The initiation ritual as a model for oncology counseling.

This article examines the use of the initiation ritual of primitive people, described in the works of Mircea Eliade, as a model for counseling cancer patients, giving both meaning and structure to the interactions between patient and counselor. Within this model the patient's encounter with death, whether feared or actualized, can be used as impetus toward personal growth, whatever the stage of the person's disease process. Case examples are given to illustrate how the model can be used in practice. Comparison is also made between stages and components of the initiation ritual and other techniques used to alter a person's consciousness.