We offer the following supportive therapies in the Macmillan Butterfly Centre at Epsom Hospital:
Aromatherapy uses pure essential oils (diluted in a carrier oil) which will be massaged into the body or inhaled. Essential oils are liquid components of aromatic plants, trees and grasses.
This therapy works by absorption in the blood stream, via the skin or by diffusion across tiny air sacs in the lungs.
Essential oils, especially during a massage, can have a positive and harmonising effect on the body and the mind. Depending on the chemical constituents, oils can be uplifting, stimulating, calming or sedative. They are also thought to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Benefits of aromatherapy
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aid relaxation;
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help release stress and tension;
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promote a sense of well-being;
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ease muscular aches and pains, digestive problems, anxiety and insomnia.
Counselling helps the patient to find ways of coping with conflict, pressure and anxiety. It also helps to come to terms with losses or difficult changes, eg. the loss of a breast through surgery.
Counselling can also empowers patients to make choices for themselves and can provice a better understanding of themselves and their feelings.
Healing is often known as therapeutic touch and has been practised for thousands of years. It is a natural non-invasive, holistic approach.
This therapy has the intention of promoting self-healing in order to bring about a sense of well being, harmony and balance.
Healing uses deep relaxation and visualisation techniques to promote harmony and balance. This can be used at home to achieve relaxation at times of stress.
Massage uses a base oil like almond oil to massage into the body.
Massage is not offered as an alternative to conventional treatment. Holistic therapies, such as massage, recognise that health is experienced not only on the physical level, but also on the emotional, mental and spiritual level. Our massage therapists are members of the Complementary and Natural Health Care Council (CNHC).
Benefits of massage
Massage may:
Reflexology was first practised by the Chinese, Indian and Egyptian people thousands of years ago and describes a touch therapy practised on the feet and hands.
Every part of the body is represented on the feet by reflexes. Palpating the reflexes on the feet will identify imbalances in corresponding body parts.
Reflexology is reported to stimulate the immune system, encouraging self-healing and relaxation.
Benefits of reflexology
You will be taught techniques that deepen the breath and encourage a more relaxed and natural way of breathing. You will also learn a variety of meditation and visualisation techniques that create a deep relaxation of mind and body. The idea is that you will be able to choose the techniques with which you feel most comfortable and then you can practice these on a daily basis to achieve lasting benefits.
Benefits of relaxation
Practiced on a regular basis, deep breathing and meditation techniques have been found to be very beneficial. It may:
Yoga originates in the East and has been developed over many thousands of years. It promotes good health and inner peace.
Yoga combines gentle holistic activities with breathing and meditation techniques in order to help maintain energy. It uses very gentle exercises to induce suppleness.
Benefits of Yoga
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designed to strengthen the body's own self-healing powers;
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maintains fitness, suppleness and muscle tone;
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energises both body and mind;
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reduces stress;
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improves concentration and clarity, helping you to work, relax andsleep more deeply.
For more information on the above therapies, please download a fact sheet below:
