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About Clinical Hypnosis
About finding a reliable Hypnotherapist
About Clinical Hypnosis to help live better with cancer
About the use of mindfocusmatters audio programmes at home
About Mind Training to improve Sports Performance
About our terms and conditions of trade
FAQ
About Clinical Hypnosis
Is it safe?
Are there any side effects?
How long is a normal session?
What is trance?
How can I be sure I will return to my normal state at the end of a hypnosis session?
Can hypnotherapy make me do things I don't want to do?
Do you do regression therapy?
Canthe process dredge up unwanted material?
Are you qualified to help me deal with material from the past?
What is self-hypnosis, and how much time will I need to practise each day?
How long will it take before I see results?
What if I've had mental health problems?
what if it doesn't work?
About hypnotherapists
Is Hypnotherapy a regulated profession?
What ethical standards should I expect?
How do I find a good hypnotherapist in my area?
How do I know I can trust a therapist?
About Clinical Hypnosis to help live better with cancer
With which aspects of my life with cancer can Clinical Hypnosis help ?
Cancer brings so many different issues, and no two people are affected in the same way. But the following issues are those I meet most commonly, and can help with:
- shock and traumatic response following diagnosis
- anger - why me? why now? why wasn't it picked up sooner? Why can't I get the treatment I want?
- phobias that interfere with the treatments (needles, scanners, hospitals, people in white coats etc)
- bewilderment, panic and anxiety states and fear
- mistrust of doctors and treatments
- obsessive and recurrent thoughts 'that just wont go away'
- nausea and pain
- sleep disturbance
- mood swings and depression
- reassessing life priorities
- changes in relationships
- loss - of control, of confidence, of role, of body image etc
Can Clinical Hypnosis help me if I'm not the patient?
Yes. In fact cancer sometimes hits harder for partners, children and other close relatives than for the patient. The patient has something very real to deal with, others take control, and is the focus of all the attention of health care professionals and friends. Yet many of the issues listed under the question above often arise for family members and carers, incuding the health care professionals themselves.
Are there any cancers where Hypnotherapy is counter-indicated?
I always check with the patient's doctor with brain timours or any condition where the symptoms can include sudden changes in consciousness or awareness. Hypnotherapy will not cause damage, but a lapse into unconsciousness during therapy can obviously be difficult to handle. For similar reasons, I am cautious about working with patients suffering from epilepsy. However, after consultation, I have worked very successfully with claustrophobic symptoms for example, where patients are terrified of the mask required to hold their head steady during radiotherapy.
Is Hypnotherapy compatible with cancer treatments in the standard health care system?
Emphatically yes! Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy, and is always best undertaken in co-operation with the other health care professionals involved in treating the patient. The use of hypnosis, relaxation, imagery and suggestion are all geared to helping the patient feel more positive, more in control, and therefore more responsive to all the treatments they are receiving. Historically some health care professionals in the UK used to be suspicious of hypnotherapy and some other complementary therapies, but in the modern era, most people working in the cancer field welcome any help for the patient, especially if it strengthens their response to treatment, as hypnosis can.
Can Hypnotherapy reduce tumour size or slow down the progress of my cancer?
I would never make such claims, and I would urge great caution in dealing with those who do. I believe it is dangerously unhelpful to raise expectations that hypnotherapy offers some kind of magic alternative to what is available through the standard health care system. However, recent advances in the field of Psychoneuroimmunogy (PNI) support the notion that a number of complementary therapies, including hypnotherapy, can boost the effectiveness of the body's auto-immune system. In other words, Hypnotherapy can be extremely helpful in supporting the effectiveness of other treatments. If you want to know more about this, mail me, and I'll point you to some interesting reading. However,
How do I find a Hypnotherapist specialising in cancer work?
We are a bit thin on the ground, but do ask your oncologist, or the health care professionals in his/her team. There may be a therapist in the team, or a centre nearby. If you live in or near Sheffield, England contact the Cavendish Centre for Cancer Care http://www.cavcare.org.uk/, or if you are within reach of Bristol, England, ontact the Penny Brohn Centre www.pennybrohncancercare.org/ . Alternatively you can go to www.bsch.org.uk/ the website for the British Association of Clinical Hypnosis and follow the links to search for a specialist therapist.
Is hypnotherapy available on the NHS?
In some cases, yes. But only where a hypnotherapist is a member of the Clinical Team, and there are not many as yet. Again, the best advice is to ask your oncologist or a health care professional on his/her team. If you are referred to a hypnotherapist in private practice in the UK, you will usually be required to pay. If you have private health insurance, do ask your insurance company whether it covers hypnotherapy. I'm afraid not many schemes do, but the more requests they get, the sooner they will see the light and extend their cover!
Will a general Hypnotherapist be able to help me?
Possibly. Many of the issues confronting people whose lives are affected by cancer are within the normal range of issues most hypnotherapists meet regularly in their consulting rooms. The value of finding a specialist lies in their familiarity with cancer in its various forms, their understanding of the physical, psychological and emotional effects of the disease, and their knowledge of the systems and processes you will be involved with in the standard health care system. With a specialist you can make assumptions about their knowledge and understanding that you would otherwise need to check out.
How much will it cost?
The cost of a hypnotherapy session varies quite widely. In our private practice, charge 65 UK pounds per 1 to 1 session - which normally lasts about an hour. But if you go to a general hypnotherapist in London, England, you could pay anything up to a four figure sum (in UK pounds) for the privelege. Best advice - always ask first!
Is an audio programme a substitute for 1 to 1 therapy?
Not a substitute, but it could be an enormous help. An audio programme can't be tuned to your individual circumstances: it can't take account of your personality; it can't respond to those details of your case that would only emerge if we were talking in the consulting room. But you can use an audio programme in the comfort of your own home, and at times when you simply don't feel like getting up or going out. And many people have attested to the benefits they have gained from using these programmes.
I take great pride in the quality of the audio programmes available through this site. As a specialist in the field, I have taken great care preparing these programmes, I think you will find our programmes really helpful - if there's one that relates to your needs, why not give it a try?
About the use of mindfocusmatters audio programmes at home
About Mind Training to improve Sports Performance
About our terms and conditions of trade
