The Healing Journey, Overcoming the Crisis of Cancer

March 2, 2015/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, holistic cancer therapy, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

Every now and then I get to meet a patient who truly inspires me. It can be their insatiable curiosity, their courage and open mind or simply the fact they read every cancer related book on the planet. Such one patient referred me to a book titled The Healing Journey by A.J. Cunningham which she found compelling.

Alastair Cunningham is the director of The Healing Journey program, a scientist and psychologist. Hi is a professor at the University of Toronto and a cancer survivor himself. The Healing Journey is a program for people who want to learn how to help themselves when they have cancer, or other serious chronic diseases. It is a practical course, providing simple, psychological and spiritual tools which promote inner harmony, peace and healing, methods that can help any of us become a “healed person”. The program has been developed and evaluated at a large cancer treatment and research center, and parts of it have been offered there and at cancer support centers since 1982.

What my patient found compelling about Cunningham’s program is that it reconcile science, psychology and spirituality. He and his team have taken the brave step toward a true whole person approach to recovery and it is that which prompted her to share this with me. There is tremendous value in this program and if you are fortunate enough to live in near any of the Wellspring Cancer Centers in Toronto and other parts of Canada I highly recommend you attend it.

As a practitioner, I found Cunningham’s language and the way he connected the dots through his writing very powerful and valuable. He provided a clear and concise explanation of the relationship between the physical organic event of disease and the psychological and spiritual dimensions.

“Suffering is a mental reaction to events perceived as unwanted. Much of the suffering cancer causes comes from reflecting on the diagnosis and what it implies, rather than directly from the disease itself. Cancer is thus an existential crisis, not simply a physical problem. If we consider the task of the health care professional to be assisting healing, and “healing” in the broadest sense to mean the relief of suffering, then various approaches can be used to help the patient, who may be extremely anxious for his or her life.” ~ A.J. Cunningham

You can read an abstract of The Healing Journey or click The Healing Journey link to purchase it on AMAZON.

“The usual medical strategy is to work directly on the body, attempting to remove the cancer and alleviate symptoms, thus eliminating or minimizing the physical cause of the suffering. A psychological approach is also feasible and , ideally, complements the medical , helping people to change their mental reaction to the situation by modifying the internal monologue and the distress thus engendered. A “spiritual” level in the healing of suffering is also available, and it has a long history in traditional cultures, although it is little understood by medical science.”

I am completely on board with this view but only to the point of defining “spirituality”. The Healing Journey definition of “spiritual” is “helping the suffering person to connect with an aspect of self that has been labelled as spiritual self, the Divine within, God, the Tao etc”. This view in my opinion has a religious aspect to it. A person suffering gain a sense of being a part of something bigger thus his experience or the threat to his body is perceived as much less important. My definition of “spiritual” is drawn from Viktor Frankle’s teaching and therefore revolves around Meaning, as meaning of life. Working from this perspective peace of mind and/or healing can be gained by finding meaning in every moment, in every event and stem from one’s freedom of choice. It is the freedom to find the “good” in that which is perceived as “bad”, the silver lining around every dark cloud if you will.

If you’re thinking we’re only splitting hair here, well that is your choice of course 🙂 as for me, I am grateful to learn about this valuable resource and Cunningham’s contribution.

If you are interested in learning more The Healing Journey Program, visit this link. It offers access to all the written material and audio recordings from the program on their website.

You can also watch this video:

Is Your Mind Making you Sick

September 30, 2014/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, holistic cancer therapy, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

For just a moment, imagine your brain as an orchestra. Your musical instruments are your beliefs, perceptions, emotions and attitudes. Each instrument vibrates at a specific frequency to create a unique sound, the sound of your mind.

If you could listen to the soundtrack of your Mind, what would it sound like? Would you hear harmonious or disharmonious sounds in your orchestra?

We have learned to observe good health as a state of harmony and balance within, and illness as a state of imbalance or disharmony. Therefore when illness is present, the sound is likely to not be harmonious which suggest the vibration generated by the entire orchestra is one of disharmony.

