In April 2014, Aubrey was invited to the 12th Annual Harborview Medical Center to participate in the Palliative Care Conference. This was sponsored by the University of Washington Palliative Care Center of Excellence. Leila Kozak PhD, a Clinical Champion from the VA Puget Sound Health System, presented "Evidence, Indications and Integration of Complementary Therapies for Comfort Care." Here is a link to Leila's lecture.

Sadly, U-W Palliative Care Center of Excellence is one of the few major university programs that is still lacking a complementary and alternative medicine program as an integrated part of their end of life and cancer care centers. This was the first year the conference invited alternative medicine practitioners to participate.

The conference was attended by many medical professionals from throughout the Puget Sound area. Aubrey and many other alternative medicine practitioners offered short complementary sessions on massage, reflexology, acupuncture, healing touch, aromatherapy and music healing. Hundreds of conventional medical clinicians were able to experience what comfort alternative medicine can bring to those suffering through chronic illness or at the end of life.

Based on the response to the lecture and the sample sessions, it is hopeful that U-W will move forward with adding this much needed service to its program. Alternative medicine is invaluable addition to treatment plans supporting women undergoing breast cancer care.

In the meantime, here is something you can do to support your loved ones healing their breast cancer. Leila co-authored "Compassionate Intention As a Therapeutic Intervention by Partners of Cancer Patients: Effects of Distant Intention on the Patients' Autonomic Nervous System” (1) . Here is a link to the abstract.

This study was able to determine that a person’s autonomic nervous system was activated when someone sent them healing intention from a distance.

The next Palliative Care Conference is April 27-28, 2015 , in Seattle's University District. It is a multi-disciplinary event and all health care professionals are welcome to attend. Alternatively, consider attending the seminar "How breast cancer care affects massage therapists" hosted by the Trillium Institute for Bodywork on March 3, 2015 at 5pm (also in the U District). Meg Robsahm is certified in oncology massage and has been teaching Massage for People Living with Cancer for many years. She and I will co-teach ways in which breast cancer recovery presents itself in a bodywork practice, as well as breast cancer resources to educate you and your clients.

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(1) The Journal of Science and Healing
Volume 4, Issue 4 , Pages 235-243, July 2008
Dean Radin, PhDemail address, Jerome Stone, MA, RN, Ellen Levine, PhD, Shahram Eskandarnejad, MD, Marilyn Schlitz, PhD, Leila Kozak, PhD, Dorothy Mandel, PhD, Gail Hayssen