Emotional Wellbeing

Psilocybin-assisted therapy has produced some of the most compelling results in cancer psychology. Landmark double-blind RCTs at Johns Hopkins and NYU (2016, 2022) showed that a single high-dose psilocybin session produced rapid, substantial, and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, and existential distress in cancer patients effects that persisted for 612 months after one or two sessions. Participants reported mystical-type experiences that profoundly shifted their relationship with mortality, fear, and suffering. This is now considered a breakthrough therapy for cancer-related existential distress.

Ketamine is the only psychedelic-adjacent compound with FDA approval (as esketamine/Spravato for treatment-resistant depression). In cancer care it serves a dual role: as a rapid-acting antidepressant for treatment-resistant depression in oncology patients, and as a pain adjunct that can reduce opioid requirements. Unlike traditional antidepressants which take weeks, ketamine produces antidepressant effects within hours critical for cancer patients whose time is limited. Multiple palliative care centres now offer ketamine infusions as standard of care for refractory cancer-related depression.

MDMA-assisted therapy is showing transformative results for PTSD including PTSD resulting from a cancer diagnosis, traumatic treatment experiences, or medical trauma. Phase 3 clinical trials by MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) showed 67% of PTSD patients no longer met diagnostic criteria after 3 MDMA sessions. The mechanism is distinct from psilocybin MDMA reduces fear response while maintaining memory access, allowing traumatic memories to be processed without being overwhelmed.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based trauma therapy endorsed by the WHO, APA, and NHS. It is particularly relevant for cancer patients who often develop PTSD-spectrum symptoms from the trauma of diagnosis, invasive procedures, chemotherapy, or hospitalisations. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones) while the patient holds traumatic memories in mind this appears to mimic the memory reconsolidation process that occurs during REM sleep, allowing traumatic memories to lose their emotional charge.

Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (MCP) was developed specifically for cancer patients by Dr. William Breitbart at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It is rooted in Viktor Frankl's logotherapy the existential philosophy that meaning can be found even in suffering. Multiple RCTs in advanced cancer patients show MCP significantly reduces existential distress, spiritual suffering, and depression, while increasing a sense of meaning, peace, and quality of life. It directly addresses the 'why am I here?' and 'what is the point now?' questions that cancer forces patients to confront.

MBSR was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at UMass Medical School and is one of the most extensively researched mind-body interventions in cancer care. Multiple meta-analyses show it significantly reduces anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbance in cancer patients, while improving quality of life and immune function. MBSR teaches patients to observe their experience with non-judgmental awareness fundamentally changing their relationship with pain, fear, and uncertainty. It is recommended in oncology guidelines in the USA, UK, and Canada.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is particularly powerful for the unique psychological challenges of cancer especially the inability to control the future and the pervasive fear of recurrence. Unlike traditional CBT which challenges negative thoughts, ACT teaches psychological flexibility: accepting what cannot be changed, defusing from unhelpful thoughts without being controlled by them, and committing to values-driven action despite uncertainty. Multiple RCTs show ACT reduces fear of cancer recurrence, generalised anxiety, and depression in cancer survivors.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) was developed by trauma therapist Dr. Peter Levine, based on his observation that animals in the wild rarely develop PTSD because they complete the physiological fight-or-flight response through their bodies (shaking, trembling). Cancer patients often undergo procedures, surgeries, and chemotherapy without any opportunity to discharge the biological stress response creating a 'frozen' or 'braced' nervous system. SE works directly with the body's sensations to complete interrupted survival responses and restore nervous system regulation.

Dignity Therapy was developed by Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov at the University of Manitoba specifically for patients facing life-limiting illness. It is a brief, structured interview that guides patients through a life review recording their story, values, lessons, and messages they wish to leave for loved ones. The interview is transcribed and edited into a 'generativity document' (a legacy document) given to the patient and their family. Studies show it reduces distress, increases sense of meaning, dignity, and purpose, and significantly helps family members in bereavement.

