Mind-Body Medicine: Assessment & Plan
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Your mind-body assessment and plan
When you arrive at CTCA at Eastern Regional Medical Center, you are automatically scheduled to meet with a member of the mind-body team during your initial evaluation period. This visit will be an introduction to the department and the services available to you.
If you express an interest in mind-body medicine, you and your mind-body therapist will work together to integrate mind-body medicine into your overall cancer treatment plan. Your mind-body therapist is here to help you, not to analyze or judge you in any way
After all, your needs are unique and your cancer experience will vary, depending on the stage of the disease and other factors. For instance, if you are newly diagnosed, reducing anxiety may be the main focus. If you have been battling cancer for years, fatigue may be a major concern. If you are dealing with cancer recurrence, the goal may be overcoming hopelessness.
Your mind-body therapist will work with you at your own pace and customize your plan to your individual needs. “The relationship is important. When we can form a relationship with them, patients will open up. We have to be able to be engaged with the patient and their families. Mind-body therapies open them up to that,” says Roth.
Throughout your conventional cancer treatment, you and/or your family members can schedule follow-up visits as often as you need. If you are an inpatient in the hospital, a mind-body therapist will be on the floor every day to visit with you. The goal is to move you towards healing through support, encouragement and empowerment.
“Our department has a steady commitment to providing support, comfort and empowerment. We want to help people restore their own sense of self, so they feel some control over what is going on in their life—that they’re not just being shuttled from one machine to another,” says Roth.
