Sometimes the hardest moments are between appointments: waiting for results, thinking about the next procedure, or trying to sleep while your mind keeps returning to what might happen.
Start with one appointment. We'll discuss your concerns, what you have tried, and how hypnosis might help with the part of the experience I work with.
$150 for a 50-minute session. Book and pay online. No package required.
You may already have an excellent oncology team. Still, there can be an emotional and physical toll that is difficult to explain to anyone who has not lived through it. That is the part of your experience I want to understand.
Support for the person living through treatment
You may feel tense before a scan, unable to settle the night before treatment, or caught in a cycle of anticipatory worry. Hypnosis can be used as supportive care to work with stress, distress, and learned reactions. It does not fight tumors, replace cancer treatment, or guarantee relief from treatment side effects.
What does research say about hypnosis in cancer care?
Cancer-related hypnosis research has studied different settings, from anxiety before procedures to pain and distress around treatment. Some of the strongest evidence concerns procedure-related anxiety and pain. Benefits found in those studies cannot automatically be generalized to every symptom or every type of cancer.
What the best studies tell us
A joint Society for Integrative Oncology–ASCO guideline supports hypnosis for procedure-related anxiety. The guideline states hypnosis may be offered to reduce anxiety during cancer-related diagnostic and treatment procedures, based on intermediate-quality evidence. [1]
A separate oncology pain guideline also supports hypnosis for procedural pain. The recommendation applies to pain experienced during cancer-related procedures, not to treating cancer itself or all persistent cancer pain. [2]
A randomized study of 200 breast-surgery patients found lower distress and several side-effect ratings after a brief hypnosis intervention. Other trials and reviews report encouraging results for selected outcomes, but treatment settings and intervention protocols differ. [4, 5]
Published results are averages or group comparisons, not guarantees. Study protocols and participant groups differ from an individualized appointment.
What I can help you work with
- Anticipatory worry before appointments, scans, or procedures
- Stress that follows you home after treatment
- Difficulty settling your mind at night
- Learned responses to medical settings and uncertainty
- Finding steadier ways to meet the next step in your care
What matters to you matters to me. I will listen carefully, identify a useful goal with you, and use individualized hypnosis when appropriate. I have practiced hypnosis since 1996 and conducted more than 44,000 sessions. I will not promise a cure or a particular outcome, but I can help you work on the distress and learned responses that are within the scope of this practice.
What happens at your first session?
We begin with one 50-minute working appointment, not a sales consultation. I want to understand your goals, the situations that bring on your difficulties, and what you have already tried. When appropriate, we begin hypnosis that day. I recommend a follow-up after the first hypnosis experience, generally within 72 hours, to review your response and decide whether more sessions would be useful.
My approach moves through discovery, focused transformation, and integration into everyday life. The goal is progress, reassessment when needed, and an endpoint—not indefinite appointments. Read about the process.
Hypnosis works alongside your healthcare
Your oncologist and treatment team remain responsible for diagnosis, treatment, medication, symptom evaluation, and emergencies. Do not postpone tests or change cancer treatment because of hypnosis. Fever during chemotherapy, uncontrolled symptoms, new severe pain, or urgent medical concerns require prompt medical attention. I provide adjunctive hypnotherapy for distress and learned responses, not oncology treatment, psychiatric care, psychological treatment, or psychotherapy. Coordination with your clinicians can be discussed with appropriate authorization.
Questions you may have
Does hypnosis treat cancer?
No. Hypnosis is not cancer treatment. It may help address stress and learned responses associated with the experience of cancer care.
Can I continue chemotherapy, radiation, or other treatment?
Yes. Hypnotherapy is intended to complement your prescribed care, not replace or interrupt it.
Can my oncology team refer me?
Yes. I welcome referrals and can discuss appropriate coordination with your healthcare team when you authorize it.
Do I need to commit to a package?
No. Each appointment is $150 for 50 minutes and is prepaid when you book online. There is no required package.
Can a healthcare professional refer me?
Yes. I welcome referrals and respect your practitioner's medical role. Information for referring healthcare professionals.
A practical place to begin
There is no need to decide on a long course of sessions today. If the stress, anticipation, or learned responses are getting in the way of your life, we can start with one appointment and see what is appropriate for you.
$150 per 50-minute session. No package required.
Selected References
Ten selected peer-reviewed research papers and professional guidelines. Reviews, studies of specific populations, and clinical recommendations are identified separately in the descriptions above. Some studies examine protocols or settings different from the service offered here.
- Society for Integrative Oncology and ASCO. Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023. Read publication ↗
- Society for Integrative Oncology and ASCO. Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology: Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2022. Read publication ↗
- Authors of the meta-analysis. The Effect of Hypnosis on Anxiety in Patients With Cancer: A Meta-Analysis. Oncology Nursing Forum. 2017. Read publication ↗
- Authors of the systematic review. Hypnosis in breast cancer care: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2014. Read publication ↗
- Montgomery GH et al. A randomized clinical trial of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast surgery patients. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2007. Read publication ↗
- Lang EV et al. Adjunctive self-hypnotic relaxation for outpatient medical procedures: a prospective randomized trial with women undergoing large core breast biopsy. Pain. 2006. Read publication ↗
- Montgomery GH et al. Randomized controlled trial of a cognitive-behavioral therapy plus hypnosis intervention to control fatigue in patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2014. Read publication ↗
- Mendoza ME et al. Randomized controlled trial of the Valencia model of waking hypnosis plus CBT for pain, fatigue, and sleep management in patients with cancer and cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology. 2017. Read publication ↗
- Authors of the randomized trial. Preoperative Hypnosis versus Mindfulness for Reducing Postoperative Symptoms in Breast Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Peer-reviewed clinical trial. 2026. Read publication ↗
- Elkins G et al. Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2008. Read publication ↗
The papers support consideration of hypnosis in specified clinical contexts; they do not establish that an individual appointment will reproduce a trial's outcomes or replace medical diagnosis and treatment.