Breast Cancer Recovery
Cancer sucks. Let’s help you get better faster.
Recovery after cancer can be complicated.
Surgery can leave you with stiffness, scarring, pain, numbness, and risk of lymphedema.
Chemotherapy can cause brain fog, fatigue, numbness, and digestive problems.
Radiation can cause new problems with pain, skin changes, and more, even long after treatment ends.
Cancer treatment can also be traumatic, as we show up over and over for uncomfortable procedures that make us feel like crap. We know they’re helping us fight for survival, but it’s still hard.
Then there’s integrating changes into your body image and learning how to trust your body again.
Some people experience more of these problems than others, but everyone deserves healing care that includes their whole self.
Integrative occupational therapy for cancer care
Based on your goals and needs of the day, we can blend the following approaches.
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Even in the best of circumstances, cancer and its treatment are traumatic. Gentle, caring touch can give you a chance to rest and relax in a safe setting. Bodywork can also help the nervous system better process trauma, reduce inflammation, manage stress, and relieve pain.
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When cancer treatment includes removing lymph nodes or radiation, there’s a risk of developing chronic swelling called lymphedema. Along with compression, exercise, and ongoing precautions, manual lymphatic drainage can decrease your risk of developing lymphedema. Using a gentle light touch, we improve the flow of the lymphatic system so swelling doesn’t have a chance to accumulate. The ideal number of visits to significantly reduce risk isn’t clear from the literature, but regular treatments in the first few months seems to be best.
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Reduce chest tightness and stiffness with myofascial release, lymphatic drainage massage, soft tissue mobilization, axillary cording release, cupping, and scar massage.
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Reduce inflammation, flush out toxins, enhance immune system function, manage pain, and relieve stress.
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Reduce chemo brain by helping the brain clear waste products using a combination of lymphatic drainage and craniosacral techniques.
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Find strategies and supports that allow you to function better even when your brain feels less reliable.
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Learn to live with your fatigue by pacing yourself. Make strategic choices about what you do and how you do it, so you can do the things that matter most to you.
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Body-based mental health care to heal from the grief, trauma, anxiety, and stress that can come along with a cancer diagnosis. Repair your relationship with your body in a safe, affirming setting.
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Process the overwhelming fear, helplessness, stress, and loss of security that can come along with a life-changing diagnosis and treatment.
Hi! I’m Mara Levy MSOT, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, SEP
That pile of letters means that I’m a licensed occupational therapist, a certified lymphedema therapist, and a somatic experiencing practitioner.
I’m a cancer survivor myself, and I know some of the ways cancer can affect a person’s whole life firsthand. I’ve been involved in breast cancer care and lymphedema treatment since 2013, and I’ve seen people through their whole journeys from just after diagnosis to years into survivorship.
Check my bio to learn more about me. If you’re wondering whether I can help with your particular situation, please schedule a free curiosity call.
Logistics
Appointments are $195 for a 60 minute session or $270 for 90 minutes.
10 visit packages available at $1750 for 60 min sessions and $2400 for 90 min sessions
A limited number of sliding scale appointments are available.
Insurance is not accepted, but you can use your FSA/HSA.
A superbill can be provided if requested in advance.
Ask your insurance whether they reimburse for out of network occupational therapy. They may want a doctor’s referral that says “occupational therapy” and the medical diagnosis I’m treating.
In-person appointments are at an ADA-compliant office suite in downtown Silver Spring, MD just north of Washington, DC.
Clients must be physically located in DC, MD, or VA during online sessions.
Learn to do lymphatic massage for yourself
Can’t schedule a visit in person? Want to do extra treatments for yourself?
Get a free download with illustrated step-by-step instructions for self-massage
You can also check out my blog post on how to do lymphatic massage for yourself
