Hypno-oncology
Our mission is to empower and provide support and assistance to those going through the cancer journey wherever they are in the world.
Accredited Hypno-Oncology Practitioners do not treat cancer or offer advice on treatment. Hypno-Oncology is an adjunct therapy to assist those going through the cancer journey. It is not a replacement for the treatment or advice given to you by your qualified medical and health professionals.
However, accredited practitioners can assist with the psychological wellbeing and potentially dealing with areas such as treatment side effects of those going through the cancer journey.
What is Hypno-oncology?
Hypno-Oncology is the therapeutic use of hypnosis and psychological techniques with those going through the cancer journey.
Accredited Hypno-Oncology Practitioners are qualified, experienced practitioners who have been further highly trained in the latest empirically evidenced approaches and techniques and have passed a rigorous exam. They have also agreed to strict professional accreditation conditions.
You can be assured when consulting with an accredited Hypno-Oncology Practitioner that you will be in safe, ethical, professional hands.
The techniques and approaches used have been researched, developed and tested over many years in academic and hospital oncology settings and have been used successfully with thousands of cancer sufferers.
What can hypno-oncology be used for ?
Hypno-Oncology has been employed for all aspects of the cancer journey including:-
Anxiety, fear and worry are common emotions that can be worked with.
Fear and phobias of aspects of treatments such as claustrophobia with scanners & masks, needle phobia and many others.
Pre & post surgery hypno-oncology could improve outlook & outcomes.
Addressing treatment side effects, including nausea, vertigo, taste issues, hot flushes, sleep issues, eating issues.
Working to assist with pain control.
Experimental areas such as guided visualisation techniques and working with the immune system psychologically.
And so much more!
What is the evidence for hypno-oncology?
There are a multitude of academic research papers espousing the usefulness and efficiency of Hypno-Oncology.
Sharma, (2017), carried out a literature review of 55 research papers looking at the clinical benefits of using hypnotherapy with cancer patients, concluding that it appeared to benefit cancer patients both physically and psychologically.
Flammer & Bogartz, (2003), concluded that hypnosis was effective for many disorders that cancer patients encounter, after carrying out a meta analysis of 57 random controlled studies of palliative care hypnosis.
Research papers indicate that hypnosis is the most used complementary therapy for addressing pain control issues.
Neron & Stephenson (2007) conclude that there is much evidence for clinical hypnosis providing a reduction in symptoms, such as pain and anxiety, in cancer settings including its use pre and post-surgery.
Montgomery G. (various dates), has carried out many positive studies into the usefulness of hypnotherapy in breast cancer cases.
Co-founder of The Association of Hypno-Oncology Practitioner, Garry Coles, carried out ground breaking UK hospital based research using presurgical hypnosis and was able to demonstrate the positive effects on the recovery quality in breast cancer operations.
There is much research indicating that the immune system can be seriously compromised causing further health issues in cancer patients which could potentially influence the course of the disease due to psychological stress, depression, anxiety etc. This area of research is known as psychoneuroimmunology (PNI).
