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, July 14th (No August Session)

Reiki has been used for years to reduce stress and achieve body and mind relaxation and reduce pain and anxiety. Join us for a half hour Reiki session formatted in a group setting. Each participant will be on a separate Reiki table and will have TWO certified volunteer Reiki Practitioners working on them at the same time.

Comfortable low lighting and the gentle, healing music, often preformed live, create a soothing soundscape to enhance your restorative reiki experience.

This is a first come, first served event. Sessions will begin at 6pm (doors open at 5:50pm) with the last session starting at 7:30pm and ending at 8:00pm.

No pre-registration required. We welcome walk-ins! Please note caregivers are also welcome to come for Monthly Reiki Night.

When: EVERY SECOND TUESDAY of the month except for January & August

Where: The State Room at 35 State Street, Northampton. Entrance located on side street on the left side of the building.

Parking: Street, metered parking or the Northampton parking garage. Please do not park in the private, small back parking lot by the State Room entrance.

Other Information: Reiki tables are a safe distance apart and staff will be wearing masks. Since shoes are not allowed in the State room, bring slippers or socks if you want. Also feel free to bring a throw or blanket for added warmth. No food or open drinks- only closed containers.

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.

Acupuncture

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.

Calming Strategies

Telehealth | Phone sessions with Nancy Carter-Price

By Appointment Only | Call to register – (413) 586-1642

30-minute confidential sessions with an experienced integrative therapist focused on calming strategies. Sessions will vary based on individual participant’s needs. Sessions may include relaxation tools, personalized guided visualizations, walking through a self-care practice that you already know, sharing other helpful resources such as an online stress reduction tools, or some other appropriate calming strategies.

Nancy Carter-Price

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Oncology Massage

Lisa Gallauresi

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

Janice’s bio is coming soon!

Jennifer Meltzer

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.

Reflexology

With Susanne Recos

By Appointment Only | Call to register – (413) 586-1642

Reflexology is a gentle, therapeutic practice that involves applying pressure to specific points on the feet and/or hands to promote relaxation, improve circulation, and support the body’s natural healing processes. Reflexology can help reduce stress, enhance well-being, and provide relief from a variety of conditions. Sessions are deeply relaxing and are tailored to meet each individual's needs.

Susanne Recos

Susanne began practicing Reflexology in 2004, training with teachers from the U.S. and abroad through the Massachusetts Association of Reflexology. She is nationally certified and holds a Master Certification from the Reflexology Certification Board in Massachusetts.
She has volunteered in hospital oncology departments and now offers sessions in her Hadley office and at local Senior Centers. Susanne finds Reflexology uniquely beneficial for each client, especially in supporting circulation and lymphatic flow in cancer patients through gentle foot and hand stimulation.