Integrative Therapies
Integrative therapies are good for body and soul. We offer these therapies with the knowledge that they can help relieve some of the side effects of surgery, radiation, and other treatments as well as symptoms of the cancer itself, including fatigue, nausea, pain, and anxiety. They also provide stress relief and comfort to caregivers coping with a loved one’s cancer.
Cancer Connection offers integrative therapies free of charge for people living with a cancer diagnosis. We prioritize our services to people in treatment but, when possible, offer it to caregivers as well.
Individual telephone sessions by appointment.
Please call (413) 586-1642 to schedule.
Cancer Connection offers massage, reiki, acupuncture, and reflexology, as well as Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster™ and our Calming Strategies & Relaxation via telehealth.
Monthly Reiki Night:
Next Session: Tuesday, September 8th
Join us for a peaceful evening of Reiki in a welcoming group setting. Reiki is a gentle, complementary practice that many people find supportive for relaxation, stress reduction, and an overall sense of well-being.
Each 30-minute session takes place on an individual Reiki table, with two certified volunteer Reiki practitioners offering Reiki to each participant. Soft lighting and gentle music—sometimes performed live—help create a calm, restorative atmosphere.
No advance registration is needed—walk-ins are warmly welcome. Participants are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Caregivers are also invited to take part in Monthly Reiki Night.
When: Every second Tuesday of the month, except January and August
Sessions: Begin at 6:00 p.m., with the final session from 7:30–8:00 p.m.
Doors open: 5:50 p.m.
Where:
The State Room
35 State Street, Northampton
The entrance is located on the side street to the left of the building.
Parking: Street and metered parking are available, as well as the Northampton parking garage. The small parking lot near the State Room entrance is reserved for private use.
For Your Comfort:
Because shoes are left at the entrance to the State Room, you may want to bring socks or slippers. You’re also welcome to bring a throw or small blanket if you tend to get chilly during Reiki.
Reiki tables are spaced comfortably throughout the room. Staff will wear masks. To help us care for the space, please bring beverages only in closed containers and enjoy food before or after your session.
We hope you’ll join us for an evening of rest, connection, and renewal.
Acupuncture
With Emily Baron
By Appointment Only | Call to register – (413) 586-1642
A safe and painless form of traditional Chinese medicine that is effective in treating chronic pain and some side effects associated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery including peripheral neuropathy, nausea and vomiting, postoperative pain, lack of appetite, dry mouth, and chronic fatigue. Acupuncture can also be helpful in relieving stress, depression, and anxiety for people with cancer and their caregivers.
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Cancer can be one of the most physically, spiritually, and emotionally challenging experiences of our lives. It is also an incredibly powerful catalyst for growth. My own cancer was life-altering and is what led me to become a practitioner of Chinese medicine. I love that Chinese medicine not only contains the efficacy to alleviate symptoms, but it also embodies the emotional and spiritual aspects of healing that are especially present when we are faced with our mortality.
I have been providing acupuncture at the Cancer Connection since 2023. I also have a private practice in Shelburne Falls, MA. After growing Chinese herbs on my farm in Napa, California, I studied Chinese medicine in Oakland, California at The Academy For Chinese Culture And Health Sciences. Chinese medicine is based on observations of nature and treats health as an ecosystem where balance is the goal. Nature is my greatest and constant teacher; my garden is often where I find solutions to complex health issues.
I am so grateful for all of the kindness and care I received during my own cancer, and it is the honor of my life to be able to offer support to you wherever you are in your journey.
Reiki
With Nancy Carter Price
By Appointment Only | Call to register – (413) 586-1642
Reiki is a light-touch, energy-based therapy with a wide range of physical and emotional benefits, including better sleep, improved mood, and pain relief. Reiki helps the body enter a state of relaxation, which allows it to better heal from damage brought on by stress, injury, or disease. It is a non-invasive, gentle, and supportive complementary healing modality.
Nancy Carter Price
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Nancy Carter-Price is honored to be part of Cancer Connection’s integrative therapy team since 2002. She began as one of eight monthly Reiki Team members that year and became co-facilitator of the Reiki Team shortly after joining the team. Nancy has been providing individual Reiki sessions both in our center in Northampton in addition to sessions in South Hadley for over 15 years.
Nancy received her Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master /Teacher training in 1998 and Karuna Reiki Master/Teacher in 1999. She also has Advanced Integrative Energy Therapy (I.E.T.) Training and utilizes several other modalities to meet the various needs of participants seeking support. Nancy Carter-Price is owner and operator of Journey to Wellness, located in Northampton, MA. For more information about Nancy you are invited to go to www.journeytowellness.be
Neuro Emotional Technique (NET)
With Anna Maria Irvine
By Appointment Only | Call to register – (413) 586-1642
Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) is a gentle, mind-body approach that supports regulation of the nervous system by helping the body process and release unresolved emotional stress. Drawing on principles from neuroscience, traditional Chinese medicine, and muscle response testing, NET identifies stress patterns that can disrupt balance, helping restore a greater sense of calm and stability.
