Talking about living with cancer, or talking and moving in-sync with your body can offer relief and lead to new insights about yourself. Not everyone likes joining group activities for healing mind and body, so an approach that lets you move in therapy and includes physical impulses and sensations can make an impact. Whether you prefer talking or moving in your therapy, psycho-oncology is my specialty.Talking with family members and friends, or privately manage your experiences of discomfort may not go far enough in really allowing you to unburden yourself. Call me to discuss the options at (206) 588-5890.
Body Image and Self-Concept = Self-Esteem
It is rare for an oncologist to ask you “how is your body image doing?” But it makes total sense. Cancer treatments and treatment side effects can lead to body image problems, and changes in bodily sensation can extend past the breast area into the whole body. Some people find it difficult to look in the mirror, answer the door, and just don’t know how to feel.
Cancer Research Study using Movement: People Felt Better After Doing Movement
Medical dance/movement therapy has promising research support for improving body image wellness for people with cancer. Here are a few comments from women who tried it five times in two weeks.
- “I am working on taking responsibility for my body image. I have a different view of what I want to be and I am taking pride in the baby steps I am taking to better my body to respond to the things I want to do in life.”
- “I liked how you enveloped my mood, shared my tired feeling and kept my session on the same level as my mood and low energy level.”
- “I thought about how I came to each session and left my work and worry behind. I began to drive slower and make decisions slower, I just sort of slowed down and thought about my actions and decisions whether at work or home.”
- “I experienced this to be a good tool to use throughout my cancer treatment and beyond to get in touch with my internal rhythms and use these as part of my healing and connecting more fully with my mind, body, and spirit.”