Unfortunately nowadays 1 in 2 people will experience Cancer in their lifetime and have an experience of chemotherapy drugs being administered into their bodies. Nowadays, 40% of cancer patients seek holistic complementary therapies. Whatever your choice, hypnotherapy has benefited patients both physically and psychologically with the symptoms in amazing and powerful ways.
Chemotherapy can be very harsh and toxic on the body and as most of us are aware, most people lose their hair, experience sickness, fatigue, pain, weight loss or weight gain.
so…How can Hypnotherapy Help?
By accessing the parts of the sub-conscious mind in hypnosis symptoms can be diminished whilst someone is experiencing cancer or chemotherapy.
Hypnotherapy can help the client to utilise new methods of dealing with and coping with the way they look at life having been diagnosed. Using hypnotherapy to connect with their emotions, feelings and behaviour in a calm, relaxed and balanced state of mind ….to help create more understanding and help deal with those particular situations they feel is difficult for them. There are many aspects to consider and whilst every persons experience will be a different one….with one person worrying about one particular aspect of their life and experience there will be another worrying about something completely different. Everyone’s perspective is different and that’s what makes hypnotherapy work so well because it’s personal to each person.
Other things to consider…
It’s not just about dealing with the fact that someone has cancer, along with that comes other things to consider and hypnotherapy can help with these too, again the list is far from exhaustive…
- Anger
- Depression
- Emotions
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks/panic
- Fear of needles (Phobias)
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Breathing problems
- Pain
- Hair loss
- Specific pain sites within the body
Preparing the body for chemotherapy can help people deal with side effects in a very positive way.
From my perspective…
From my own experience hypnotherapy worked extremely well for me…having toxic chemicals pumped into your body is not the best thought to have to face but if you can change your thoughts regarding it it can help create an excellent therapeutic platform to work with. Mind does certainly work over matter!!!
Preparing the body to receive the chemotherapy drugs I find is a very important aspect of working with cancer clients. Most patients find having a hypnotherapy session a few hours before chemotherapy is beneficial, but everyone is different and they will choose what the best option is for them. Hypnotherapy can set the body up ready to receive the drugs, with the possibility of diminishing side effects because the mind and body is then prepared and knows what’s coming. It also puts you in a positive frame of mind of dealing with the situation of the day ahead.
Keeping the client focused away from the cancer is also extremely important. A positive frame of mind brings about positive changes physically and psychologically …. ‘You get what you think about’ …’thoughts create reality’ …so during hypnotherapy sessions my aim is on getting the client’s focus away from the cancer and focused more on everyday enjoyment …such as the simple things in life that before being diagnosed we all take a little for granted…. I always ask the client what it is they would like from their session, what would they like help with? Reframing, positive frame of mind, relaxation and treating chemotherapy as a friend rather than a foe allows tremendous benefits.
Other Family and Friends…
When someone is diagnosed with some form of cancer it’s not always the person who has the cancer that needs hypnotherapy….help is also there for the people around that person and their family, they also have very high emotions regarding their situations such as fear of losing that person… Sometimes these people and family members are forgotten about and left to deal with their emotions inwardly because everyone thinks they are ok they are not the ones that are ill!! Hypnotherapy can help a family member who is dealing with such emotions and turmoil within themselves, emotions which have a tendency to become suppressed and not dealt with because they feel they shouldn’t moan or complain because they are not the ones dealing with cancer in their body, when in fact they’re also dealing with and having to process all of what’s going on around them in their head.
Should you have any questions regarding hypnotherapy for Cancer please feel free to get in contact regarding cancer support… I talk very openly regarding this subject and I’m very happy to offer any advice as best I can from my own experiences.
Michelle Townsend – Harmony Life Balance
C.Hyp, D.Hyp, C.I.H, UKHR, I.H.A, CNHC Registered
Certified Hypno-Oncology Practitioner
Gratitude
“Working with Michelle I am learning how to live with the grief and sadness of losing my partner to cancer. I am very very grateful for her inspiration, expertise and patience. She is showing me skills that work for me. Also that life will be less painful and happiness is possible again.”
PH Dudley
Encouragement
“I joined one of Michelle’s relaxation groups about a year ago prior to undergoing some major surgery. I had already begun to address my fitness and diet but wanted to ensure that I was also maximizing my capacity and resilience to deal with stress and stressful situations. I wanted to ensure that I was well prepared for surgery and recovery.
I find Michelle’s open, warm approach alongside her deep commitment and professionalism easy to engage with. I have certainly valued her assistance in helping me to find a time to dedicate to myself. She has also offered practical advice, solutions and ideas as to how to manage stress and anxiety.
I find the group sessions helpful and rewarding as it is apparent that Michelle has helped others in the group as well as me and this is evidenced in some of the group’s discussions.Michelle’s assistance has helped me to take full advantage of the expertise and hard work of the medical team supporting me in achieving a good recovery from my surgery. Many thanks Michelle.”
LB Dudley
Positive Place of Life
I remember January 2016, the beginning of an exciting year where I had planned so many wonderful things to do. Then everything came to stop as I heard the shattering news that I had breast cancer aged 49 years old. My life was changed forever and my world came crashing down around my feet. Over the next 12 months I had to endure a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment.
However, it is now May 2018 and I am in a very good place and yes my life has changed but now I see it in a very positive light. I’m very happy, I enjoy life and I try to live in the moment seeing and feeling the wonderful things in life it has to offer. My way of thinking has gone from thinking and worrying about my negative thoughts and I have now replaced them with positivity and a healthy outlook in life.
Michelle has very much helped me to get to this very positive place of life and her knowledge, expertise and fantastic relaxation sessions have enabled this to happen. Michelle has taught me how powerful the mind is and how you can alter your way of thinking to bring calm, positivity and wellbeing back into your life.
Words can’t thank you enough Michelle.
DM – From Whitehouse Cancer Support Group.
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