Psychotherapeutic Work in Palliative Care

Abstract

In palliative care, multi-professional teams work to improve and maintain the quality of life of terminally ill patients and their families. In this field, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists take on a broad variety of tasks that range from preventive and supportive to psychotherapeutic work. Even if the provision of palliative care frequently does not yet offer appropriate need-based care by psychologists and psychotherapists, developments to that effect are clearly noticeable. The aim of the present article is to give an overview of palliative care as an area of application for psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions. After depicting relevant features of palliative care, characteristic topics, strains, and mental disorders in palliative care will be briefly delineated. Finally, an overview of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions for palliative care will be presented.