The Mind and Illness

Harmful beliefs, erroneous perceptions and unresolved emotional turmoil fuel the Subconscious with disharmonious vibrations, and the result is illness. In a state of illness, the soundtrack of your subconscious mind would be like an orchestra of untrained musicians playing un-tuned instruments.

We can safely say that without being aware of it and certainly without wishing for it, we “think” ourselves into illness because our thoughts, beliefs and emotions affect the body.

The Law of Vibration states that: “Everything in the universe is what it is by virtue of its rate of vibration. Change the rate of vibration and you change the nature, quality, and form. The vast panorama of nature, both visible and invisible, is being constantly changed by simply changing the rate of vibration, and as thought is a vibration, we can exercise this power. We can change the vibration and thus produce any condition that we desire to manifest in our bodies.” (Charles F. Hannel).

Risking oversimplification, I created the Subconscious Illness Paradigm model to illustrate how Mind factors affect our brain and our body.

Restoring Harmony to the Mind and Body

One of the most significant discoveries we’ve made is that we actually can “think” ourselves back into health. And though we are still exploring how and to what degree the above statement is true, we know that we have an innate capacity and ability to participate and our experience. And we can do so by changing our Mind, or better say, Subconscious Mind.

The challenge for a long time was to form a methodical and systematic practice to engage with the Subconscious Mind and to do so in a way that is meaningful and authentic. To get the Subconscious Mind back into a harmonic state of health, we must identify, address and heal every aspect of the governing mental Paradigm that is not in harmony. We must change values, beliefs and perceptions that are negative and inhibiting to our health to positive and supporting of our health.

“The way to health is founded on the law of vibration, which is the basis of all science, and this law is brought into operation by the Mind, the ‘world within’. It is a matter of individual effort and practice. Our world of power is within. If we are wise, we shall not waste time and effort in trying to deal with effects as we find them in the ‘world without’, which is only an external, a reflection.” (Charles F. Hannel)

Immersive Healing which utilizes Clinical Hypnotherapy as its therapeutic vehicle is a method for changing disharmonious Mind patterns into harmonious. If disharmonious patterns promoted illness, then by changing from their quality from negative to positive, we change their effect from destructive to constructive and allow healing to begin. As outline in the Subconscious Health Paradigm model, discord, disharmony, and disease give way to mental, psychological and physical health.

The two Mind models illustrations can be found in my book The New Cancer Paradigm. If you wish to learn more about the Mind, illness and our individual ability to transition back into health, this book is to provide you tools and techniques to do so.

Help… I can’t Swallow My Chemo Pills

May 22, 2014/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, Emotions and Illness, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

With many types of chemotherapy (chemo) drugs available these days, doctors can recommend one form over another based on their patients condition, tolerance and preferences. Chemo taken orally works just as well as other forms of chemotherapy and may be the right choice for patients experiencing adverse side effects to drugs administered via IV.
For those taking chemo orally there are plenty online resources such as the Dana Farber Cancer Institute page that provide tips and guidelines for a safe practice. Few resources however provide practical solutions to some of the challenges that arise from the need to swallow chemo pills.

For you and me the act of swallowing may be a simple one but over the years I have seen a good share of patients struggling, afraid of swallowing their pills. Some can easily swallow food but not pills; others will gag just thinking about how the pills taste or smell or even how it feels in their mouth. For these patients, hypnotherapy may offer the relief they seek, providing a practical and effective solution to overcoming this fear.

Hypnotherapy Help Cancer Patients Swallow Chemo Pills

The clinical term related specifically to the fear of swallowing is Phagophobia. It relates to swallowing complaints when no apparent physical limitation is observed. A more general term for difficulty with swallowing is Dysphagia which addresses wider range of causes including fear, pain, or some other cognitive, anatomical or physiological problem.

