Transpersonal formative and supportive model to improve communication and relationship in psychoncology

Specific key communication skills and awareness of different communicative levels are necessary to make healthy relationships and to cure and care suffering people. A didactic and group transpersonal experiential course was organized for oncology health care professionals. Transpersonal psychological, imaginative, meditative and bodily methods according to Grossman approach were used, for the first time in this context. After the course bimonthly regular sharing group meetings were organized. Participants reported a subjective improvement of general well-being and mood, besides more confidence and competence in communication skills. At the end of the course all subjects scored significantly higher in the 5 main communicative skills explored: either at personal level (intellectual, relational) and interpersonal level (managerial, innovative, and emotional) (p<0.001). Reassessment after the sharing groups, showed the maintenance of abilities improvement at personal level (p<0.01), but not for interpersonal abilities. In conclusion, this transpersonal formative and supportive method showed improvement in communication skills with long lasting results. The improvement observed in the interpersonal abilities which could not be monitored or modified by the individual themselves, decreases over time. This problem should be focused by future formative models that involve also the general organization of oncology departments.