Complementary Alternative Cancer Practitioner

What to Ask Your Complementary Alternative Cancer Practitioner?

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If you are considering consulting a complementary alternative practitioner to help support you through the process of healing from cancer, there are certain, important questions that you must ask.
alternative cancer treatment
Researching and questioning a practitioner is important because you need to be sure that you will be safe and that the practitioner’s work will serve as a complement to the medical treatment you are receiving as part of your conventional medical care. It is vital that you find a type of complementary alternative treatment that supplements and complements, rather than opposes, all the good work that is being done by your medical treatment.

If a complementary alternative practitioner advises you to discontinue your medical treatment and to use only alternative methods, this is a red flag. I would strongly advise that you to discard this advice and look elsewhere for support.

Very often, the best possible outcome for people with cancer, or any other chronic illness, is achieved by integrating both conventional medical treatments and alternative treatments. In doing so, you are supported on all levels – you have all your bases covered so to speak. Your medical team is working to heal you on the physical level and your complementary alternative practitioner is working to support you on an emotional and spiritual level.

Another important question you might want to ask is about the scientific evidence that validates the type of treatment they offer. Ask for research and scientific studies in their field so that you can be sure that you aren’t going to be wasting your time.

The type of healing I offer, Immersive Healing, is firmly grounded in the science of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI); you can find plenty information about PNI online. If you wish, I can provide more information and point you in the right direction.

Finally, I think another important question to ask any complementary alternative practitioner you may be considering consulting is what experience they have with cancer and cancer patients.
Cancer patients have very specific emotional and psychological needs that differ greatly from the needs of someone who wants to overcome an addiction or who wants to lose weight. Illness such as cancer bring with it a whole spectrum of emotions, concerns and fears so it is very important for you to find out if the practitioner you are considering consulting has knowledge of cancer and experience with cancer patients.

guided imagery cancer

Is Guided Imagery for Cancer Right for You?

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In previous posts we explored the promise of hypnotherapy for treating and healing cancer. But what if you are unable to attend regular hypnosis sessions because you don’t feel well enough to do so, or because you an experienced hypnotherapist or for any other reason?

guided imagery cancer If this is the case for you, the next best thing you can do, as an alternative to face-to-face treatment, is to listen to an audio program such as my Guided Imagery for Cancer CD. There is an assortment of audio programs available online from many different practitioners, but as you’ll find out, not all products are equally effective.

Before you choose which one is right for you, listen to a sample of it. Do you like the voice, tempo and even accent of this practitioner? Hmmm…

For me it was important to produce a highly professional product with recording studio quality. It was also important for me it will be easy to follow the guided meditation. I infused the audio with powerful suggestions, imagery and metaphors to calm your Mind, sooth your body and help you heal from within.

The beauty of an audio program is that you can listen to it as often as you like so it’s very cost effective. Whether you listen to it while waiting for your doctor appointments, whale watching or before you go so sleep you will surly benefit.
It combines imagery, sensory awareness and auto-suggestions to engage your imagination and Mind. These techniques share some qualities and blend very well together. It is this combination that helps you to become immersed, and therefore fully involved, in a healing experience. It what helps you to shift your focus and attention from whatever emotions you are going through – be that fear, stress, hopelessness or rage to calmness and hopefulness.

The CD can also be used during any procedures you are having for cancer, such as chemotherapy. Listening to the CD during a procedure can help you to shift your attention from the clinical external environment to an inner positive and desirable one. The metaphors, mental images and suggestions used in this CD help your mind to create a better experience within yourself, which is important because we know that the mental images we hold within our minds have an effect on our bodies – for better or for worse.

A prime example of this is worry; when we worry about things that haven’t happened; we play out different scenarios in our mind. These scenarios affect us even though they are just imagined; the more we worry the worse we feel. If we want to empower ourselves and create the optimum conditions for healing within our bodies, it is important for us to have a tool that we can use to help ourselves – a tool that can help us to create better, more positive state of Mind.

hypnosis for chemotherapy, cancer cdMy CD, The Healing Power of Your Mind: Guided Imagery for Cancer does this and also helps you to drift off into a sound a peaceful sleep that will leave you feeling refreshed when you wake in the morning. Healthy sleep patterns are crucial when it comes to healing the mind and body but can be difficult to achieve when we are feeling worried, stressed or afraid because of illness.

If you are interested in the concept of Immersive Healing but are unable to attend sessions with me, you may find my Guided Imagery CD helpful during your own healing journey.

hypnosis cancer recovery

Is Hypnosis for Cancer Effective?

