A significant subset of patients receiving hospice and palliative care experience clinically significant existential distress, depression, and anxiety, ultimately compounding their suffering. As health deteriorates, connections to sources of meaning in life may be challenged. There is thus a compelling need offer meaning-centered interventions. This program will describe applications of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (MCP) for patients receiving hospice and palliative care. MCP is a brief, manualized intervention that systematically explores existential concepts and their relevance to patients’ lives. MCP helps patients recognize their ability to choose their attitude in the face of suffering, to connect with sources of meaning in their lives, and to choose how they tell their story. Cases will be discussed, and how to adapt the intervention with various populations and clinical scenarios will be explored.

View the full program information sheet.

Live on March 14, 2023 at noon ET
Length: 90 minutes
CEs: 1.5 CE credits available for a varierty of professional boards. View the full board list here.

Expert panelist:
Wendy Lichtenthal, PhD, is Director of the Bereavement Clinic and Associate Attending Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Lichtenthal’s research has focused on grief and bereavement, meaning-making, intervention development, and cancer survivorship. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the T.J. Martell Foundation, and Cycle for Survival.