The meaning of integrative guided imagery relaxation therapy for women with breast cancer

Objective: Understanding the meaning of guided imagery relaxation for women with breast cancer, also investigating how patients view cancer and their immune system during guided imagery relaxation sessions and feel after it. Method: A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach and a Heideggerian theoretical-methodological reference based on the Creative and Sensitive Method, developed in the radiotherapy outpatient clinic of a public teaching hospital in the interior of Sao Paulo. The Heideggerian understanding was used for analyzing the data, which occurred in two stages: vague and medium understanding, and hermeneutics. Results: Nine women between the ages of 45 and 67 participated in the study. The data allowed us to understand the meaning of guided imagery relaxation from the participants, since they could be classified into three units of meaning: cancer stigma, facing disease and treatment benefits. Conclusion: The meaning of guided imagery relaxation made it possible to understand the being-in-the-world during the provided reflections, and it is possible to verify the importance of the nurse's offer of therapy in caring for women with breast cancer.