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After The Cancer Diagnosis: Finding The Inner Strength To Cope and Heal
Huntingdon Valley, PA
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Dr. Bruce Eimer
After The Cancer Diagnosis: Finding The Inner Strength To Cope and Heal
Date: May 21, 2008
Contact: Dr. Bruce Eimer. 215-947-7867. dr.eimer1@comcast.net
As soon as the doctor says the "C word", everything in the patient's life can begin to spin out of control. Cancer patients' bodies are poked, prodded, invaded, and often, parts are removed. Their time is not their own, their work is affected or lost, and family relationships change. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, his or her life is often turned upside down. While cancer patients are subjected to high tech medical/physical treatments (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy), their emotional state is usually neglected. Yet, the patient's emotional state and mental outlook can determine how well medical treatments work and the ultimate outcome. In addition to attacking cancer cells directly through invasive medical treatments, the most important treatment goal is to help the cancer patient regain emotional stability and a sense of personal empowerment.
Dr. Bruce Eimer, a board certified, licensed clinical psychologist with offices in Huntingdon Valley and Abington, Pennsylvania, uses a multi-modal treatment approach in counseling cancer patients. After assessing a patient's coping resources, he designs a treatment plan that focuses on the patient's behavior, emotions, senses, images, attitude, thoughts, beliefs, expectations, spirituality, faith, and social support.
Cancer patients often need to vent their feelings with a compassionate listener, but they also need to find coping strategies that fit their personality. These can include following a structured activity schedule, taking time to pray or meditate, learning how to use healing imagery, responding to negative thoughts through the use of positive self-talk and positive affirmations, realistic problem solving, and gathering social support.
Dr. Eimer points out that sometimes following a strong role model can help. For example, one cancer patient in Dr. Eimer's practice found inspiration from Senator Edward Kennedy who, one day after learning he had a malignant brain tumor, walked out of the hospital appearing strong and decisive. Dr. Eimer has found clinically that cancer patient quality of life is improved by having a sense of hope, a sense of control, knowing that life has meaning and purpose, and believing that life has been productive.
In a study by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, published in the American Cancer Society's journal, "Cancer Practice", patients coping with advanced cancer reported that their emotions and thoughts often varied from minute to minute and from day to day. Dr. Eimer also uses hypnosis as a tool to help cancer patients gain control over their thoughts and emotions and to find the inner strength to cope and heal. Hypnosis helps the patient enter a relaxed state of focused concentration in which the mind is especially receptive to therapeutic affirmations, suggestions, and images. After the patient is hypnotized in his office, Dr. Eimer teaches the patient how to perform the technique on his or her own at home. This is called self-hypnosis and it gives the cancer patient greater control over his or her own experience.
One hypnotic imagery technique is to have the patient imagine his body healing itself by eating up the cancer cells like Pac-Man eating pac-dots. One hypnotic pain relief technique is to have the patient mentally go to a place of comfort and vividly imagine comforting sensations and experiences. Another hypnotic technique guides the patient on an inward journey to find his or her reserves of inner strength. In the highly suggestible state of hypnosis, cancer patients are also helped to find their higher wisdom to resolve inner conflicts, feel more confident and decisive, find greater motivation to take the steps to heal, work through unpleasant memories, remove negative suggestions, let go of fears, and find forgiveness and love. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis are also used to help cancer patients prepare for surgery and cope with the side effects of difficult medical treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.
More information about hypnotic techniques for cancer patients is available in Dr. Eimer's books, "Hypnotize Yourself Out Of Pain Now!" (Crown House Publishing, 2008), "Brief Cognitive Hypnosis" (Springer Publishing Company, 2002), and "Pain Management Psychotherapy: A Practical Guide" (John Wiley, 1998).
To interview Dr. Eimer, please call 215.947.7867, or e-mail dr.eimer1@comcast.net.
# # #
About Dr. Bruce Eimer: Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., is a board certified licensed clinical psychologist who has devoted his practice over the past 20 years to developing hypnotherapy treatments for chronic pain management, chronic illness, anxiety disorders, depression, traumatic stress, smoking cessation, weight loss, and more. Dr. Eimer is a Fellow and Approved Consultant with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and a Board Certified Diplomat in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology. For more information, visit www.hypnosishelpcenter.net, call 215.947.7867, or e-mail dr.eimer1@comcast.net.
