Cancer

Cancer Hypnosis may not yet be considered a medical treatment for cancer but it does play an important role in both help managing cancer treatment and to help in identifying deep emotional factors that contributed to the underlying reasons why the cancer was manifested in the first place. Hypnosis has proven very effective in helping patients to reduce pain, stress, depression helps calm fears and anxiety that relate from cancer treatments.

If you are scheduled for surgery or you are undergoing post-surgical cancer treatment, hypnosis is an excellent complementary therapy that can enhance the positive effects of various therapies. Using hypnotherapy in combination with your medical cancer treatment will make you feel more empowered and in control of your care and it can also help you to maximize your overall wellness.

The power of the subconscious mind can be a potent ally in healing from surgery and in recovering from cancer treatment; for it is the subconscious mind that controls automatic body processes, including immune function and pain perception. Additionally, the subconscious mind is the source of all emotions, which makes hypnosis a logical choice for dealing with the emotional aspects related to cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Hypnosis for medical cancer treatment can help with the following issues:

Pre-Surgical Preparation

Numerous studies in medical journals have shown that people who prepare for surgery using hypnosis generally have fewer complications, heal faster and have less post-operative pain. Hypnosis will help you feel calm, relaxed and positive before, during and after surgery. Usually, the hypnosis therapy is geared toward making positive suggestions to your subconscious regarding your surgery and its outcome, as well as teaching you how to effectively manage pre-surgery stress.

When we work with pre-surgical clients, they are given a CD to play before and immediately after surgery (and with headphones during surgery, if their surgeon permits). The CD contains soothing music, relaxing imagery and positive suggestions to reassure the client's subconscious mind that the surgery will go smoothly and that their body will heal quickly, with as little discomfort as possible.

The results of pre-surgical hypnosis can be quite amazing. Patients frequently report that they require very little pain medication and that they were back on their feet very quickly after surgery. Any surgery can be stressful, hypnosis for cancer surgery focuses specifically on this extreme stress. The calmer you can stay before the surgery, the more resources your body has to heal itself as quickly as possible.

Follow-Up Treatment If Cancer Is Detected

If you require follow-up radiation and/or chemotherapy as part of your medical cancer treatment, hypnosis can teach you how to feel more relaxed and manage your stress. A growing body of evidence suggests that chronic stress and the cascade of stress hormones it produces can interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system. An immune system which is as healthy as it can be (giventhe specific treatment) is critically important during any cancer treatment.

When working with cancer clients, we teach them relaxation, self-hypnosis and stress management techniques. We also show our clients how to use mental imagery to encourage their immune system to work together with their medical therapies in order to maximize the benefits of their cancer treatment. For example, we may teach a client to visualize her immune system attacking and killing the cancer cells, or surrounding and transforming the cancer cells into something harmless. The visualization work for each client's cancer treatment is always tailored to their needs and the way their imagination works.

If your cancer treatment creates side effects, including nausea, hypnosis can help you minimize those side effects. And if your cancer treatment creates body image issues, hypnosis can also help you feel good about your body again. Each person is different, both in their needs and in their physical and emotional reactions to the cancer treatment and its side effects. Accordingly, each person’s hypnosis sessions will need to be tailored specifically to their requirements and goals.

Whether you are scheduled to undergo surgery to determine if you need follow-up cancer treatment, or you are already undergoing cancer treatment, hypnosis can complement your medical treatment in multiple ways.

Hypnosis is not a substitute for medical cancer treatment. Rather, it is an excellent complement to standard medical cancer treatment. Hypnosis works with doctors, not against them. Do not discontinue medical cancer treatment when you begin hypnotherapy.

When dealing with clients regarding using hypnosis to complement standard medical cancer treatment, a signed medical referral form is required from your primary caregiver prior to commencing any work together. This form is provided to you and sent out upon request.

Looking Deeper!

If the cancer had a voice....do you ever wonder what it would say?

Hypnosis is a very efficient method to uncover emotional elements that just may be the underlying cause of the body's reaction to life's circumstances.

Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition of whatever nature, and shall not be construed as medical advice, implied or otherwise. Information on this site is intended to be for educational edification and use only.