End-of-life choices and medical decisions have complex psychological and social components and consequences; these decisions are often stressful and have significant impact on suffering and the quality of living and dying. Hypnosis offers a way to move forward with less stress and with positive impact on the quality of living and dying.

End-of-life hypnosis offers an exceptionally focused, unique supportive care approach. It can be a powerful complementary therapy for individuals nearing end-of-life and while not a cure for any disease or illness, it addresses the mind-body concerns of the dying in a non-medical and holistic manner.

Along with palliative care specialists, critical to end-of-life care, there’s a relatively new approach for supplementing integrative health care that deserves mentioning: end-of-life hypnosis which encompasses both holistic and clinical aspects.

How is hypnosis conducted?  Hypnosis is performed by a trained practitioner who uses verbal cues to create mental images, whereby a state of calm and relaxation is induced to help the patient to cope better with anxiety or pain.

How does hypnosis help with end-of-life issues or concerns?

• Not Dying Alone – Feeling more connected to others and to a bigger sense of spiritual presence is possible by exploring one’s inner peaceful aspirations.
• Reducing Pain or Discomfort – Complementing medications, hypnosis can help one become more comfortable by helping one hypnotically regulate how one feels about pain or other discomfort.
• Lowering Excess Anxiety or Improving Sleep – Learning the skill of self-hypnosis, more powerful and quicker than meditation with growing scientific support for this mind-body therapy (Globe and Mail, 2017) , it can help one better cope with changes in environment and treatment protocols.
• Finishing Personal Affairs – There are often outstanding past, present, and even future concerns like conflict, losses and disappointments which can be resolved intimately and privately in one’s own mind.
• Accepting Dependence on Others – By cultivating self-worth and self-care, one can gain a sense of control over thoughts, feelings and sensations.
• Embracing Acceptance and Peace of Mind – This approach allows for creating a safe space with a qualified practitioner to talk about fear, guilt and other emotions.
• Releasing Fear of the Unknown – It is possible to gently explore intimate thoughts and guide one through a death rehearsal to help alleviate fear.

Imagine the right combination of relaxation, meditation, visualization, hypnosis and self-hypnosis, allowing you to feel greater inner peace.

I have been supporting clients since 1988, actively involved in family (as executive director for a non-profit supporting corporate families in business and their advisors through succession planning and other areas of concern) and/or seniors-related activities (at church and as a community member on the board of a non-profit in long-term care specializing in dementia/Alzheimers). In 2017 I fully transitioned to hypnosis and hypnotherapy, and in 2019 I specialized in end-of-life care and support as a Certified Hypnosis Practitioner and also as a Certified End-of-Life Doula.