Hypnosis in the palliative phase: The role of the hypnotherapist

The palliative phase is when a person is basically out of treatment in terms of getting better. This is no longer going to work, but this does not mean that care stops. In the case of cancer, for example, medication that inhibits the growth of the cancer can still be looked at so that you can live as long as possible.

In this way, the palliative phase can sometimes last for years.

Still, knowing that you will soon transition to death can cause you to have a mindset change. Some people have less trouble than others with the idea of dying.

But some people find this very difficult and go down fighting and struggling, so to speak, when it could be much more peaceful and with more peace of mind.

The annoying thing about dying is that you do it alone, just as you were once born alone (or perhaps as twins). And that can be exciting.

To help people make peace with the fact that the end is coming, people often talk to a spiritual caregiver, psychologist or other professional or coach who can provide more insight and specializes in palliative care.

Hypnosis in the palliative phase

Hypnosis can be used by these professionals as a means of helping people. Scientists indicate that hypnosis can be incredibly valuable in the palliative phase in support of other treatments, but there is actually too little research on it[1].

The studies that have been conducted do offer hope for treating pain, stress, and depressive symptoms during this phase[2].

A study on hypnosis for cancer patients found that hypnosis can help promote mental and physical health[3]. This is always intended to support medical treatment, never to replace it!

Hypnosis can be used for people who, for example, are living with cancer that is under control but incurable. Stress that may arise from a missed or delayed diagnosis can be treated with it. Symptoms of the condition can also be reduced with hypnosis, or hypnosis can help you experience less distress from the symptoms. In the latter case, the symptoms do not disappear, but you can view them in a different light.

In the final months or weeks of life, a patient who has learned self-hypnosis can use it to shift priorities and manage symptoms (source 1).

With priorities, you can ask yourself the question: Do I want to live long, or do I want a good life? After all, this affects the choices you make regarding nutrition, exercise and what you want to do daily or devote your energy to.

How hypnosis is now being used in healthcare

In many hospitals, hypnosis is used to keep people calm before, after and/or during treatment. For example, while taking a biopsy under local hypnosis, a nurse can help you relax by giving a guided visualization.

In addition, hypnosis can be used against:

1. Nausea caused by medication
2. Fear of needles
3. Fear of masks
4. Fear of the MRI scan

For mental problems, such as anxiety and stress due to diagnosis or treatment, hypnosis can also be used.

During the palliative phase, you may also feel the need to resolve issues with people with whom you have a difficult relationship or to cope with memories of difficult relationships. This is another area where hypnotherapy can help you.

Especially at the beginning of the palliative phase—or if you know you won’t get better but are certainly not near death—hypnosis can help boost your motivation to continue living a healthy life. This includes paying attention to mindful eating, exercise, and improving or maintaining good sleep (source 1).

Untreated cancer: effects

Some people with cancer have a type of cancer that is treatable but not curable. This can cause all sorts of problems. For example, some people can no longer work, lose relationships, have to close their own businesses, and may feel as though they are losing their identity.

Family ties can become closer, or it can become painfully obvious that the ties are really not good.

Sometimes, then, there are suddenly additional financial stressors.

To cope, some people may suddenly become very religious or give up faith.

In addition, the symptoms can also cause increased anxiety and varying degrees of fatigue.

So plenty of reasons to get mentally all tangled up before "getting used" to the new health situation.

Hypnosis for untreatable cancer

Symptoms of cancer, such as pain, can trigger unconscious thoughts about future pain. This can alter the neurological pathways associated with pain. For example, fear and anxiety can exacerbate pain. Fortunately, hypnosis can also be used to alter these neurological pathways, thereby changing the perception of pain. In this way, hypnosis can act as a pain reliever , because it literally influences the brain and nerves (source 1).

One example of how hypnosis can be used for cancer is that a woman with breast cancer used self-hypnosis to treat hot flashes. She used visualizations of cold water to do this and it helped (source 1).

Another example is of a woman with neuropathic pain due to a tumor in her spine. Unfortunately, her husband was not supportive enough and left her while she worked for his family business and lived next door. She was afraid to move because of the pain and fatigue. Hypnosis was used to reduce anxiety and stress and to give herself resources to protect herself from emotional stress through contact with her ex-husband and in-laws.

Among other things, she did this by visualizing a sort of gate in her nervous system that either allowed pain to pass through or blocked it. She also practiced walking and biking while in a hypnotic trance to maintain her physical health. In addition, hypnosis was combined with psychology to help her re-enter and transform her social life (source 1).

Thanks to the treatment, she was even able to start her own business and leave her ex-husband without too much emotional pain, bitterness, or self-blame. At one point, she was even able to ride a bike and go for walks again, and she went on hiking vacations with her new friends; she also no longer needed pain medication.

If someone in the palliative phase does have a partner who stays and provides support, a hypnotherapist can also teach that partner simple hypnosis techniques that he or she can use to support the loved one (source 1).

Hypnosis in palliative care

As you can see, people's problems can vary greatly. In hypnosis, you tailor the treatment and techniques to the client. It is important to note, however, that at the time people are told they have incurable cancer they are emotionally very vulnerable and very open to "suggestions" this is also called waking hypnosis.

So make it clear that nothing is mandatory and that there are other psychological treatments without hypnosis. If you recommend hypnosis, do so positively and without hesitation. For example, you can state that good results are often obtained with it and indicate for what kind of problems this is the case. Especially if the person in the palliative phase has symptoms in which hypnosis helps.

Then, if someone wants hypnosis, explain what hypnosis is and what people can expect from it. In the preliminary interview, people can talk more about how their condition affects their lives. So the relationships they have, but also their daily functioning and symptoms.

This information will help you, as a hypnotherapist, find the right techniques to assist people in the palliative care phase.

Techniques

During induction, it is wise to use the visualization of the safe place. This is also something your client can then use with self-hypnosis during an MRI scan, for example.

People are encouraged to choose a place that they find soothing. When they describe it, a therapist can use that description in the suggestions to help them become completely calm and visualize themselves in that place. The place doesn’t have to exist in real life. It could, for example, be a place in their imagination, as long as it has a calming effect.

They can also work with symbols, such as colors or shapes given to certain emotions. These in turn can be used in suggestions to change and transform certain emotions.

Then, when someone is completely relaxed, a suggestion can also be made about finding a box that contains everything they need to overcome their problems.

Instead of regression, progression can also be used. In this case, you are not talking to the inner child, but rather to an older wiser version of themselves who can guide them through this difficult time. In this conversation, the therapist does not always have to provide guidance. It can also be a private conversation in the client's mind.

Visualizations can also be used to practice on future problems. For example, people can visualize what they would do if...

1. They suddenly become dependent on a wheelchair.
2. They run out of energy to leave the house.
3. They receive chemotherapy.

In contrast, for complaints such as pain and hot flashes, visualizations of thermometers and volume controls can be used to have more control over these feelings.

In addition, post-hypnotic suggestions can be given, such as "Every time you wash your hands, remember to wash away your anxiety."

These kinds of suggestions help people in the palliative phase to suffer less from anxiety, their symptoms and personal problems.

Learning hypnosis to help people

In the palliative phase, people are very vulnerable, so if you want to help people in this phase, it is important to be able to help them in the best way possible. If you want to help people in this phase with hypnosis, we recommend that you take all the trainings of the HIN. So that you don't accidentally miss the knowledge needed for certain problems.

Would you like to learn more about hypnosis and helping people? Then join the free online masterclass.

Or sign up right away for one of our training programs.

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