A model of hypnotic intervention for palliative care.

The World Health Organization defines palliative care as "the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment." One of the primary issues of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer is symptom control and quality-of-life issues. The purpose of the hypnotic model presented here is to improve the patient's total psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. There exists a need for a broad and inclusive model of mind-body interventions for palliative care. This is supported by the observation that symptoms related to psychological distress and existential concerns are even more prevalent than pain and other physical symptoms among those with life-limiting conditions. The following model integrates naturalistic, solution-oriented hypnosis within the framework of a situational 4-stage crisis matrix. The four stages of the matrix are: (1) The Initial Crisis, (2) Transition, (3) Acceptance, and (4) Preparation for Death. Hypnotic interventions are tailored to each stage in the crisis matrix.