Integrative Medicine
Sound Healing is a form of holistic therapy that uses sonic vibrations to restore the mind and body.
"Using different sound frequencies can stimulate cell production of nitric oxide, a vasodilator that opens up blood vessels, helps cells be more efficient, and mediates your blood pressure at a cellular level. So anything that helps nitrous oxide will help your healing response, and anything that calms your mood down will reduce inflammation, which also benefits your health."
— Mark Menolascino, M.D., an Integrative and Functional Medicine Practitioner ¹
"My clients feel a relief from the anxiety and pain from chemo and radiation therapy and a reduction or elimination from fear, stress and loneliness. They walk away from my sessions feeling seen and heard with a clear mind and confidence."
- Kristen Firpo
How I use sound healing:
I design Birthing Workshops and create bespoke meditative sound healing to help the mother learn how to help her body ease into the birthing process.
I identify specific sound healing currents that help release trauma stored in the body. The sound currents emit certain vibrations to reattune your body and release trapped emotions. Most people report feeling an increase in clarity and relaxation after a session.
I use a blend of science, music, and spirituality to bring calmness, peace, and self-empowerment to cancer patients. I collaborate with patients and their doctors to understand their goals; such as reducing pain, improving sleep quality, or reducing anxiety.
Benefits of Sound Healing
Puts the body in a Parasympathetic state
Reduces stress
Lowers blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol levels
Better pain management
Reduces risk of strokes and coronary
artery disease
Improves sleep
Fewer mood swings
Potential Applications
Sound healing would complement many of the incredible Cancer Support Services. Imagine the calming energy Sound Healing would bring to...
Chemotherapy Sessions
Later Stage Cancer Support Groups
Family, Friends & Caregiver Support Groups
Acupuncture / Massage Appointments
Weekly Mindful Meditation Classes
Stress Reduction Classes
The Science of Sound Healing
Stress is the biggest threat to the immune system, which is severely compromised in cancer patients. Sound helps the brain slow down into a relaxed, sleeping state, which is therapeutic for patients. Sound also influences thoughts and emotions, so adding therapeutic sound promotes relaxation and allows the body’s healing pathways to open. The practice of sound healing allows the body to be more receptive to other forms of treatment as well. ²
A 2016 study found that an hour long singing bowl meditation helped lower blood pressure, improve breathing and circulation, alleviate aches and pains, and strengthen the immune system. Participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood. Additionally, participants who were previously naïve to this type of meditation experienced a significantly greater reduction in tension compared with participants experienced in this meditation. ³
A study published in the Southern Medical Journal (2005) demonstrated the beneficial effects of music in hospital settings. Researchers reported that “For children and adults, music effectively reduces anxiety and improves mood for medical and surgical patients, and for patients in intensive care units.” Researchers also noted that ambient music increased empathy in caregivers without interfering with the technical aspects of treatment. ⁴
“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”
—Nikola Tesla
A Few Client Testimonies
Female
Diagnosis: Ovarian Cancer
Treatment: 6 months of chemotherapy, currently in remission
Procedure: Double Mastectomy due to positive BRCA Gene Mutation
"After a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, I was desperately seeking an available surgeon. I was terrified. Kristen created a sanctuary in my room and proceeded to surround me with sounds and vibrations that transported me out of my misery. Although the reality and discomfort remained, there was a marked reduction in blood pressure and psychological distress.
Kristen's Sound Healing felt like a cellular massage, reorganizing confusion and restoring clarity. I have benefited from sound healing numerous times throughout chemo and recovery. Kristen’s work at that moment enabled a presence of mind essential for navigating the scary and confusing surgery and decision-making process that followed."
Female
Treatment: Removal of left ovary and borderline tumor
Prior Procedure Without Sound Healing: Removal of right ovary and borderline tumor
"Kristen is an absolutely amazing Sound Healer. The sound healing and visioning work that she did with me significantly helped with my most recent gynecological surgery in February 2021 — both before and after surgery. I had experienced anxiety and fear prior to going into surgery — particularly since the prior surgery four years earlier resulted in a very long healing process that included debilitating and ongoing chronic pain.
But Kristen truly worked her magic. She not only played her singing bowls before the surgery that helped put me into a deep and peaceful state of mind. She also had me envision how the whole surgery would proceed and how my healing process would unfold afterward. After the surgery, we continued with Sound Healing and visioning sessions and I deeply believe it helped reduce my anxiety and increase my rate of healing.
This second surgery has been a completely different experience. I don’t have chronic pain and I'm in full health a year later. I would highly recommend anyone undergoing a significant surgery or dealing with a chronic medical condition use Kristen’s services. She is a truly powerful and much needed complement to our Western medical interventions."
Male
Diagnosis: Prostate cancer – Metastasized to bone and lump node – 2 years
Patient of Dr. Agerwall at UCSF
Patient of Dr. Rossy at California Protons Cancer Therapy Center
"I have owned and operated my tree service for over 40 years specializing in the removal of large, hazardous trees. As an Urban Forester, my mindset consisted of extreme confidence in predicting outcomes without second-guessing myself. However, over an afternoon, this all changed for me.
My life took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. After a lifetime of health and intense activity, I was catapulted into a world of disease and unpredictability. The following year was a myriad of extensive testing, tight tubed body scans, and biopsies all encapsulated in technical terms and medical jargon in a new language that I just did not understand. It was my new reality and I felt scared, alone, and vulnerable ..... out of control! After a long year of testing, the final results of my diagnosis revealed we would not be talking in terms of a cure for my condition. I was devastated.
Emotionally at my lowest point, a friend recommended I schedule an appointment with Holistic Practitioner, Kristen Firpo, and her Harmonic Bowls. I went into this session with skepticism and doubt. As she used the harmonic bowls, I began to drift into a peaceful state shedding my stress and anxiety. Through the soothing tones and vibrations of the bowls and with her guided meditation, I relaxed deep in my core. It was something I had never felt before and something I greatly needed due to my cancer treatment and its effects. As I progressed with the Harmonic Bowl treatment, I felt the natural rhythm of my breath more and more. While I understand this has not and will not cure my cancer, I know that this technique is something I can access when dealing with the uncertainty and sometimes painful parts of my cancer journey.
The effects of Kristen's Harmonic Bowl care and treatment have been invaluable in my overall wellness. It is my belief and experience that this treatment complements the traditional wellness protocol for cancer and other diseases."
Contact Kristen
Footnotes:
Source: https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/science-behind-sound-healing
Sound Therapy and Cancer. https://www.abmp.com/textonlymags/article.php?article=2074. Accessed 24 May 2022
Goldsby, Tamara L., et al. “Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-Being: An Observational Study.” Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, vol. 22, no. 3, July 2017, pp. 401–06. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1177/2156587216668109.
Kemper, Kathi J., and Suzanne C. Danhauer. “Music as Therapy.” Southern Medical Journal, vol. 98, no. 3, Mar. 2005, pp. 282–88. PubMed,