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As a clinical hypnotherapist, I am often asked how hypnosis can help cancer? and how someone can actually be sure that hypnosis can be effective for cancer? The answer is straight forward, we see and experience the results!
The type of hypnosis I use as a component of Immersive Healing is called Regression-to-Cause hypnosis.
hypnosis for cancer
I use this hypnotic protocol because it produces results in real time. By this I mean that when using this type of hypnosis, the client gets to feel the change as it occurs. They get to experience their journey and transformation in an authentic way which leads to real change. First the change is in the level of Mind i.e. their perceptions and belief systems. Then the change is translated into their body.

Regressing in time, they get to feel that they are right there, back in the moment that their mind has taken them to. This is the moment when their perception and knowledge of self changed from positive and helpful to negative and harmful. In the reality of their Subconscious Mind this moment could be a recent one or a one from the distant past – something that occurred just yesterday or something that happened decades ago.

It is important to remember that Time is a man-made concept. We created ‘time’ as it were. Inside your skull and within your brain there is no concept of time; there is no ticking clock.

Here is a helpful analogy which I use in my book The New Cancer Paradigm. Imagine your Subconscious Mind as a sort of library, a library in which there are books that were written recently and books that were written many years ago lined up on a shelf. You can gain access to each one of these books regardless of their publishing date, just by reaching your hand. Regression-to-Cause works in a similar way but instead of a physical hand it uses thoughts and suggestions.

Think of it this way, your mind has stored all the memories, thoughts, emotions and experiences that you have ever had – regression to cause hypnosis allows you to re-access these memories.
cancer alternative healing
When you regress to a particular time in your life or event through, it will feel as real as it was when you actually were there. Your feelings and sensations will become as alive and vivid as they were when you experienced them the first time around. It is this level of supreme authenticity that is so vital. It increases your belief in the therapeutic process and in fact in the possibility of healing.
The pivotal understanding in mind body medicine is that you have to actually believe enough in the possibility of healing in order to tell yourself so with conviction and in order for healing to occur.

After a hypnotherapy session, my clients report that they feel the changes that have occurred deep within their Mind already taking effect. They think and feel differently about certain things. Certain things that held power now seem less significant or altogether insignificant.

It’s vital to point out that hypnotherapy isn’t a panacea for all of life’s trials and tribulations. After a session, you will still experience life’s ups and downs – as we all do – but you will find that the way in which you respond to challenging circumstances, events or environments will be different. You will feel differently and respond differently – in a more positive and productive way.
It is important to remember that while the Subconscious Mind works instantly; it can take time for the physical body to catch up. This is entirely normal and the body will eventually catch up with the healing that is taking place in the Mind.

Hypnosis enables you to feel and experience positive effects within the mind in the first place, this eventually translates to the body’s environment and this is how you will ultimately know that Immersive Healing, and therefore hypnosis, is working for you.

cancer resiliency

Increase Your Resiliance to Fight Cancer with Hypnosis for Cancer

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If you read any of my previous blog posts you already know my view on illness – we cannot truly heal the body without also healing the Mind. Even more so, by healing the Mind we increase the effectiveness of medical treatment.
cancer alternative treatmentIn saying that we must also heal the Mind I am not saying there are no organic factors in illness such as toxic environment, carcinogenic agents etc, of course there are. Still not everyone exposed to them end up with cancer. Something else is factoring our vulnerability to attacks on our health both from within as much as without and that is our Mind.

This is no breaking news, after all the scientific community acknowledges the Mind play a role in illness and health. The scientific study of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) validated these finds back in the 70’s. In the simplest of terms, PNI relates to the study of how the mind interacts with the body’s nervous system and how this, in turn, affects the function of the immune system.

The debate as it seems is no longer whether the Mind plays a role in illness but rather whether it plays a big enough role that it can promote the healing of illness.

Much of the focus of PNI has been on the subject of stress, but the term ‘stress’ can be misleading – ‘stress’ is such a huge area and means so much more than feeling overwhelmed because we have too much to do. Stress in the context of PNI refer to a range of states of mind that many people experience, such as fear, guilt, anger and shame. These states of mind, when experienced consciously or subconsciously, for an ongoing period of time may be harmful to our health if we do not address them properly.

In terms of the body’s immune system, PNI has found that these negative states of mind can be toxic – they can weigh heavily on the immune system and disrupt the optimum function of this powerful, inbuilt healing mechanism. This is what Immersive Healing which utilizes hypnosis as its therapeutic vehicle is designed to remedy.

