ABSTRACT
As Rabkin, Remien, and Wilson (1994) state, "Most people fear that they wil l be in excruciating pain as they near death from a terminal illness. Clients need to be assured that they wil l not suffer. Most major hospitals have physicians who are pain management specialists who can consult with the patient about helping him or her remain comfortable at this phase of the illness. Some people prefer to be unconscious, others wish to be alert, but sedated and pain free" (p. 73), People need to be taught to explicitly describe how much pain they are experiencing and to clearly communicate this to the physician. Pain can be effectively controlled even if the client decides to die at home. In addition, therapists can help clients who experience pain by teaching them the techniques of self-hypnosis and visualization.