The advantage of hypnosis over other psychological interventions is our ability to engage the fear subconsciously. This allows us to avoid inflating the fear or causing further hardship. The point of hypnosis of course is not to “make” or force anyone to act against their will but to help them resolve and dissolve the very thought process that feed the fear. Addressing the cause will change its effect. If one’s fearful thought process, belief system or perception associated with swallowing has altered from difficult, painful or dangerous to comfortable, beneficial and safe his or her behavior will change accordingly.

If you struggle with swallowing your medication be sure to discuss the option of hypnosis with your medical team. Never alter the course of your treatment without talking to your doctor first. Hypnosis is a safe, effective and noninvasive intervention but it should be integrated into your medical care.

The Power of Imagery

Assuming there is no physiological basis for your difficulties swallowing and that you want to keep improving your skill of swallowing on your own here is a good place to start.

The power of the mind to influence the body is quite remarkable because Imagery is the most fundamental language we have. Our mind processes everything we do through images and we can harness this ability to promote desired outcomes such as an easier time swallowing.

Visualize success. In your mind’s eye see yourself calmly and easily swallowing the pill. Break the process into tiny bits of action and see yourself successful at each of them. Take it very slowly, and make sure you feel comfortable at any given moment. If tension arise for any reason go back and start from the beginning. Repeatedly visualizing success can have a very real beneficial impact.

6 Most Compelling Reasons for Integrating Hpnosis into Your Cancer Care

May 8, 2014/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, holistic cancer therapy, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

Cancer is more than just a physical event, it affects every aspect of our being. Emotional pain, mental strains and even spiritual challenges are rooted in the very core of illness and increasingly patients are seeking to find non-pharmaceutical solutions to these challenges such as Hypnosis.

If you ever had medical emergency you already know that the onset of a such threat is frightening to say the least. For many people the ground seem to have shifted beneath their feet and in spite of themselves they unwillingly begin to contemplate the unthinkable. Fear gets stronger because we’re not sure what this threat means to our livelihood, what it means to our family and career. We’re not sure that we have the inner strength or the innate resources to cope with all that is about to come.

While fear is a perfectly normal respond to any life threatening event, it can quickly paint our experience with anxious and dark colors. Here is where hypnosis can be of tremendous help to patients, offering relief and remedy not only to our thoughts, beliefs and fears but also to our body.

6 Ways Hypnosis Can Help Cancer Patients

Hypnosis, as an adjunct therapy to conventional medical care can help patients address a wide range of challenges and symptoms. It has shown to help with the following:

1. Lessen anticipatory fear and anxiety.
2. Lessen many adverse treatment side effects.
3. Accelerate rate of recovery from the treatment.
4. Improve patient’s attitude toward treatment.
5. Enhance patient’s outlook for possible recovery.
6. Instill a sense of mastery during and after treatment.

Because patients can feel and experience the results from their hypnosis session right away it is the perfect natural and noninvasive, drug-less and painless therapy. Either working with a hypnotherapist in his or her office or listening to a self-hypnosis recording; patients can play an active role in their healing and participate in their treatment.

More Cancer Treatment Centers Offer Complimentary Cancer Care

Now days many cancer treatment Centers offer patients access to Complementary Alternative services. Services such as massage therapy, acupuncture, Qigong and even music therapy are more common than ever and patients greatly benefit.

Hypnosis also makes its way into mainstream facilities, slowly but surely. The trend is positive and I can attest to this myself having developed a relationship with one of Boston’s most prestigious Cancer institutions. Doctors, even the skeptics or those still holding some misconception about the practice and its clinical value simply cannot ignore the ever growing body of evidence that strongly support it.

For medical professionals and patients alike research is the definitive factor and rightly so. It is likely that with more quality research and greater awareness to the validity and efficacy of Hypnosis for cancer its use will increase. In the meantime, patients will continue to manage their care outside the hospital walls.

Can Hypnosis Help with Cancer Anorexia?

August 13, 2013/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, Boston and Brookline Massachusetts, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

One of the least talked about, yet most common outcome of cancer treatment is Cancer Anorexia. Cancer Anorexia, to differ from the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa (where a person starves himself or herself) refers to the loss of appetite.