The hypnotic protocol of Regression to Cause hypnosis is the heart of Immersive Healing. It allows us to identify the root cause of these harmful states of mind; what’s more, it allows us to address and to heal these states of mind. In doing so, we are able to revive the immune system. Reviving and strengthening the body’s defenses we increase its ability to heal itself, which can help you to improve your ability to fight cancer.

The healing of the Mind as facilitated by Immersive Healing will improve your odds for recovery. It will fortify your immune system, lessen the impact of treatment side effects and improve your quality of your life. Furthermore, it will help you cultivates hope and strengthens your will to live. These elements are vital when it comes to your ability to recover.

pros and cons alternative cancer

Top Pros & Cons for Alternative Cancer Treatments

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More and more cancer patients supplement their medical treatment with Complimentary Alternative Cancer treatments. This is a growing trend and if you act responsibly a very blessed one.
alternative cancer treatment

The purpose of this blog post is to shed light on Immersive Healing. The more insight into the working of IH and the more aware you are of the benefit it offers the more likely you are to integrate it into your medical treatment plan.

Immersive Healing Pros

1. Immersive healing (IH) is a safe, effective and non-invasive therapeutic intervention designed to identify and heal the subconscious mental patterns that influenced and produced the conditions within the body that facilitated the growth of cancer. This is the vital, first step towards healing.
2. Immersive healing is holistic, meaning that it is drugless, non-invasive and painless. There is no need for recovery time, no painful side effects to the treatment, no worries about becoming dependent on medication and no need to stay in hospital or take large amounts of time out from your regular schedule.

3. Immersive healing is empowering because you, yourself, become an active rather than passive, part of the healing process. It gives you back a sense of control over the treatment you may need and over the cancer itself. It helps you to feel that you are involved.

4. Immersive healing allows you to address negative emotional states of mind that may have been with you, either consciously or subconsciously, for a long period of time – maybe throughout most of your life. It can help to remove the burden caused by these harmful emotions which aggravate your internal mental and physical environment. In doing so IH helps preventing the reoccurrence of illness.

Immersive Healing Cons

1. Hypnosis, which is the therapeutic vehicle of Immersive Healing, has negative connotations for many people. This is because hypnosis is a much-misunderstood form of treatment. The kind of hypnosis seen on television or stage shows has nothing to do with the kind of hypnosis utilized in Immersive Healing. These misconceptions about hypnosis may prevent some people from seeking the type of help that Immersive Healing offers and enjoy its benefits.

2. Quite simply, although hopefully this is something that is set to change, not many people know about Immersive Healing as an effective, therapeutic form of healing for cancer. We know that there is more to cancer than what the doctors can see, touch, remove or burn. Therefore, it stands to reason that cancer is something we need to treat from every possible angle.

stress as a cause for cancer

Can Stress Really Cause Cancer?

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Research showed that people who have been through a traumatic event in the previous one or two years are more frequently diagnosed with cancer . Much is still unknown about the origins of cancer however there is the distinct possibility that it is an illness that has a long incubation period.

boston cancer treatmentWhat this mean is that if you have been exposed to carcinogenic substances in your 20s, cancer may not develop until some 30 to 40 years later. This certainly seems to be true in the cases of people who have developed asbestos related cancers in later years, long time after the initial exposure to asbestos.

However in the presence of extreme stress, trauma or loss illness may develop at a much faster rate. From what is known about the effects of stress on the immune system it seems very likely that the ‘stress’, in whatever form dramatically weakens the immune system function allowing the process of disease to develop more rapidly.

The problem with chronic or severe stress is that it encourages the production of adrenal hormones which in turn lower the levels of white blood cells within the body placing an individual at increased risk of infection.

Stress in all its forms, depression, anxiety, shock, results in the poorer function of the immune system.

Having said that, many people who experience stress never go on to develop cancer or other chronic diseases – there are many things that can contribute to illness, and often it’s a combination of factors that tip health into sickness. This is why it is vital that we fully understand that WE ARE NOT TO BE BLAMED FOR OUR ILLNESS – in no way did they cause the disease or ask for this to happen. If you’ve entertained these intrusive thoughts, refer to my book The New Cancer Paradigm and you’ll discover why you can’t possibly have done so.

Everyone experiences a varying degree of stress throughout their lives and some of the calmest and most content people develop cancer. There is no one ‘type’ of person who develops chronic disease.
Blaming yourself for your illness is counter-productive and sadly there are some things that happen in life that we all just have to accept as unfair.

Accepting things as they are does not mean giving up in any way; it simply means not wasting valuable energy fighting the wrong thing. It’s true that at times you can’t fix the cancer, but that’s not what need fixing.

