology can benefit cancer patients both physically and psychologically (Sharma 2017) helping to reducing symptoms such as pain and anxiety and being beneficial both pre- and post-surgery.