A Mind-body Intervention to Improve Body and/or Self Image

This will be a phase II randomized controlled trial involving two arms: hypnotic relaxation and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), using a 2:1 randomization schedule. 1. Evaluate the impact of a hypnotic relaxation intervention compared to progressive muscle relaxation on body image distress. Hypothesis 1: Women randomized to the hypnotic relaxation will have significantly more improvement in body image distress as measured by the Impact of Treatment Scale than women randomized to receive progressive muscle relaxation at 6 weeks. 2. Evaluate the impact of a hypnotic relaxation intervention compared to progressive relaxation on sexual self-image, sexual health, and mood. Hypothesis 2: Women randomized to hypnotic relaxation will show significantly more improvement on the Sexual Self-Schema Scale, the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) sexual health scale and the Positive-Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) than women receiving progressive relaxation at 6 weeks. 3. Evaluate the side effects of hypnotic and progressive muscle relaxation. Hypothesis 3a: Hypnotic relaxation will not be associated with significantly more negative side effects than progressive muscle relaxation. Hypothesis 3b: Neither hypnotic nor progressive muscle relaxation will be associated with negative side effects. 4. Explore the physiologic effects of hypnotic relaxation compared to progressive muscle relaxation by evaluating cortisol slopes and comparing am/pm cortisol values. Hypothesis 4a: Women receiving hypnotic relaxation will have a steeper cortisol slope, higher am and lower pm cortisol concentrations at the end of 6 weeks compared with women receiving progressive muscle relaxation. Women will be referred from providers in the Breast and Gynecology Clinics of the University of Michigan Cancer Center as well as the Symptom Management, Sexual Health and Psycho-Oncology clinics. The study coordinator will provide education about the trial and a consent form will be provided for review. If a woman decides to participate, she will sign the consent form. Sessions will be held at Dr. Barton's behavioral research office located on Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor, where there is privacy, a recliner, a relaxing environment, and convenient parking. Both intervention arms will involve three sessions that will occur at 2 week intervals. Each visit will last about 40 minutes to an hour.