This loss of appetite, effecting people during the advanced stages of the illness result in extreme weight loss, malnutrition, loss of muscle mass and wasting. It further taxes the person physically of course but it also taxes the person mentally and emotionally.

Can Hypnosis Help?

There are some medical solutions to this challenge and it’s therefore imperative that patients and their families will be informed and educated about available treatment options. Having said that, there are also non medical solutions which aim to “awaken” patient’s appetite, strengthen their will to live and fortify their resolve to heal. One such solution is hypnosis.

Hypnosis is a safe and practical method to complement and enhance the efficacy of one’s medical treatment. It is most effective when it is a part of the treatment strategy and not an alternative to the medical care. Hypnosis in general engages patients mind i.e. their mental faculties such as outlook, attitude and beliefs. Employing one’s natural mental and emotional capacities through hypnosis to promote a desired outcome (in this case is appetite) requires no medication which means there are no adverse side effects. It means no recovery time or hospital stay and therefore patients can continue and enjoy a high level of quality of life.

In a nutshell, the hypnotic state is a state of focused attention where the person experiences heightened suggestibility. Suggestions (spoken words) can be given to remedy variety of possible contributors to the loss of appetite such as fear and anxiety.

What’s Really Important?

For me as a practitioner the number one priority is to help my client transcend his or her limited physical dimension of “appetite”. This means they must consider the act of eating, irrespective of the desire to eat, as part of their decision to live. This is really the bottom line; changing patient’s perspective of food and eating from a mere physical act to one inspired by their wish to live another day, week, month etc.

This is where hypnosis, as a therapeutic vehicle for change is of great benefit. It provides a practical way to address the thoughts and beliefs weakened by the physical suffering of illness. Thoughts and beliefs that insinuate that we do not have the innate resources to cope with this experience or that life, and this condition, is not worth living through.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for Cancer Patients

April 26, 2013/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, Boston and Brookline Massachusetts, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, holistic cancer therapy, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

Emotional Freedom Technique

The emotional Freedom Technique is a form of complementary intervention. Though relatively new, it has gained recognition from many clinicians and has been endorsed by prominent figures in the realm of alternative medicine, such as Deepak Chopra. EFT can be applied to many different ills and challenges, but for cancer patients, it offers a practical and effective way to engage in their own care before, during, and after their medical treatment.

What is EFT?

EFT is a form of “emotional acupuncture” or “mindful acupressure” that involves the stimulation of traditional Chinese acupuncture points. However, unlike acupuncture, instead of using needles, EFT uses a technique of gentle tapping on these points.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, currently undergoing treatment, or even in remission and simply want to maintain your state of well-being, EFT may be the right choice of practice for you. Not only is it easy to learn and easy to practice, but it often packs significant results; you can now learn how to practice it online from the comfort of your own home.

How does it work?

In EFT, we use our fingertips to systematically tap on various acupressure points on the face, hands, and body while focusing on a problem or issue we wish to resolve. EFT also uses verbalization. It involves verbalizing the “issue” combined with a phrase of affirmation. Together the verbalization and tapping seem to release the intensity or charge of the “issue” we tap on.

The Mind Body connection

It is no secret that our body, mind, and emotions are intimately connected. Beyond the physical symptoms of the illness, being diagnosed or undergoing treatment raises a host of emotions and thoughts, like fear and anxiety for example, which oftentimes affect the way we feel in our bodies. When we apply EFT to something that upsets us – our thoughts, our feelings, and our bodily responses seem to shift. In other words, EFT allows us to release and transform the way feelings like guilt, fear, or anger may be affecting our bodies and our health.

EFT lets us take part and ownership of our healing journey. It will help us cope with and overcome fear, anxiety, guilt, blame, and shame. It will help us ease physical discomfort and lessen the impact of treatment side effects. It empowers us to maintain a positive mindset.

