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Presenter: M. Paola Brugnoli, MD

Hypnosis is an effective and efficient means of developing the resources of people suffering from serious illness. After an average of few hypnotherapy sessions in Psychosocial Oncology and in Palliative Care, patients are able to locate previously unexploited resources within themselves and are able to become autonomous in the use of self-hypnosis. Clinical hypnosis represents an increasingly popular area of research in neuroscience and cognitive science, including prominent projects in the fields of perception, attention, concentration, consciousness, memory, motor control, pain and suffering control, in adults and children. What are the conscious and unconscious sensations that accompany neural activities of the brain during hypnosis? Our awareness refers to the basic knowledge that something is happening, to perceive or feeling, or cognizing in its simplest form. The science of consciousness has been accompanied by a recent emphasis on the problem of taxonomy, measurement and classification. Having a dependable classification of the modified states of consciousness and hypnosis? stages is essential both for mapping evidence of new techniques and for understanding results of scientific studies. Hypnotic treatment should be offered in psychosocial oncology and in palliative care to any individual, who expresses an interest in this approach, to promote the enhancement of the patient/ clinician relationship and a better quality of life.

Clinical Hypnosis is recognized in Psychosocial Oncology and in Palliative Care as an effective complementary therapy for pain and symptom?s relief. This paper wants to highlight the neurophysiology and taxonomy of clinical hypnosis, to better understand its significant impact on the treatment goals in psychosocial oncology and palliative care at the end of life. The attendee can learn the many different techniques for relieving physical, psychological and spiritual suffering. The attendee learned will affect change in their performance in practice thus changing patient care from this session: 1. How to integrate the physiological, psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care and offer a support system to help patients and their families to live with a better quality of life, 2. How to apply and assess clinical hypnosis early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies and 3. to create a group approach to address the needs of patients and their families.