Clinical Hypnosis in Palliative Care: Advanced Techniques for Effectively Relieving Pain and Symptoms.

This work will focus on skill building for those clinicians who work with chronic and/or progressive health conditions and patients whose life feelsthreatened by medical conditions. The aim of the work is: focus on practical hypnotically approaches and techniques with sound underpinnings based on recent advancesin our understanding of pain processing. Methods and approach: Clinical hypnosisin Palliative Care isindicated for patients with any seriousillness and who have physical, psychological,social, orspiritual distress. The goals of Clinical Hypnosisin Palliative Care, are the same focused on WHO’s guidelinesfor Palliative Care, and they are: 1) Providesrelief from pain and other distressing symptoms; 2) Affirmslife and regards dying as a normal process; 3) Intends neither to hasten nor postpone death; 4) Integratesthe psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care; 5) Offers a supportsystem to help patientslive as actively as possible until death; 6) Offers a supportsystem to help the family cope during the patientsillness; 7) Uses a team approach to addressthe needs of patients and their families; 8) Will enhance quality of life; 9) Is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies. Following an introduction to the evaluation of chronic pain, a applicable methodology for building therapeutically strategies will be introduced. Practical exercises will encourage participantsto build rapid assessmentskills while facilitating planning strategiesthat utilise hypnotic language. At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: a) Effectively assess and differentiate the major types of pain and suffering encountered in advanced illness; b) Develop cogent hypnotic strategiesforsymptom control; c) Rapidly develop techniquesthat reflect and improve: pain, anxiety and suffering relief; dignity and respect for the patients and their families.