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Penny Brohn Cancer Care: Helping people with cancer and their supporters

Complementary care for people with cancer

Penny Brohn Cancer Care, formerly Bristol Cancer Help Centre, has 28 years experience of delivering complementary care to people living with cancer and their loved ones. The Charity’s ethos, the Bristol Approach, works as a natural partner to mainstream medical treatment and is delivered by an experienced team of complementary therapists alongside a team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, psychotherapists and counsellors.

What is the Bristol Approach?

The Charity recognises that when people are faced with a cancer diagnosis it raises a multitude of issues and emotions; often medical treatment alone is not enough. Cancer is the start of both a medical and emotional journey, and many people benefit from finding support for themselves and their families.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care combines a unique range of physical, emotional and spiritual support in order to promote wellbeing in the presence of illness. Complementary therapies at the Centre include shiatsu, aromatherapy massage, reflexology, music, therapy, art therapy and healings. Specialist support is offered by our nutritionists and other healthcare professionals in the form of healthy eating and cooking information, psychotherapy/counselling sessions and doctor sessions. In addition, the practical self-help tools taught at the Centre such as relaxation, meditation and breathing techniques can be practised at home, enabling those with cancer to manage day-to-day challenges more easily and to benefit more fully from their medical treatment.

Our practical advice and emotional support is also offered to close family or friends who may also need support to manage their own emotional distress and to give them the strength to cope with everyday challenges of supporting a loved one living with cancer.

The science behind the Charity’s approach

The Bristol Approach is based upon the research into Psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI), the study of the connections between our mind (psycho), nervous system (neuro) and immune system (immunology). Increasingly evidence shows that 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. It is unrealistic to think that we can eliminate these emotions from our lives and so it is important to find ways to manage these natural responses to life’s challenges. 

Evidence indicates that relaxation, meditation, creative pursuits or the experience of a massage provides an immediate way to reduce stress levels which helps to strengthen the body’s immune system, our first line of defence against fighting cancer.

Creative therapies such as art and music therapy are designed to be fun, non-invasive and beneficial, as they are thought to be uplifting to moods and improve immune function.

Evidence also suggests that the level of nourishment of a person diagnosed with cancer can influence the effectiveness of their medical treatments and the way in which they cope with these treatments. A healthy eating plan will help provide the body with sufficient levels of nutrients to ensure a good level of nourishment and help guarantee intake of the vital nutrients required to support the body’s immune and repair functions, which can become weakened due to the cancer or its necessary medical treatments.

What’s on offer

Penny Brohn Cancer Care has a unique residential provision and is able to offer residential as well as day courses that follow the Bristol Approach to people on a national and international basis alongside its other support services.

Residential courses:
The Bristol Approach runs over two days and the Bristol Retreat is a more in-depth five day experience. The courses both include a combination of group and individual sessions; they give people an opportunity to explore the emotional impact of cancer.

Day Courses:
Single day courses have been created which explore particular aspects of the Bristol Approach. The focused day courses include: relaxation and breathwork, meditation, imagery, nutrition for people living with cancer, and healthy cooking course for people with cancer.

Cancerpoint and Community Services:
The Charity also offers its Cancerpoint service, a pre-booked individual appointment service which can include sessions with a doctor, counsellor, nutritional therapist, healer and a wide range of complementary and creative therapies.

The Charity has moved to a new purpose-built centre, nestled in four acres of scenic grounds overlooking the River Avon in Pill, near Bristol. This has allowed the Charity to treble many of its services and help even more people. The tranquil setting is conducive to the Bristol Approach with an arboretum, labyrinth and water feature in the garden and 26 en-suite bedrooms, 17 therapy rooms, a sanctuary, demonstration kitchen, art room, shop and library. Visitors can also enjoy the delicious organic food provided in the dining room which follows the Bristol Approach to nutrition.

Find out more

For more information on how Penny Brohn Cancer Care could help you, including a free Self-Help Starter Pack or to book onto a free Taste of Bristol Approach Course, please ring 0845 123 2310, email helpline@pennybrohn.org, or visit www.pennybrohncancercare.org