Date: May 21, 2008
Contact: Dr. Bruce Eimer. 215-947-7867. dr.eimer1@comcast.net
As soon as the doctor says the "C word", everything in the patient's life can begin to spin out of control. Cancer patients' bodies are poked, prodded, invaded, and often, parts are removed. Their time is not their own, their work is affected or lost, and family relationships change. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, his or her life is often turned upside down. While cancer patients are subjected to high tech medical/physical treatments (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy), their emotional state is usually neglected. Yet, the patient's emotional state and mental outlook can determine how well medical treatments work and the ultimate outcome. In addition to attacking cancer cells directly through invasive medical treatments, the most important treatment goal is to help the cancer patient regain emotional stability and a sense of personal empowerment.
Dr. Bruce Eimer, a board certified, licensed clinical psychologist with offices in Huntingdon Valley and Abington, Pennsylvania, uses a multi-modal treatment approach in counseling cancer patients. After assessing a patient's coping resources, he designs a treatment plan that focuses on the patient's behavior, emotions, senses, images, attitude, thoughts, beliefs, expectations, spirituality, faith, and social support.
Cancer patients often need to vent their feelings with a compassionate listener, but they also need to find coping strategies that fit their personality. These can include following a structured activity schedule, taking time to pray or meditate, learning how to use healing imagery, responding to negative thoughts through the use of positive self-talk and positive affirmations, realistic problem solving, and gathering social support.
Dr. Eimer points out that sometimes following a strong role model can help. For example, one cancer patient in Dr. Eimer's practice found inspiration from Senator Edward Kennedy who, one day after learning he had a malignant brain tumor, walked out of the hospital appearing strong and decisive. Dr. Eimer has found clinically that cancer patient quality of life is improved by having a sense of hope, a sense of control, knowing that life has meaning and purpose, and believing that life has been productive.
In a study by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, published in the American Cancer Society's journal, "Cancer Practice", patients coping with advanced cancer reported that their emotions and thoughts often varied from minute to minute and from day to day. Dr. Eimer also uses hypnosis as a tool to help cancer patients gain control over their thoughts and emotions and to find the inner strength to cope and heal. Hypnosis helps the patient enter a relaxed state of focused concentration in which the mind is especially receptive to therapeutic affirmations, suggestions, and images. After the patient is hypnotized in his office, Dr. Eimer teaches the patient how to perform the technique on his or her own at home. This is called self-hypnosis and it gives the cancer patient greater control over his or her own experience.
One hypnotic imagery technique is to have the patient imagine his body healing itself by eating up the cancer cells like Pac-Man eating pac-dots. One hypnotic pain relief technique is to have the patient mentally go to a place of comfort and vividly imagine comforting sensations and experiences. Another hypnotic technique guides the patient on an inward journey to find his or her reserves of inner strength. In the highly suggestible state of hypnosis, cancer patients are also helped to find their higher wisdom to resolve inner conflicts, feel more confident and decisive, find greater motivation to take the steps to heal, work through unpleasant memories, remove negative suggestions, let go of fears, and find forgiveness and love. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis are also used to help cancer patients prepare for surgery and cope with the side effects of difficult medical treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.
More information about hypnotic techniques for cancer patients is available in Dr. Eimer's books, "Hypnotize Yourself Out Of Pain Now!" (Crown House Publishing, 2008), "Brief Cognitive Hypnosis" (Springer Publishing Company, 2002), and "Pain Management Psychotherapy: A Practical Guide" (John Wiley, 1998).
To interview Dr. Eimer, please call 215.947.7867, or e-mail dr.eimer1@comcast.net.
# # #
About Dr. Bruce Eimer: Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., is a board certified licensed clinical psychologist who has devoted his practice over the past 20 years to developing hypnotherapy treatments for chronic pain management, chronic illness, anxiety disorders, depression, traumatic stress, smoking cessation, weight loss, and more. Dr. Eimer is a Fellow and Approved Consultant with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and a Board Certified Diplomat in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology. For more information, visit www.hypnosishelpcenter.net, call 215.947.7867, or e-mail dr.eimer1@comcast.net.
Dr. Bruce Eimer
President
Alternative Behavior Associates
Huntingdon Valley, PA
215-947-7867
215-947-7860
First Url: www.hypnosishelpcenter.net
