Christian Guided Imagery for Cancer Patients? A New Technique Presented in Karen Tripp's God is Bigger Than Your Cancer Workbook Published by Fresh Water Press.

St Louis, MO, June 21, 2010 --(PR.com)-- For decades, it’s been known that the power of the mind can impact the progression of cancer in the body.1 Likewise, multiple studies found that faith has a positive effect on physical health.2 What if the power of the mind was combined with the power of faith? Karen Tripp MS presents a Christian Guided Imagery Technique in her book God is Bigger Than Your Cancer Workbook, published by Fresh Water Press and to be released at the International Christian Retail Show in St Louis June 27-30.

As a Christian counselor who works with cancer patients, Tripp combines the wisdom of the medical and psychological fields with the comfort and understanding of the Christian faith. “The combination of relaxation, imagery and faith in the exercise makes a significant impact on the participant,” explains Tripp. Her innovative technique involves a 7 minute monologue which leads the listener through a relaxation process and then introduces the picture of Jesus praying for the listener’s cancer cells to be destroyed. “This guided imagery helped me to visualizing Jesus touching my head and healing me of every cell in my body that did not belong there,” says Margaret, a breast cancer patient. “It felt good, and I want to use it everyday for my quiet time with the Father.”

The concept for Tripp’s Christian Guided Imagery Technique originated from Oncologist Dr. Carl Simonton’s ground breaking imagery work that encouraged cancer patients to picture Pac-man characters eating and destroying tumor cells in their bodies. The results? Simonton proved that “clinical work with imagery and belief systems could not only improve their quality of life prior to death, and quality of death for those who died, but also prolong life and getting well.”3 “If picturing Pac-man characters destroying cancer cells is healing, why not picture Jesus praying for your cancer to be destroyed and receive the extra benefits of prayer?” Tripp explains.

“Visualization and imagery is a very useful tool for cancer patients during an extremely stressful time in their lives,” say Chaplain Ken Potzman, Board Certified Oncology Chaplain and Director of Pastoral Services at St. John's Mercy Medical Center. “It helps them to relax, to experience a deeper sense of peace and connection as well as visualize what the treatments are doing in their body. Karen has done a beautiful job of connecting this process of visualization with Christian tradition and scripture.”

In addition to the Christian Guided Imagery Technique, God is Bigger Than Your Cancer Workbook includes practical suggestions for cancer patients based on biblical scriptures. Each session will explore the topics of:

Faith Stress Reduction
Healing Relationships
Prayer Healthy Living

The book is an excellent resource for cancer support groups as well as any individual impacted by cancer.

1. "About Dr. O. Carl Simonton." The Simonton Documentary. Ed. Elizabeth Simonton. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2010. www.thesimontondocumentary.org/about_dr_simonton.
2. "Spirituality and Prayer." American Cancer Society. Ed. Betty Merriman. N.p., 1 Nov. 2008. Web. 15 June 2010. www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Spirituality_and_Prayer.asp?sitearea=ETO.
3. "About Dr. O. Carl Simonton." The Simonton Documentary. Ed. Elizabeth Simonton. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2010. www.thesimontondocumentary.org/about_dr_simonton.

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