Shelley Young is a certified hypnotherapist. She is also an author and documentaryfilm maker. Shelley brings, to Recover Restore Renew, years of success stories.She has generously offered private sessions for half her usual fee. To book your private session please contact the clinic.

Hypnotherapy & Helping People Living With Cancer
What can a hypnotherapist do to help somebody who has cancer? Thehypnotherapist will want to make it clear that he or she is not expecting to "cure" aperson of cancer simply by taking them into a hypnotic trance.That said, there isplenty of evidence that hypnotherapy can help people with cancer, even if it is onlyto improve their quality of life for the time being.

The reason why hypnotherapy can be relevant is because mind, body and spirit are interconnected and any treatment needs to take this into account. The extraordinary advances in medical science have been due to a greater understanding of how the body works and this has led to an emphasis on physical treatment (radiation therapy, chemotherapy etc), but the mind has its part to play as well.
Hypnotherapy can therefore be used alongside conventional medical treatments for cancer, and for a number of different purposes, as this list shows:

1. Relaxation versus Stress

It is generally accepted that stress can reduce the effectiveness of the human immune system, so changing the body's ability to deal with cancer cells. Finding out that you have cancer is certainly stressful and, if you were not stressed before, you probably will be when you receive the diagnosis. Stress is a state of mind; you cannot control the entire external world but you can decide how you are going to react to it.
There are a number of ways of improving relaxation, and hypnotherapy is a very effective one. When you have your first hypnotherapy session you will probably be taken through a progressive relaxation, relaxing first the body and then the mind.

2. Preparation for Surgery

A common use of hypnotherapy is to help to prepare a client for surgery. A relaxed client who is expecting the operation to go well and who is expecting to recoverquickly is likely to make better progress than one who is fearful and anxious.
Many people have phobias regarding needles, hospitals and anesthetic. Hypnotherapy may help the client overcome these fears.

3. Self Confidence and Empowerment

to dominate their thinking and for them not beable to see beyond their recovery. Because they are in a situation which they have not had to face before, they may feel over-reliant on others (doctors and nursing staff) and feel they have lost control of their own lives.

Hypnotherapy may help to re-establish their self-confidence, empower them in theirdealings with others, and extend their focus to what they want to do with the rest of their lives. They will be encouraged to think about their goals (in addition to recovery), and to consider these goals when in self hypnosis. Establishing a goal as important in the unconscious mind will result in much better motivation.

4. Care Givers

A person caring for somebody they love, and having to face their illness, will certainly benefit from the relaxation techniques and understanding that a hypnotherapist can provide. A care giver may nee help to focus on their own needs as well as on those of the person they are caring for.

5. Cessation of Smoking

A cancer diagnosis will often require that an individual cease smoking immediately. Hypnotherapy can help lessen the desire to smoke.
Science Daily (Oct. 24, 2007) Hospitalized patients who smoke may be more likely to quit smoking through the use of hypnotherapy than patients using other smoking cessation methods. A new study shows that smoking patients who participated in one hypnotherapy session were more likely to be non smokers at 6 months compared with patients using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) alone or patients who quit "cold turkey".

Photos by John Savage: Proceeds from the sale of John Savage cards and photographs are donated to Sudbury Cancer Support. To purchase these beautiful cards and photographs, contact us at info@sudburycancersupport.ca

To see more of John's images go to >> http://homepage.mac.com/oldshep/Ice.html