Practicing EFT for Cancer online

EFT for Cancer sessions are conducted via a simple webcam (video camera for computers). We interact face-to-face as if you were right here in my office. In this series of three sessions, you will learn the ABCs of the Emotional Freedom Technique for Cancer and its application. EFT for Cancer is different from EFT for behavior modification or addictions. While the core principles are still valid, illnesses such as cancer require a deeper understanding of what you are going through and what you need to heal.

Here is what you get when you sign up

1. Three one-hour private sessions.
2. Your complete guide to Emotional Freedom Technique for Cancer.
3. The essence of EFT, the Discovery Statement.
4. EFT basic and advanced training, including unique tools for cancer patients.
5. How to formulate EFT phrases and apply them to your particular diagnosis/condition.
6. Understanding common psychological inhibitors (self-sabotage) and how this impedes healing.
7. How to identify different “aspects” of problems and what to do when aspects shift.
8. Advance EFT techniques such as the Movie Technique and Chasing the Pain.
9. Expert tips and support based on years of experience.

A video of your session

At the end of our session, you will get a short video of our meeting. This will act as a reminder when you practice on your own. Also, as an active client, you get a preference in scheduling over new clients. This privilege is available for one year after our initial meeting.

If this entices you to take action, contact me, and I’ll be sure to provide you with all the necessary details and answer any questions you may have.

Cancer Patients Use Hypnosis to Quit Smoking

April 25, 2013/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, Boston and Brookline Massachusetts, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, holistic cancer therapy, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

If you are facing caner and still can’t shake the habit of smoking, hypnosis may be what the doctor ordered. Sure there are many ways to quit smoking and people tend to be creative when it comes to their health. Some will try the old fashion cold turkey method while others may find therapy to be effective. Some will try nicotine patches and gums or electronic cigarettes or any combinations of the above to break free, but if you are looking for a more holistic approach to smoking cessation; one that is safe and practical and most of all effective, hypnosis can be it.

Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation

The online medical source WEBMD says “Smoking is a dangerous, even deadly habit. It’s a leading cause of cancer. It also increases your risk for heart attacks, strokes, lung disease, and other health problems, including bone fractures and cataracts.” Now this is no breaking news but knowing this we understand that by breaking free from this habit we improve our odds for recovery and a better quality of life.

As far as research goes there is no consensus. Some findings approve the use of hypnosis for smoking cessation and others do not. This type of agreeing-to-disagree is common when it come to research; the bottom line is that further exploration is needed. In the meantime I personally have helped scores of patients to regain control of their behavior and break free from this habit with hypnosis.

Is Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation Safe?

When it comes to finding the right hypnotherapist, it’s worth your time to do the research. Call him or her and get a sense of what they are like, their manner and knowledge. Ask questions and make sure you get answers that make you feel comfortable and safe, and as always, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Above all, remember to find a hypnotherapist that understands Cancer and Cancer patients, not everyone do. Cancer patients face all sorts of challenges while undergoing treatment and it’s important the practitioner you choose understand your needs.

How Long Does a Smoking Cessation Session Last?

It is my opinion alone that it takes more than just one hour to do it right. In fact, in my office a smoking cessation session is a three hours ordeal. Now I am fully aware that there are ads and practitioners that tell you it takes only an hour for you to quit, this is what I call “the one hour miracle session”. Yet all too often those who tried this miraculous approach ended up in my office frustrated and upset. Not only their hopes were broken but now they have an added layer of stress to an already active critiquing inner dialog.

For the sake of argument, the one hour session may work for some people but they are the exception and not the rule. It is nothing short of arrogance to dissolve a lifetime of inner conflicts in such a short period of time. It is definitely meaningful for patients who are already face the stressful terrain of cancer care to spend more time attending and resolving their harmful perceptions and beliefs.

Can I Practice Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation at Home?

The next best thing to being in my office is working with self-hypnosis or guided-imagery audio programs for smoking cessation. Doing so will support your effort to quit and strengthen your new found inner image of yourself as a non smoker. Again, there are various products out there with various scripts and approaches, make sure you listen to samples from my Be Smoke Free CD so you can make a smart decision.