For individuals affected by cancer, NET can complement medical care by addressing the emotional challenges that often accompany diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Sessions are individualized, non-invasive, and offered in a supportive environment, helping participants reduce stress, ease anxiety, and build resilience.
Accessibility note: Please note that this program takes place in a building with stairs and no elevator. Participants must be able to navigate stairs independently.
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Anna Maria has been supporting individuals on their healing journeys for over 25 years, helping people reduce stress, deepen self-awareness, and reconnect with their innate capacity for healing and wholeness. Inspired by her own transformative experience with Neuro Emotional Technique (NET), she created a gentle, trauma-informed practice that honors physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Her work draws from a variety of healing modalities, including NET, Somatic Experiencing, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, and Family Constellations. Anna Maria feels honored to meet people wherever they are in their personal journeys and is grateful to be volunteering with Cancer Connection.
Oncology Massage
With Lisa Gallauresi, Janice Peterman & Jennifer Meltzer
By Appointment Only | Call to register – (413) 586-1642
For those with cancer, oncology specialized massage treatments help them manage their experience with cancer during active treatment and recovery. Benefits include improved sleep and immune function as well as helping to ease nerve pain, fatigue, swelling, muscle tension and nausea. It can also improve emotional well-being and quality of life for both those with cancer, and their caregivers, by reducing stress and anxiety and promoting relaxation.
Lisa Gallauresi
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Lisa is a healer who has had the honor of working with thousands of people and families effected by a cancer diagnosis over the past 25 years.
A graduate of the Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage in Syracuse, NY and the State University of New York at Binghamton, she has been on the faculty of massage schools in both states. Lisa’s training includes a New York State license coupled with advanced certifications in prenatal and postpartum massage, newborn and infant massage (individual and group classes), Lamaze teacher training, manual lymphatic drainage, and oncology massage (caring for people with cancer).
Lisa maintains a private practice in downtown Northampton, MA that focuses on complex medical narratives including lipedema, lymphedema and oncology work.
Lisa contracts with The Cancer Connection to offer oncology massage therapy support to those living with a cancer diagnosis and their families. She also works at the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital offering oncology massage services within the Integrative Oncology program.
She continues to learn and humbly grow from the people whom she serves. Her goal is to create a space of comfort and support so that healing can occur on many levels.
For more information, please go to: Lisagnorthampton.massagetherapy.com
Janice Peterman
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Janice’s bio is coming soon!
Jennifer Meltzer
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Jennifer joins the Cancer Connection after 15 years as an Oncology Massage Therapist with The D’Amour Center for Cancer Care at Baystate Health in Springfield. She has been a Massage Therapist for 25 years having held private practices on both the East and West Coasts. She recently re-opened a studio in Downtown Northampton and is enjoying being in Private Practice once again.
Finding Calm During Treatment:
Individual guided imagery and relaxation support
With Dr. David Gottsegen
By Appointment Only | Call to register – (413) 586-1642
Dr. David Gottsegen (“Dr. Dave”), a pediatrician with decades of experience in clinical hypnosis, offers individual in-person relaxation mental imagery sessions for people preparing for or undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, as well as those experiencing sleep difficulties related to cancer or treatment.
Similar to mindfulness meditation, this evidence-based approach may help reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and ease treatment-related side effects. Participants remain fully aware and in control throughout each session. Several sessions are typically recommended.
Dr David Gottsegen
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Dr. David Gottsegen (“Dr. Dave”) is a community pediatrician who spent most of his four-decade career at Holyoke Pediatric Associates. Throughout his practice, he helped children and adults use relaxation, guided imagery, and the mind-body connection to address anxiety, chronic pain, sleep difficulties, medical procedures, and other health concerns.
Dr. Gottsegen is certified in clinical hypnosis by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the American Board of Medical Hypnosis, as well as in HeartMath biofeedback. He has taught locally, nationally, and internationally and is the author of Mending the Body with the Mind: Harnessing Kids’ Superpowers to Heal and Stay Healthy. Since retiring from pediatric practice in 2024, he has remained active as the Chicopee school physician, a community volunteer, and a writer.
Learn more about our other services
Befrienders
Befrienders are trained staff and volunteers who listen and support both those who have been diagnosed and caregivers through challenging times.
Support Groups
Support groups offer a place where we can laugh, cry, celebrate, and use humor to find relief in the universality of our experiences.
Programs
We’ve recently added new programs, including opportunities for Cancer Connection participants to enjoy programs through All Out Adventures.