TS06: ADVANCED PRACTICE Yoga Therapy in Clinical Oncology: Diagnosis, Recurrence, and Death

Presenter bios: Maryam Ovissi, MA, C-IAYT, and Denyse Le Fever, MBA, C-IAYT

This session will explore how yoga therapy is being integrated into cancer care at Inova Schar Cancer Institute through the Inova Peterson Life with Cancer program in suburban Washington, D.C. Maryam Ovissi and Denyse Le Fever, who have been working as yoga therapists in this program in inpatient and outpatient settings for more than 10 years combined, will share details and examples of how the practices are being offered in the clinical oncology space. They’ll offer cases for discussion, as well as practices to build the skills essential to this work. Participants will also learn about aspects of this care setting that may be challenging for yoga therapists. The session presents specifics on teamwork, clinical documentation, and professional development and concludes with an acknowledgment of the essential nature of self-care for yoga therapists.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the continuum of cancer care—from diagnosis through remission, recurrence, survivorship, and death—and possible roles of yoga therapy practices at various points along this continuum.
2. Identify current research through resources and guidelines developed by the Society of Integrative Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.