The most important thing to remember is that the purpose of either one-on-one hypnosis sessions or the audio programs is to help you establish a new belief i.e. that smoking is no longer relevant to who you are, the new you. There is no point in creating more struggles for you and by that I mean telling you to “stop smoking”. This will only make things more difficult because that which we resist tend to persist. Therefore the point is to help you see yourself in a new way, as a non smoker, as a person with meaning and purpose, a person who choose life instead of death.

Take your time to make up your mind. When you have, harness the power of your mind to change your life with hypnosis.

How to Maintain Your Quality of Life While Undergoing Chemotherapy?

April 11, 2013/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, Boston and Brookline Massachusetts, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, hypnotherapy for cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

Chemotherapy (also called chemo) is still one of the main treatments available for cancer patients, and yes, it saves lives. Having said that, because it uses drugs to destroy cancer cells it does take its toll on patients and their quality of life. For many years now I’ve had the privileged of helping patients maintain and enhance their quality of life with Immersive Healing and Hypnosis for cancer but there is a lot that each one of us can do on our own.

Enhancing Cancer Patients Quality of Life

Some of this wisdom patients shared with me I was able to put in writing in my book The New Cancer Paradigm but the list of tips and base of knowledge keeps on growing. In this post I wanted to offer you my top five nuggets, mainly from patients undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from it.

The first thing I have found interesting is the belief that there is a direct correlation between how the chemotherapy makes a person feel (the harsh impact of side effect) and whether he or she derive benefit from it. There is none what’s so ever, no correlation at all. Now just to be clear, I am not a medical doctor and my answer is purely based on personal research and conversations with doctors. I encourage you to bring this question to your medical team and find out for yourself.

Here is what I have learned from my clients:

1.Give yourself permission to slow down. It is time to pay attention to what’s going on inside i.e. in your life as well as in your body. The best way to do so is to slow down. You need time to think things through, process and adjust to this new reality.

2. Match your schedule to how you feel. Chemo affect different people in different ways and you may not experience limiting side effects. Still, listen to your body and respect what it tells you. If you need rest, rest. If you need to slow down, slow down. Your body needs its energy to heal and restore its balance.

3. Plan your activities. Plan even the simple activities, such as grocery shopping, for a time when you feel the best. If you have kids and can afford a babysitter every now and then, give yourself this gift.

4. Healthy nutrition. Chemotherapy treatment sometime affect your taste buds and appetite. Talk to a Nutritionist who specialize in cancer care to find what’s valuable for your body and recovery. My recommendation is to not be too rigid, eat what appeals to you during this time. If you develop a heightened sensitivity to odors, keep away from places where food is cooked.

5. Find your village. The adage “it takes a village to raise a child” is very applicable. When undergoing chemotherapy treatment it sure helps to have your “village” or support system in place. Whether you need someone to drive you, or feed your ferret or water the plants, the bottom line you want to make sure things are taken care of. This will greatly contribute to your peace of mind and often will make the treatment process more comfortable.

My last and personal recommendation will be to take advantage of available resources such as Guided Imagery for Cancer. I offer many such products but there are plenty to chose from online.

As always, if you have any question, please feel free to contact me at Free@AvinoamLerner.com

Complementary Alternative Cancer Treatments, are they Effective?

March 31, 2013/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, Boston and Brookline Massachusetts, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer /by Avinoam Lerner

At the end of a recent presentation a man approached me with this question. His wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and she wanted to know what else, beside conventional medical treatment she can possibly do.

He was eager to learn about complementary or non-medical approaches to healing cancer but he was church going person and was concerned about the use of hypnosis. Like many, him and his wife held all sorts of misconceptions about hypnosis. In fact, if it weren’t for their doctor mentioning my name they would never think to attend my lecture.