Art therapy uses the creative process drawing, painting, collage, sculpture as a medium for emotional expression and healing. For cancer patients who struggle to articulate their experience verbally, art-making bypasses cognitive defences and accesses emotions directly. Multiple studies in oncology settings show art therapy reduces anxiety, depression, and pain perception, while improving quality of life. It is particularly valuable for processing body image changes (mastectomy, hair loss, stomas) and for children and adolescents with cancer who may not have language for their experience.

Music therapy is one of the best-evidenced complementary interventions in oncology. A Cochrane review of 52 trials found music therapy significantly reduces anxiety, pain, fatigue, and quality of life in cancer patients. It is used during chemotherapy infusions, radiotherapy, procedures, and in palliative care. Crucially, receptive music therapy (listening) is effective even for patients too ill or fatigued for active participation. Live music at the bedside (vibroacoustic therapy) has shown particular effectiveness for pain and anxiety in palliative care.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), commonly called 'Tapping', involves tapping on specific acupressure meridian points on the face and body while verbally acknowledging distressing emotions. Multiple RCTs and meta-analyses show EFT significantly reduces anxiety, PTSD symptoms, phobias, and depression with effect sizes comparable to CBT. In cancer specifically, studies show reduced anticipatory nausea and vomiting before chemotherapy, reduced procedural anxiety, and improved psychological wellbeing. It is one of the few techniques patients can learn and self-apply during treatment.

Clinical hypnotherapy has some of the strongest evidence of any mind-body intervention for cancer treatment-related side effects. A landmark Cochrane review found hypnosis significantly reduces pain, nausea, and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and procedures. The American Cancer Society recognises hypnotherapy as an evidence-based complementary intervention. It is particularly effective for children undergoing painful procedures, procedural anxiety (port access, biopsies, bone marrow aspirations), anticipatory nausea, hot flashes from hormonal therapies, and post-surgical pain.

Breathwork encompasses a range of conscious breathing techniques that directly regulate the autonomic nervous system. For cancer patients, breathwork provides an immediately accessible tool to reduce anxiety, control chemo-related nausea, improve sleep, and restore a sense of bodily agency. Techniques range from gentle coherent breathing (5.5 breaths/min) which has strong RCT evidence for anxiety and HRV improvement to deeper practices like holotropic breathwork for emotional release. Unlike most therapies, breathwork can be practised daily in bed during active treatment.

Yoga and structured exercise are among the highest-evidence interventions for cancer-related fatigue the most common and debilitating side effect of cancer treatment. Contrary to historical advice to rest, the current oncology consensus (ASCO, ACSM) recommends exercise as standard of care during and after cancer treatment. Yoga specifically has strong RCT evidence for reducing fatigue, improving sleep quality, reducing anxiety and depression, and improving quality of life. It also addresses cancer-specific physical concerns: joint stiffness from aromatase inhibitors, lymphoedema management, bone density loss, and post-surgical mobility.

The Wim Hof Method (WHM) combines cyclic hyperventilation breathing, cold exposure (ice baths or cold showers), and meditation. It became notable in medicine after a 2014 Radboud University study showed that trained practitioners could voluntarily suppress the innate immune response to an injected endotoxin previously thought impossible. In cancer care, WHM is primarily used for immune system stimulation, reducing inflammation, combating fatigue, and improving cold tolerance (relevant for patients on cold-cap therapy). NK cell activity increases measurably after acute cold exposure the most interesting mechanism from an oncology standpoint.

Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice developed by Mikao Usui in the early 20th century. The word 'Reiki' combines the Japanese words 'rei' (universal) and 'ki' (life energy). Practitioners place their hands lightly on or just above the body, with the intention of channelling healing energy to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and support the body's natural healing processes. In oncology settings, Reiki is among the most widely offered complementary therapies used at major cancer centres including Memorial Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, and the Cleveland Clinic. Clinical studies in cancer patients show consistent improvements in anxiety, pain perception, fatigue, and overall wellbeing, though the precise mechanism remains under scientific investigation. It is non-invasive, requires no undressing, and can be adapted for patients with limited mobility or those receiving treatment.

