Hypnotherapist Lynn provided vital support to cancer patients throughout the pandemic

Lynn is a qualified, registered Hypnotherapist and has been a volunteer at the SROMC (Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre) at St James Hospital in Leeds for the past five years. Lynn provides hypnotherapy sessions for cancer patients and their families and carers.

Hypnotherapy can help a person with phobias such as needle phobia or claustrophobia, it can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, sleeping difficulties and any of the fears associated with a cancer diagnosis. It is also Lynn’s professionalism, happy disposition, caring manner, kindness and empathy that help to put people at ease and benefit so greatly from these sessions. Pre Covid Lynn has volunteered at the SROMC weekly on a Monday and Thursday seeing up to eight patients a week on an individual basis, for approximately 90 minute sessions. In March 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic all cancer services delivered at the SROMC were suspended.

In order to continue to support patients and their families Lynn continued to offer support virtually using Microsoft Teams. This enabled Lynn to stay connected with patients. Lynn was eager to continue to offer support and quickly adapted to volunteering from home using her laptop to conduct the Hypnotherapy sessions from her Kitchen table. During the pandemic Lynn has continued to volunteer two full day each week. This means that she is able to support up to ten different patients or carers and is online for up to six hours each day with only short 15minute breaks in between each appointment. As well as this time Lynn often arranges appointments outside of these times in order to meet the needs of the patients or carers who may be attending hospital appointments or have caring issues throughout the day.

Lynn is a valued member of the SROMC Team her enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment to volunteering throughout the pandemic has enabled many cancer patients and their families to receive the help and support that they have so desperately needed.

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