Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy in the Cancer Setting

Finding Meaning and Hope in the Face of Suffering

Edited by William S. Breitbart

Presents the existential framework of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy
Describes eight, unique adaptations of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for various cancer populations and outcomes
Edited by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center investigators as well as international collaborators
Includes cultural and linguistic applications of the intervention for Mandarin, Spanish, and Hebrew

Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy in the Cancer Setting

Finding Meaning and Hope in the Face of Suffering

Edited by William S. Breitbart

Description

Meaning-Centered-Psychotherapy in the Cancer Setting provides a theoretical context for Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (MCP), a non-pharmalogic intervention which has been shown to enhance meaning and spiritual well-being, increase hope, improve quality of life, and significantly decrease depression, anxiety, desire for hastened death, and symptom burden distress in the cancer setting. Based on the work of Viktor Frankl and his concept of logotherapy, MCP is an innovative intervention for clinicians practicing in fields of Psycho-oncology, Palliative Care, bereavement, and cancer survivorship. This volume supplements two treatment manuals, Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy (MCGP) for Patients with Advanced Cancer and Individual Meaning -Centered Psychotherapy (IMCP) for Patients with Advanced Cancer by Dr. Breitbart, which offer a step-wise outline to conducting a specific set of therapy sessions. In addition to providing a theoretical background on the MCP techniques provided in the treatment manuals, this volume contains chapters on adapting MCP for different cancer-related populations and for different purposes and clinical problems including: interventions for cancer survivors, caregivers of cancer patients, adolescents and young adults with cancer, as a bereavement intervention, and cultural and linguistic applications in languages such as Mandarin, Spanish, and Hebrew.

Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy in the Cancer Setting

Finding Meaning and Hope in the Face of Suffering

Edited by William S. Breitbart

1. The Existential Framework of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy
2. Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy for Advanced Cancer Patients
3. Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Advanced Cancer Patients
4. Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy for Breast Cancer Survivors
5. Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy for Cancer Survivors
6. Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Cancer Caregivers
7. Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy
8. Adapting Meaning Centered Psychotherapy for Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer: Issues of Meaning and Identity
9. Adapting Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy in the Palliative Care Setting: Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy- Palliative Care (MCP-PC)
10. Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Chinese Cancer Patients
11. Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Spanish Speaking Latino Cancer Patients
12. Adaptation of Meaning Centered Group Psychotherapy (MCGP) in the Israeli Context: The Process of Importing an Intervention and Preliminary Results
13. Replication Study of Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy in Spain: Cultural and Linguistic Challenges
14. Enhancing Meaning at Work and Preventing Burnout: The Meaning-Centered Intervention for Palliative Care Clinicians

Appendix A: Transcripts of a full course of an 8 session Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy (MCGP) intervention with an exemplar group conducted as part of a randomized clinical trial

Appendix B: Transcripts of two full courses of a 7 session Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (IMCP) intervention with two exemplar patients conducted as part of a randomized clinical trial.

Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy in the Cancer Setting

Finding Meaning and Hope in the Face of Suffering

Edited by William S. Breitbart

Author Information

William Breitbart is the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Jimmie C. Holland Chair in Psychiatric Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York.

Contributors:

Allison J. Applebaum, PhD
Assistant Attending Psychologist
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Angela Chen
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Rosario Costas-Muñiz, PhD
Assistant Attending Psychologist
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Caraline Craig
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Gali Elinger
Department of Psychology
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat-Gan, Israel
Department of Psycho-Oncology
Institute of Oncology
Assuta Medical Center
Tel-Aviv, Israel

Natalie Fenn, BA
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Lise Fillion, PhD, RN
Professor of Nursing
Laval University
CHU de Québec
Quebec City, QC, Canada

Jennifer S. Ford, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Pediatrics
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Clara Fraguell, MA
Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow
Psycho-Oncology Department
Institut Català d´Oncologia
Stress and Health Research Group
Faculty of Psychology
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain

Pierre Gagnon, MD, FRCPC
Professor of Pharmacy
Laval University
CHU de Québec and Maison Michel-Sarrazin
Quebec City, QC, Canada

Francesca Gany, MD, MS
Chief, Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Department of Healthcare Policy and Research
Weill Cornell Medical College
New York, New York

Olga Garduño, BA
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Francisco Gil, PhD
Director, Psycho-Oncology Department
Institut Català d´Oncologia
Clinical Psychologist
Stress and Health Research Group
Faculty of Psychology
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain

Gil Goldezweig, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology
Dean, School of Behavioral Sciences
The Academic College of Tel-Aviv
Yaffo, Israel

Javier González, MA
Linguistics/Cultural Responsiveness Program Manager
Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Ilanit Hasson-Ohayo
Department of Psychology
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat-Gan, Israel

Xiaoxiao Huang, MA
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Greta Jankauskaite
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Julia A. Kearney, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Pediatrics
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Anat Laronne
Department of Psycho-Oncology
Institute of Oncology
Assuta Medical Center
Tel-Aviv, Israel

Jennifer Leng, MD, MPH
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Department of Healthcare Policy and Research
Weill Cornell Medical College
New York, New York

Wendy Lichtenthal, PhD
Assistant Attending Psychologist
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Joaquin T. Limonero, PhD
Health Psychologist
Lecturer, Stress and Health Research Group
Faculty of Psychology
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain

Florence Lui
Department of Clinical Psychology
The City College of New York
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Melissa Masterson, MA
Clinical Research Affiliate
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Stephanie Napolitano
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Hayley Pessin, PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Noam Pizem
Division of Oncology
Chaim Sheba Medical Center
Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Kailey E. Roberts, PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Xiomara Rocha-Cadman, MD
Assistant Attending Psychologist
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Barry Rosenfeld, PhD
Professor of Psychology
Fordham University
New York, New York

Katherine Sharpe, MTS
Senior Vice President, Patient and Caregiver Support
American Cancer Society
Atlanta, Georgia

Elizabeth Slivjak
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Corinne Sweeney, PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Mélanie Vachon, PhD
Department of Psychology
Université du Québec à Montréal
Montréal, QC, Canada

Nadia van der Spek, MSc
Department of Clinical Psychology
Vrije Universiteit
Health Care Psychologist
Ingeborg Douwes Centrum Center for Psycho-oncology Care
Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Irma Verdonck de Leeuw, PhD
Professor of Clinical Psychology
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
VU University Medical Center
Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Reut Wertheim
Department of Psychology
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat-Gan, Israel

Dawn Wiatrek, PhD
Strategic Director, Cancer Treatment Access
American Cancer Society
Atlanta, Georgia