Complementary Therapies
Helping those Living with Cancer

Penny Brohn Cancer Care, formerly Bristol Cancer Help Centre, has recently moved to its new Home in Pill, near Bristol.
Named after one of its co-founders who was so inspirational to the work, the Charity provides complementary care, the Bristol Approach, to people with cancer and their loved ones. The Bristol Approach works as a natural partner to medical treatment, and is delivered by the Charity’s experienced complementary therapists alongside a team of doctors and nurses. These are offered in the form of day and residential courses and via Cancerpoint; a service for those within reasonable travelling distance of the Charity.
Penny Brohn Cancer Care, formerly Bristol Cancer Help Centre, has recently moved to its new Home in Pill, near Bristol. It has been named after one of its co-founders who was so inspirational to the work the Charity provides. The Charity offers complementary care to people with cancer, and their loved ones, working as a natural partner to medical treatment, and is delivered by the Charity’s experienced complementary therapists alongside a team of doctors and nurses. These are offered in the form of day and residential courses and via Cancerpoint; oneto-one sessions in a range of complementary therapies and self-help techniques for those within reasonable travelling distance of the Charity. Our peaceful centre nestled in four acres of lush grounds overlooking the River Avon now has the capacity to offer support to three times more people affected by cancer.
The move to Pill from Clifton came after realisation that the centre was outgrowing its premises in Bristol. The Georgian house, nestled in four acres of lush grounds overlooking the River Avon, has the capacity to offer even more to service users. The tranquil setting is conducive to the Bristol Approach with an arboretum, labyrinth and water feature in the garden and 26 en-suite bedrooms, sanctuary, demonstration kitchen, art room, shop and library in the building itself.
During a stay here, either a two-day Bristol Approach course or five-day Bristol Retreat course, people participate in both group and individual work. Group sessions include relaxation, meditation, imagery and guidance on healthy eating whilst individual work comprises of meeting a psychotherapist, nutritional therapist, healer, doctor and taking part in a small group session of art therapy (plus music therapy on a Retreat course).
These sessions, individual or group, are designed to find practical ways of helping; reducing stress and anxiety, and reducing feelings of isolation and fear by sharing similar experiences with others. They also improve knowledge of how to put together a personal plan of support, as well as knowing there is on-going support after a course via phone-in services with a doctor, nutritional therapist and nurse therapist.

The Bristol Approach to Cancer Care - Changing Life With Cancer
The Bristol Approach to cancer care combines a unique range of physical, emotional and spiritual support, working hand-in-hand with medical treatment. The Approach offers emotional support through counselling and psychotherapy, complementary therapies, like massage and healing, practical advice on healthy eating and lifestyle, and teaches stress-reducing self-help techniques such as breathwork, relaxation, meditation and guided imagery to help people change the way they live with cancer.
The self-help techniques taught on the Charity’s residential and one-day therapy courses can be learned and practiced in the home, enabling those with cancer to more easily manage the dayto-day challenges that cancer brings. These techniques provide people with very practical tools to help reduce levels of fear and anxiety in stressful situations such as waiting for test results or waking alone and fearful at night. The Bristol Approach is for close family and friends of those living with cancer too, giving them the help they need to manage their own emotional distress, and to support the person living with cancer.
A substantial part of the Bristol Approach is based on the science of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), the study of the connections between our mind (“psycho”), nervous system (“neuro”) and immune system (“immunology”). A relatively new field of neurobiology, it shows how changes in our thoughts, emotions and beliefs can bring about changes in our physical health and well-being. PNI shows that emotions such as fear, anger or shock can result in increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, which can stop the immune system from working at its best. Emerging research evidence is showing that relaxation, meditation techniques, or experiencing a gentle massage, is an immediate way to reduce stress levels and to help strengthen the immune system - which is our bodies vital first line of defence against cancer.

Complementary Therapies – What they are and how they work
The Complementary therapies offered at Penny Brohn Cancer Care are: massage, shiatsu, healing, music therapy and art therapy. A great deal of positive scientific evidence exists to support the use of massage and shiatsu therapies for people with cancer.
Massage - Generally, massage can be described as the manipulation of muscles and soft tissue. Massage for people with a cancer diagnosis is claimed to have many positive and beneficial effects, these include: improvements in psychological function (e.g. anxiety or depression reduction) or relief of physical symptoms associated with cancer (e.g. nausea and pain reduction). Massage has also been promoted to improve overall quality-of-life. The evidence suggests that massage is safe and can reduce anxiety, depression, nausea and pain in people with cancer. Massage for people with cancer is thought to benefit the immune system (which has a role in destroying cancer cells) and also lowering elevated levels of cortisol (cortisol is linked to an increase in stress).
Clinical commentary from a massage therapist at Penny Brohn Cancer Care:
“At Penny Brohn Cancer Care we have long recognised that the caring touch of an experienced bodyworker can act as a powerful catalyst for healing. Our experience convinces us that regular bodywork sessions can lead to improved physical and emotional confi dence, ease with emotional expression and a renewed sense of hope. Touch can relieve physical symptoms, help release emotions and rebuild self-esteem. Massage can give people the opportunity of living more fully in their body leading to greater acceptance of their physical and emotional circumstances, which may reduce the sense of isolation that some people experience. Massage can be powerful in restoring a sense of wholeness and balance, providing a space for fresh insight and the potential for transformation and letting go of fear.”
Shiatsu - Like acupuncture and acupressure, shiatsu is based on the traditional Chinese medicine meridian (energy channels) theory. In shiatsu the aim is to rebalance the body by using specific meridians or points on a meridian. The practitioner uses fingers, thumbs, elbows, knees and even feet, applying pressure to key points to influence and stimulate energy flow in the body. The treatment is extremely relaxing and given through your clothes so there is no need to undress.
Healing - In this context, healing does not specifically equate with the verb ‘to heal’. This therapy does not claim to heal but to sustain, restore balance, simultaneously calming and lifting the ‘spirits’. To receive healing you either lie on a couch or sit in a chair. Healers may use gentle touch but most of their work is done using their hands, a small distance away from the body.
Creative therapies - Creative therapies encompass art and music therapy, both of which are offered by The Bristol Approach. Both therapies are thought to be beneficial as they are noninvasive, and may improve immune function and uplift mood.
The team of therapists at the Centre have had many years of experience of working with people with cancer and are drawn from medical, nursing, psychotherapy and varied complementary backgrounds. They are all members of their appropriate professional body and keep updated with developments in the field of complementary care.
The Charity continues to set the standard in complementary cancer care and has the backing of leading oncologists, healthcare professionals and complementary therapists.
For further information on the Charity, please call the national Helpline on 0845 1232310 or visit our website www.PennyBrohnCancerCare.org.
For Cancerpoint contact: 01275 370 111 or email cancerpoint@pennybrohn.org