A cancer diagnosis can bring enormous change. Alongside the physical demands of investigations and treatment, you may find yourself dealing with anxiety, uncertainty, disrupted sleep, difficult procedures, treatment-related symptoms or worries about what the future holds.
Hypnotherapy for cancer patients is a complementary approach designed to support your psychological and emotional wellbeing alongside your medical care.
Whether you have recently been diagnosed, are undergoing treatment, preparing for a procedure, recovering from treatment or adjusting to life afterwards, Paul offers compassionate, professional hypnotherapy tailored to you and your circumstances.
Sessions are available in person and online.
! Important: Hypnotherapy does not treat or cure cancer and should never be used as a replacement for appropriate medical treatment. Paul does not diagnose cancer, treat cancer itself or advise you to alter treatment prescribed by your medical team. Hypnotherapy is used as a complementary approach alongside conventional medical care.
Cancer affects much more than the body.
A diagnosis can sometimes leave you feeling that events are happening to you: appointments, scans, tests, procedures and treatments can quickly become part of everyday life.
Hypnotherapy can provide a space in which the focus returns to you — your thoughts, your emotional responses and the things you would like to feel more able to manage.
Depending on your individual circumstances, hypnotherapy may be used to support areas such as:
It is understandable to experience anxiety at different stages of the cancer journey.
You may be worrying about treatment, test results, your family, the future or whether cancer might return.
Hypnosis and psychological techniques can be used to encourage relaxation, develop coping strategies and help you respond differently to anxious thoughts and feelings.
For some people, particular aspects of treatment become especially difficult.
These can include:
Hypnotherapy can help you develop techniques for remaining calmer and feeling more in control when approaching these situations.
Hypnosis has also been researched around medical and surgical procedures.
Where appropriate, hypnotherapy can be used alongside your medical care to help with relaxation, anxiety and psychological preparation before a procedure, as well as supporting emotional wellbeing during recovery.
It is not a substitute for anaesthesia, medication, pain relief or any other aspect of your medical treatment.
Hypnosis has been studied as a complementary intervention for a number of symptoms experienced by people receiving cancer treatment.
Depending on your circumstances and with appropriate medical care, hypnotherapy may be explored as additional support for difficulties such as:
Any new, unexplained or worsening symptom should always be discussed with your medical team.
Hypnosis has a long history of research in relation to pain.
For someone undergoing cancer treatment, hypnosis may be used alongside conventional pain management to develop relaxation, attention-management and psychological coping strategies.
Pain should always be medically assessed and appropriately treated. Hypnotherapy is complementary to, rather than a replacement for, medical pain management.
Finishing treatment does not necessarily mean that the emotional impact of cancer immediately disappears.
For some people, fear of cancer recurrence can become a significant source of anxiety.
A forthcoming scan, an anniversary, an unfamiliar sensation in the body or even hearing somebody else's cancer story can trigger worry.
Hypnotherapy and psychological techniques may help you develop a different relationship with these thoughts and reduce the amount of your life that is dominated by fear.
Greatest Mindset is Paul's approach to helping people discover and use their own psychological resources.
Hypnosis isn't about somebody else taking control of your mind.
Instead, it can involve focused attention, imagination, relaxation and psychological techniques to help you develop useful responses to difficult situations.
This can be particularly valuable during the cancer journey, when circumstances can sometimes feel outside your control.
The aim isn't to tell you to “think positively” or pretend that difficult emotions don't exist.
It is to help you discover ways of responding to your circumstances that may make them easier to manage.
Yes. Hypnosis has been the subject of clinical research in oncology and related healthcare settings.
Research has investigated its use as a complementary intervention for areas including anxiety, pain, nausea, fatigue, sleep and quality of life.
A systematic review by Franch and colleagues examining applications of hypnosis as an adjunct in oncology settings reported generally favourable findings across the studies reviewed, while also highlighting limitations in the available research and the need for further high-quality studies.
Other research and reviews have investigated hypnosis in relation to cancer-related symptoms, procedures, surgery and treatment experiences.
The evidence does not show that hypnosis cures cancer, removes tumours or should replace conventional cancer treatment.
Rather, the clinically relevant question is:
Can hypnosis, used appropriately alongside medical care, help some people cope better with particular psychological or treatment-related difficulties associated with cancer?
Research suggests that it may be a useful complementary approach for some people and some symptoms, although results vary and hypnosis is not appropriate or effective for everyone.
When you are dealing with something as important as cancer, choosing an appropriately trained practitioner matters.
Paul is a qualified and experienced hypnotherapy practitioner who works within professional and ethical standards.
The intention is always to work alongside your medical care, never instead of it.
Paul will not advise you to stop medication, discontinue treatment or disregard the recommendations of your oncologist, GP or other healthcare professionals.
Where something falls outside the appropriate scope of hypnotherapy, you will be encouraged to discuss it with the relevant healthcare professional.
You do not necessarily need to travel to access support.
Paul offers online hypnotherapy sessions, allowing people to work with him from their own home and making sessions accessible to clients in many locations.
This can be particularly helpful when travelling is difficult or when treatment, fatigue or other circumstances make attending appointments in person less convenient.
In-person sessions are also available.
Cancer can occupy an enormous amount of space in your life.
But you are still you.
Hypnotherapy cannot change a cancer diagnosis, and it cannot replace the medical treatment you need.
What it may be able to do is help you work with some of the fear, anxiety, thoughts, emotions and treatment-related experiences that accompany the journey.
The goal is simple: to help you access more of your own psychological resources at a time when you may need them most.
If you are considering hypnotherapy for yourself or someone you care about, you are welcome to get in touch and ask questions before deciding whether it feels right for you. There is no assumption that hypnotherapy is suitable for everyone.
The first step is simply finding out whether Paul may be able to help with the particular difficulty you are experiencing.
Contact Paul to find out more about hypnotherapy support during or after cancer treatment.
In-Person and Online
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