Healing the Feelings and Feeling the Healing: Hypnotic Approaches in Cancer and Palliative Care

This workshop will focus on clinical demonstrations of hypnotic suggestion through metaphors for self-regulation improvements, pain relief, palliation of symptoms, and amelioration of hope in the face of advanced or progressive illness. These materials were designed (Néron and Handel, In Press) for health care professionals who use – or may decide to use – clinical hypnosis in their professional work with patients. The role of adjunctive hypnotic therapy in cancer care is to help manage distressing symptoms and to give the sufferer a sense of control via mind-body regulation. Physicians and health care professionals can integrate personalized hypnotic approaches in order to help patients regulate physiological functions, alleviate pain, enhance the release of tension, reframe hope, facilitate new levels of personal adjustments, and promote or restore healing spiritual experiences.The workshop will include case-based, video clip demonstrations to cover the following topic areas: a) addressing patients’ misconceptions about hypnosis, b) establishing appropriate clinical goals, c) using hypnotic techniques in different medical settings, d) developing quick ways of reaching a hypnotic state, e) teaching self-hypnosis, f) preparing for medical procedures, g) reframing hope, and h) promoting healing spiritual experiences.Objectives: Participants will be introduced to ways of: a) Integrating guided clinical hypnosis procedures at bedside and in several medical contexts. b) Empowering the sufferer by teaching him or her how to use self-hypnosis for symptom relief and for addressing their existential issues.ReferenceNéron, S., and Handel, D. Hypnotic Approaches in Cancer and Palliative Care. Quebec: Presses de l’Université du Québec, In Press.