Cancer Treatment Support

When someone receives a diagnosis of cancer, it is often very frightening and many questions instantly arise.  What is the prognosis?  What are the treatment options?  How is this going to affect me and my family?  What else can I do to help make treatments more effective?

Hypnosis and stress management are two ways to support any cancer treatment protocol.  Both can reduce fear and anxiety, help to manage chemotherapy side effects more efficiently, enhance healthy lifestyle changes, and provide treatment specific support tools.

Research has demonstrated that hypnosis, as an adjunct therapy, can be helpful in treating cancer.  It can be used to explore the meaning of the illness for the individual, resolve feelings of guilt, sadness, or anger, and help the patient connect with their subconscious healing resources.   Hypnosis has also been used to reduce chemotherapy side effects including nausea and vomiting.  Patients can be taught self-hypnosis to reduce negative side effects before, during, and after treatments.  A study conducted in 2008 (Schnur, et al. 2008) found presurgery hypnosis to be an effective means of controlling presurgical stress in women awaiting diagnostic breast cancer surgery.  The latter part of this page provides links to many other studies related to the use of hypnosis and other complementary cancer treatement support therapies.

Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can all weaken the immune system so any therapy or techniques that support the immune system can be beneficial in promoting recovery and healing.  Self-hypnosis and biofeedback are two evidence-based therapies that can support the immune system by signficantly reducing the negative impacts of stress.  The therapies are easily learned and can be safely intregrated into any treatment program.   Debbie is proficient with both therapies and she helps patients use them through personalized support services.

One unique way to use hypnosis to support cancer treatments is recording one or more CD's customized to meet specific patient needs.  CD's can be used in many different ways, including preparation for surgery, support during radiation treatments and chemotherapy infusions, and recovery upon completion of chemotherapy / radiation sessions.   In most cases, a personalized CD can be created during the first session with Debbie.

Important Message:  Debbie's work is intended to complement medical treatment and is not a replacement for medical treatment.  Debbie strongly believes in a holistic approach to cancer treatment and will work with clients to connect them with other healing therapies / therapists that are outside her scope of practice.   Clients are expected to continue their cancer care with their oncologist or primary healthcare provider (MD / ND) while working with Debbie on complementary cancer treatment therapies.

First Session - What to Expect

Debbie customizes her cancer treatment support to meet the needs of each individual client.  In the first session she will get to know you and your specific concerns as part of gathering an extensive history.  She will review your current medications and treatments and find out what your goals are.  She will then discuss potential therapies and techniques as you work together to create a cancer treatment support protocol that will best meet your needs.  Hypnosis, guided imagery, biofeedback, and personalized CD's are examples of some of the effective therapies and techniques that may be explored.  Debbie works hard to create a safe, peaceful, and healing environment starting with the very first session.  Once a treatment support protocol has been created it's time to put the plan into action.

Payment Options

Accepted methods of payment are Cash, Check, Visa, and Mastercard.  Debbie does not accept insurance.  However, as a Washington State licensed Nurse Practitioner she can provide clients with receipts that they can turn into their insurance company for possible reimbursement. In appreciation for all that they do, US active and retired military personnel receive a $25 discount off their first session with Debbie.  Thanks to those who serve!

“He who has a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” Friedrich Nietzsche