Which leads us to ask which emotions may be aggravating your disease? The effect of stress in all its forms on the body is well documented (see one resource here) but we can also add to the list hopelessness, helplessness, worry, internal or buried rage, chronic low self-esteem, frustration, fatigue, hostility, blame and guilt.

Sometimes we know we are running negative emotions over and over in our heads, we know it is not doing us any good but we continue. Maybe a pattern has become ingrained? Maybe our thought patterns have become a habit? Hypnosis can help you to address these negative painful emotions and harmful patters, track them down and deal with them and by doing so help you to move forwards in the best way possible as you heal. By Avinoan Lerner

medical hypnosis cancer

Why your Oncologist/Doctor would love it if you used hypnosis

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Medical professionals working in the field of cancer care have in the past often seemed to be at odds with those who practice Complimentary Alternative Medicine (CAM).

boston holistic cancer treatmentThis is perhaps more pronounced in the Western World where scientific knowledge has been valued over and above any ancient or traditional medicinal wisdom.

There is of course good reason for this and without advancements in scientific and medical research many of us would have been left to the fate of dying at a young age as was in the past.

However in recent years the medical professions have taken an interest in some types of CAM and its positive role in the healing process – hypnosis is one of these.

The use of hypnosis for patients experiencing a whole range of illnesses from irritable bowel syndrome to cancer has had proven results that have grabbed the attention of scientists and doctors alike.

The acceptance of hypnotherapy as a powerful tool for healing that works alongside and not against traditional medical techniques is very encouraging. In my opinion a multi-tiered approach to healing is always going to be the ultimate choice.

A combination of superior nutrition, relaxation, medical intervention i.e. surgery/drugs, and body-mind healing such as hypnotherapy will put a person who has cancer or any other chronic disease into the optimum state for recovery. If we can all work together, towards the same positive goal of healing then we can give patients the best possible chance to heal fully.

In the UK in June this year The Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine Section of the Royal Society of Medicine released a statement suggesting that using hypnotherapy to treat individuals suffering from stress-related illnesses, including cancer, could save the UK National Health Service (NHS) “millions of pounds”. President elect of the Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine Section, Dr Peter Naish, said: “Through hypnotherapy it’s possible to get a better rate of healing among patients and so limit the amount of time they spend in treatment”.

A win-win situation it would seem? Yes, indeed. If you would like more information contact me at my Brookline MA office at 617-564-0707.

reasons for integrating hypnosis into cancer care 4

The Top 4 Reasons for Integrating Hypnotherapy into Your Cancer Treatment Plan – Part Four

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This is the final part of my Top 4 Reasons for Integrating Hypnotherapy into Your Cancer Treatment Plan

Reason 4 – Healing the root cause of the disease

brookline hypnosis, boston hypnosisWe all accept that if we are ill in any way, even with a lesser illness such as a cold, that something is not physically ‘right’ within the body; there is an imbalance somewhere.

In the case of the common cold a virus has entered the body and as the body tries to defend and rid itself from the virus we experience symptoms such as a high temperature, runny nose and a cough.

From the perspective of a hypnotherapist it is the power of the subconscious mind that governs all bodily functions and this includes your immune function.

A clinical hypnotherapist would tend to look deeper to find the root cause of your condition. It’s no coincidence that we feel down and come up with a cold for example just after periods of intense stress or worry – you may explain it away, thinking to yourself … “well I have been a bit stressed out lately”.

When you have a cold you are almost always forced to stop and rest up a bit. The subconscious mind is telling you to rest, eat well, sleep well and generally take better care of your health. Your body is telling you that you need to look after ‘you’ for a bit, that something in your life is not working for you right now.

The goal of the process I am working with in my practice is to identify and resolve or heal the subconscious stressors or the illness paradigm which weigh heavily on the immune system and suppressing it. As we know in some cases these factors can cause serious disease, even as serious as cancer.

Healing these negative subconscious stressors means igniting or reviving the natural immune response and strengthening a patient’s will to live, which is a very significant aspect in the process of healing.

The therapeutic application of hypnosis (hypnotherapy) can help a patient to experience thought process changes and strengthen their motivation to live. This is turn effects physical changes that will enhance their immune function and maybe alter the course of the disease.

This comes about because hypnosis is the most practical tool for communicating with the subconscious mind, the part of the mind where many of our beliefs are locked away.

During a session, negative thought patterns and beliefs, that are detrimental to our health or no longer serve any useful purpose, can be identified, evaluated, changed or eradicated if so desired.

Your mental processes have a direct influence on your immune system and its’ function. If we can change these negatives to positives then it is entirely possible to bring about physical changes within your body.