Past Life Regression (PLR) is a therapeutic technique that uses deep hypnosis or guided relaxation to help individuals access memories or experiences that are believed to originate from past lives. In the context of cancer care, PLR is used to help patients explore existential fears, release deep-seated emotional blocks, find personal meaning in their illness, and approach death with reduced fear. Pioneered in the West by Dr Brian Weiss (Many Lives, Many Masters), PLR is now offered by trained therapists and integrative medicine practitioners worldwide. Whether understood through a spiritual lens (as actual past-life memories) or a psychological lens (as the unconscious mind using symbolic narrative for healing), many participants report profound relief from existential anxiety, a stronger sense of purpose, and reduced fear of death after PLR sessions.

QHHT (Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique) was developed by Dolores Cannon over 45 years of hypnotherapy practice. It is a form of deep somnambulistic hypnosis that guides clients into the deepest level of the hypnotic state (the Somnambulistic level, typically only reached during sleep) where access to what Cannon called the 'Higher Self' or 'Subconscious' becomes possible. Through QHHT, clients explore past lives, between-lives states, or symbolic scenes that their Higher Self presents as most relevant for healing. Many participants report spontaneous physical, emotional, and spiritual healings — including in terminal illness contexts. QHHT is used by cancer patients seeking deeper understanding of their illness, resolution of existential fear, and spiritual meaning-making around their diagnosis and treatment journey.

The Akashic Records (from the Sanskrit word 'akasha' — sky, space, ether) are understood in many spiritual traditions as an energetic or vibrational library containing the complete record of every soul's journey across all lifetimes. An Akashic Records Reading is a guided spiritual practice in which a trained reader enters a meditative or prayerful state and accesses information from a client's soul record to offer insights about their life purpose, recurring patterns, current challenges (including illness), and soul-level guidance. In cancer care, Akashic Records work is used to help patients understand their illness from a soul perspective, release karmic patterns or emotional blocks that may be contributing to their condition, and find peace and meaning in their experience. It is deeply personal, non-denominational, and can be profoundly comforting for patients in existential crisis.

Neery Healing (also known as Neery Quantum Healing) is a contemporary energy healing modality that combines principles from quantum physics, energy medicine, and intuitive healing. Practitioners work with the client's biofield — the electromagnetic and subtle energy field that surrounds and permeates the body — to identify and release energetic blockages, trauma imprints, and stagnant patterns held in the body-mind system. In cancer care, Neery Healing is used as a complementary approach to reduce treatment-related fatigue and anxiety, support emotional processing, promote deep relaxation, and strengthen the energetic foundation of the healing process. Sessions can be conducted in person or at a distance (remote healing), as energy work is not considered to be limited by physical proximity.

Spinal Flow Technique is a gentle, non-invasive somatic healing modality developed by Australian chiropractor Dr Carli Axford, based on the principles of Network Spinal (formerly Network Spinal Analysis) developed by Dr Donald Epstein. The technique works with the spine as the body's central communication highway — the spinal cord carries the nervous system, which governs every function in the body. Using light, precise touches at specific access points along the spine and sacrum, Spinal Flow practitioners help release stored stress, tension, and trauma locked in the spinal cord and surrounding tissues. For cancer patients, Spinal Flow is used to support nervous system regulation, reduce treatment-related pain and fatigue, release the physical and emotional tension held in the body during a cancer journey, and facilitate a deeper connection between mind and body that supports healing.

Asana — the physical posture practice of yoga — is one of the most well-researched complementary therapies in oncology. Unlike general exercise, Asana practice integrates breath, mindful awareness, and precise body positioning to create a practice that simultaneously addresses the physical, neurological, and emotional dimensions of cancer recovery. Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses confirm that regular Asana practice significantly reduces cancer-related fatigue, improves sleep quality, decreases anxiety and depression, improves flexibility and strength, and enhances overall quality of life during and after treatment. Iyengar yoga, Restorative yoga, and Yoga Nidra are the most widely offered styles in cancer care settings, with props used to adapt postures for all bodies and treatment phases. Major cancer centres including MD Anderson and Memorial Sloan Kettering now offer dedicated oncology yoga programmes.