Hypnosis and Cancer

Medical research on Hypnosis :

Clients suffering from cancer have a variety of psychological and medical needs. They experience challenging emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, feelings of hopelessness and low self-esteem. The side effects of chemotherapy are also extremely difficult; they have to get through the pain, the nausea, the loss of appetite. Hypnosis can have a positive impact on these symptoms and provide the clients with a sense of hope and relief.

Recent medical research is beginning to uncover the effectiveness of hypnosis as a powerful tool in managing stress, anxiety, pain, side effects of cancer. Indeed Hypnosis can help creating new coping mechanisms and stimulating the healing process.

According to recent researches, the use of hypnosis and self-hypnosis can enhance the functioning of the immune system (article Hypnosis in Breast Cancer Care : A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials by Holger Cramer, Romy Lauche, Anna Paul, 2014).

The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis has also published studies that prove the positive effect of hypnosis on pain management and stress relief.

Why is “Humanistic Hypnosis” particularly effective in helping clients suffering from cancer?

Humanistic Hypnosis, created by the French Hypnotherapist Olivier Lockert, is a type of Hypnotherapy that is applied by unifying the person. It comes from European psychotherapy and American brief therapy, combined with deep focus on the unconscious.

Indeed the hypnotherapist uses a different kind of trance called “opening inductions” and applies the same technique used at the end of a hypnosis session to bring back the client.

With this expanded consciousness, the client feels more energized, as the trance is lighter, yet with all the same signs of trance. The person becomes fully aware of limitations and access the field of information called the “Matrix”.

As the clients describe what they are experiencing, the hypnotherapist can guide them in order to transform and release the underlying root of the illness. The person is taking charge of his or her own healing, allowing for a powerful impact on the whole self, not only on the physical or emotional planes, but also on a very deep level, by reconnecting with one’s higher self.

Therefore the person suffering from cancer can become proactive and activate what we called the “Inner Healer” to stimulate the immune system and release the emotions connected to the illness. Through hypnosis, guided imagery, a person can visualize their system fighting the cancer, reprogramming each and every cell of the body, becoming healthier.

It is essential to:

1. Identify during pre-talks with the client, traumas, unresolved feelings from the childhood, frozen energies connected to painful memories.
2. Assist the clients in letting go of these painful memories
3. Offer them a hope and a higher quality of life during their treatment through positive hypnotic suggestions to produce feelings of calm and peace
4. Enhance the immune system through Biodecoding, which is “the art of decoding the language of the cells to quick-target cellular healing”, Christian Flèche, Biodecoding Institute. Hypnosis can be used to identify ancestral memories in the DNA.
5. Help the client reconnect with his / her inner Healer. During the hypnotic trance, the inner Healer may appear as a symbol, a person or a sensation. The therapist assists the client activate this inner resource, and reprogram the cells with new information and boost the immune system.
6. Use the symbolism of Light : the energy of the sun is the most powerful energy on Earth. Using colors, energies, light, is a key in enhancing healing through positive hypnotic suggestions.

Hypnosis can be a very valuable therapeutic tool and offer a better quality of life during cancer treatments by allowing the immune system to function at a maximal capacity and releasing unresolved issues.

Florence Depret
Certified Hypnotherapist with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) and the IACT (International Association of Counselors and Therapists)
www.coachingtherapy.org