What We Do
Therapies
To schedule an appointment, please contact any of our service providers directly.
For questions on which services are most suited to your needs, submit an inquiry!
Psychotherapy
Cancer and treatment can be an emotionally distressing experience. Psychotherapy helps patients process the trauma of cancer treatment and manage stressors associated with healing and reintegration. Interventions may include behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness meditation, guided imagery, and other mind-body practices.
Oncology Massage
An oncology massage is a customized experience designed to ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Healing touch, deep imagery therapy, and cranial sacral massage techniques help reduce nausea, anxiety, and pain for patients.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese medicine, wherein thin needles are inserted through the skin at specific acupressure points on the body. Acupuncture is shown to help improve several conditions associated with cancer treatment including nausea and vomiting, bodily pain, peripheral neuropathies, hot flashes, dry mouth, fatigue, and stress management.
Oncology Nutrition
Although cancer and cancer treatments may impact appetite, maintaining good nutrition is essential to reducing fatigue and improving quality of life. By sustaining energy and maintaining weight and muscle mass, patients will recover more quickly after treatment is complete.
Energy Medicine/Reiki Healing
Reiki is a form of healing Energy Medicine with Japanese origins, which promotes relaxation and stress reduction by addressing the receiver’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual healing needs. Reiki is especially impactful for patients rehabilitating from surgery and cancer therapy by reducing side effects of cancer treatments.
Reflexology
Working along the same meridians and pressure points which acupuncturists access, reflexology involves application of pressure to feet and hands in order to stimulate healing of internal organs and other bodily systems. Benefits include pain reduction, stress relief, relaxation, and improved sleep amongst other physical and psychological effects.
Education
In addition to individual services, Orion Center for Integrative Medicine is committed to sharing resources and developing a community of support through workshops and events. Please visit our Workshops page for more information on upcoming opportunities for education and engagement.
Research
As a Clinical Research Institute, Orion Center for Integrative Medicine is committed to conducting essential research on psychotherapy, acupuncture, oncology massage, and oncology nutrition as effective interventions for healing and rehabilitation amongst cancer patients and survivors. Our hope is that, by offering evidence in favor of these interventions, integrated medicine will become standard oncological care for all cancer patients, thus reducing the cost of treatment and buffering the physical, mental, and emotional traumas of illness and treatment. All patients at Orion Center for Integrative Medicine are enrolled in our research protocols as study participants.
L I V I N G W E L L
In partnership with Dr. Susan Lutgendorf, Dr. Bonnie A. McGregor and Dr. Anna Charboneau of Orion Center for Integrative Medicine have developed and piloted a web-based group conferencing intervention entitled Living Well (Web-Enhanced Lessons for Living). Drawing from core elements of Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management (CBSM), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the program curriculum targets key concerns articulated by survivors of ovarian cancer.
The overarching goal of the Living Well study is to examine the efficacy of the Living Well intervention versus Health Promotion in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). This application is highly innovative because it combines elements of evidence-based psychosocial interventions in a novel way to target the needs of ovarian cancer survivors, using a state-of-the-art web and video conferencing platform that allows wide dissemination, including to rural survivors.
Eligible participants include ovarian cancer survivors who: have completed chemotherapy treatment within the last three years and are not currently receiving chemotherapy, have not had more than one recurrence, and are able to participate in the study activities using English.
If you or a loved one is interested in participating in Living Well, access a brochure and/or inquire with Dr. McGregor at the links below.