The short answer to his question about the merit of Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) for cancer is a resounding YES. Having said that not all CAM for cancer are alike. There are as many methods out there as they are practitioners, but if you are looking for a form of treatment that is considered evidence-based you will find a short list.

This is not to say that research equal effectiveness, far from it. If we keep in mind that what we call evidence-based today was at one point the subject of mockery we must consider there are methods of healing we did not yet discover or researched. Evidence-based simply means there was sufficient interest in one method to the point that funds could be raised to explore it through the tools of science.

Though the medical field has long recognized the benefits of Hypnotherapy, the topic is still poorly understood and certainly under utilized. The British approved the use of hypnosis back in 1955, even the Pope and Roam Catholic Church approved its use in 1956 and last but not least it was approved in the US in 1958. Still we find its use limited in medical facilities.

In my little corner of the universe this is about to change. From May 2013 patients of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute who visit the Zakim Center for Integrative Care will be able to benefit from hypnosis for cancer. The Zakim Center already offers its patients a wide spectrum of evidence-based practices. Practices such as Acupuncture, Chi Kong and oncology massage have long been researched and the data is promising. Listening to patients testimonials, I for one am very grateful that we live in a day and age where patients can benefit from this union of medical and non-medical methods.

To find the right CAM practice for you, first define the end result you are looking for. This end result can be pain relief or lessening side effects, immune enhancement etc. Done right, this will allow you to narrow your search. And yes, talk to your medical team about your wish to integrate non-medical methods into your cancer care, their answer might pleasantly surprise you.

Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery use Guided Imagery and Hypnosis for Successful Outcome

March 18, 2013/0 Comments/in Alternative cancer treatment, cancer Blog, Complimentary Alternative Medicine for Cancer, holistic cancer therapy /by Avinoam Lerner

For many cancer patients, the very thought of having surgery produces anxiety and fear and worry tend to consume our attention. Apart from worrying about potential complications, surgery, even a “minor” one disrupt our lives and means “down time” for recovery.

Numerous studies confirm that using hypnosis in a clinical setting, and more specifically during and after surgery is beneficial. These studies led many medical facilities and even the all skeptical insurance companies to embrace the use of a short hypnotic intervention for patients as part of their strategy for well being.

One such study followed a group of people who underwent hypnosis, including self-hypnosis, for a period of 15-minutes before their surgery. The results of this study were fascinating to say the least; those using hypnosis and self-hypnosis needed less anesthesia, experienced a lesser degree of blood loss (i.e. their bodies were able to cope with the trauma of surgery more effectively), were found to heal at a faster rate and were able to leave hospital earlier than those in the control group who didn’t use any form of hypnosis.

As this study suggests, hypnosis play a vital role when it comes to mentally preparing a person for cancer surgery. Hypnosis for surgery conditions and prepares the mind for the successful procedure. It also helps to lessen a person’s feelings of anticipatory anxiety and the effects of the physical trauma of surgery on the body. What’s more it can help speed up the rate of recovery. If you are like many of my clients, recovering within the familiar environment of home is preferable to recovery time spent within the clinical environment of a hospital.

Interestingly, I recently treated a client that was scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy – a procedure that is known to be of some discomfort. The client came to see me a day before the biopsy and we worked for an hour and a half. I also gave him a guided imagery CD for Surgery After the treatment had taken place, the client reported back to me and told me that this was the fastest treatment he had ever experienced. Not only did he find the treatment to be fast, he also reported feeling significantly less pain and felt that he recovered at a much faster rate than usual.

From this we learn that hypnosis is not only beneficial in helping a person to prepare for and manage cancer surgery, it can also help you to prepare for and cope with any procedure involving physical discomfort that is needed as part of your overall medical treatment plan.

If you are scheduled to undergo surgery in the near future and wish to be pro-active, feel and be more in control of your journey and mentally prepared consider using hypnosis for surgery. One option available to you is Immersive Healing which utilizes hypnotherapy as its therapeutic vehicle. Immersive Healing can help you improve your odds for a successful outcome and it can be practiced either face to face (in office) or online via Skype.