Maintaining dignity for patients approaching death is a core principle of palliative care. Translating that principle into methods of guiding care at the end of life, however, can be a complicated and daunting task. Dignity therapy, a psychological intervention developed by Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov and his internationally lauded research group, has been designed specifically to address many of the psychological, existential, and spiritual challenges that patients and their families face as they grapple with the reality of life drawing to a close. Tested with patients with advanced illnesses in Canada, the United States, Australia, China, Scotland, England, and Denmark, dignity therapy has been shown to not only benefit patients, but their families as well. In the first book to lay out the blueprint for this unique and meaningful intervention, Chochinov addresses one of the most important dimensions of being human. Being alive means being vulnerable and mortal; he argues that dignity therapy offers a way to preserve meaning and hope for patients approaching death. Dignity Therapy: Final Words for Final Days is a beautiful introduction to this pioneering and innovative work. With history and foundations of dignity in care, and step by step guidance for readers interested in implementing the program, this volume illuminates how dignity therapy can change end-of-life experience for those about to die - and for those who will grieve their passing. "This is truly a remarkable book-- it simultaneously brings together the best we know of the science of palliative care with the essence and best of compassionate care." -- Jimmie C. Holland, Wayne E. Chapman Chair in Psychiatric Oncology and Attending Psychiatrist, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center "For all health professionals who find themselves struggling to help patients face the complex process of dying, this book is both a detailed roadmap and an extraordinary guide that dispels the myth that 'there is nothing else they can do.' Embodying the essence of professionalism and caring, this text describes an innovative, evidence-based, therapeutic intervention to address the psychological and existential distress of patients with serious life threatening illnesses. Most importantly, the book sets a high standard for creating an environment that enables patients' exploration of personhood and suffering and enhances their dignity in the final days of their lives." -- Kathleen M. Foley, Attending Neurologist, Pain and Palliative Care Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center "People often ask how palliative care clinicians can do this work day in, day out. I struggle to articulate the profound experience of witnessing patients and families find meaning and transcendence through their illness, but now I will refer them to Dr. Chochinov's remarkable book. He not only relays story after story of such healing, but he also gives us all clear guidance to help our patients and their families to make meaning of their lives in a consistent and standardized manner. Because it will help us to better help our patients and their families, his work is a gift to palliative care clinicians everywhere." -- Diane E. Meier, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care; Director, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute; and Professor of Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine "Dr. Chochinov has pioneered the work of dignity therapy, and through his scholarship, the field of palliative care has been deeply influenced. Dignity Therapy is a rich blend of a deep understanding of the existential concerns of the seriously ill and dying, and an incredibly practical resource for clinicians." -- Betty Ferrell, Professor and Research Scientist, City of Hope Medical Center "Without careful characterization, concepts like dignity are ephemeral and profoundly difficult to address in a therapeutic paradigm. In Dignity Therapy: Final Words for Final Days , Harvey Chochinov brings clarity to the factors that influence the dignity of seriously and terminally ill persons. He expounds upon a well-developed and pragmatic therapeutic approach that has already been of help to thousands of patients across the world. This is not your usual medical text-- it is written with profound sensitivity, humanity, and wisdom that is both inspiring and practical." -- Nathan I. Cherny, Norman Levan Chair in Humanistic Medicine and Director of Cancer Pain and Palliative Care Service, Department of Oncology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel "In this elegant book, Harvey Chochinov shows how the interrelatedness of one human being with another affects an individual's intrinsic sense of dignity, and he examines the implications of this on the care environment. Every palliative care service will find this book enriching and will look with refreshed eyes on the work of providing care to others." -- Baroness Ilora Finlay of Llandaff, Professor of Pa