By going deeper, by identifying the root cause of your illness we can heal the “ghost of the disease” enabling the body to follow suit.

reasons for integrating hypnosis into cancer care 3

The Top 4 Reasons for Integrating Hypnotherapy into Your Cancer Treatment Plan – Part Three

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Continuing onwards let’s take a look at my third top reason for combining hypnotherapy with your regular cancer treatment plan.

Reason 3 – Hypnosis is safe

Boston hypnosisThe therapeutic application of hypnosis (hypnotherapy) is a natural procedure that makes use of already existing resources i.e. your mind. The practice of hypnosis is therefore safe – it is non invasive, drug-less and painless.

In hypnosis we use the mind to heal the body instead of a surgical knife, the beam of radiation or the waves of chemotherapy. We leave that stuff to the medical experts and concentrate on the mind, targeting the root cause of the disease rather than its symptom.

We use the power of thoughts, emotions and imagery to intervene and influence change within the body. The particular hypnotic protocol I work with called ‘regression to cause’ can be seen as an emotional operation but one that leaves no scars and is very safe.

It requires no drugs or anesthesia, there are no side effects, there’s no pain, there’s no recovery time, no fatigue and thus no interruption to your quality of life.

As long as you visit a reputable and qualified hypnotherapist you are in safe hands. With hypnotherapy you remain in control at all times as you are guided into a state of focused attention and a heightened state of belief.

In this state your mind or rather subconscious mind can more readily identify, recall and review or change harmful impressions and conditioning. These are the non physical aspects of the disease; its blue print if you will upon the material structure of the tumor is erected. Change the blue print and you get a whole different structure, a healthy one.

Hypnosis is not mind control; you cannot be forced to be in hypnosis. It is more like allowing yourself to follow, to be guided into this state and be immersed in it. This is similar to the fact you can’t force someone to have fun, they need to allow themselves to be present, let their guard down and enjoy.

Many people with cancer or other chronic illness have made an informed choice to integrate hypnotherapy into their treatment plan because they feel they have nothing to lose and much to gain.

Studies have shown that receiving hypnotherapy alongside cancer treatment can help to reduce symptoms of:

• pain
• nausea and vomiting
• depression
• anxiety
• stress

I have included links to two such studies below:

Article # 1

Article # 2

Furthermore some doctors and dentists now have training in hypnotherapy, thus proving that hypnosis is becoming recognized and accepted by the medical professions for the powerful healing force that it is.

Hypnotherapy is safe, it is proven effective and it may just help you to cope that much better during your own healing process.

reasons for integrating hypnosis into cancer care 2

The Top 4 Reasons for Integrating Hypnotherapy into Your Cancer Treatment Plan – Part Two

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Less Medication.

Continuing from my last blog, let’s look at the second most important reason for incorporating the practice of hypnotherapy into your cancer treatment plan. As readers of my blog already know, I fully acknowledge that more and more people overcome cancer because of the powerful advancements made in traditional, conventional medicine.alternative cancer specialist Boston

Having said that, certain reports reveal that in some cases, when a patient does not recover or recovers slowly, it is not the disease itself that the individual succumbs to. Rather, the patient’s body cannot cope with medical treatment’s side effects that impede the healing process. What’s more, the build-up to surgery, chemo, and radiation can be extremely emotionally taxing, and as we know, chronic psychological stress can also impair healing.

With this in mind, hypnotherapy can address this crucial emotional issue and could affect a person’s recovery.

Reason 2 – Lessening the amount of medical intervention needed

Research undertaken on hypnosis and surgery proves that patients using hypnotherapy in preparation for the surgery needed less anesthesia and medication during this process, AND they healed much faster from surgery than the control group – sometimes a full nine days faster.* That is very significant.

Using hypnosis before medical treatment or surgery can help decrease the worries and fears a person may experience during the treatment. The majority of fear stems from the feeling of being out of control. In a person with cancer, this fear may manifest as the feeling that the body is in a deteriorating state of health and that nothing can be done to halt this.

Hypnosis can guide your subconscious mind into claiming your role in the recovery process and thus give you back a sense of control.

The hypnosis process is often accompanied by physical, emotional, and relaxation, which help relieve stress and tension. Therefore, regular hypnosis sessions will help the individual relax deeply, which can significantly affect the body’s immune system function.

In simpler terms, hypnosis can help you to feel better. If you feel better, you are more likely to heal better.

Hypnosis can be used to address the psychological impact of medical treatment. In this respect, using it as part of your cancer treatment plan may lessen the medical intervention or medicine you ultimately need.

* http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6969298.stm