Guided Imagery
Guided Imagery
What is guided imagery?
Guided imagery is a relaxation practice where you bring positive images to mind that support healing. During guided imagery, you focus on something that helps you feel relaxed. This may be a specific object, place, or sound.
Guided imagery can be delivered by a trained professional, through a recording, or as a self-guided practice once you have learned the skill.
How do I get started?
Ask your health care provider if guided imagery is right for you.
You can also reach out to your local Whole Health Point of Contact to learn more about complementary and integrative health care options availability.
How can guided imagery help you?
Guided imagery may support Veterans in managing:
- Pain, to include fibromyalgia
- Anxiety and depression in patients with cancer
- General well-being
What can I expect during a session?
Guided imagery may take place in a clinic or virtual visit, either one-on-one or in a group setting. Sessions typically last 20 to 30 minutes.
Personalized Experience: You control the guided imagery experience. You and your provider will create the session based on your needs.
Is guided imagery safe and effective?
An evidence map of guided imagery was developed by the VA Health Services Research & Development office. This review limited itself to published meta-analysis studies. Conditions with evidence of a potential positive effect include: Cancer (diagnosis-related), Cardiac surgery, critical illness/ICU, menstrual disorders, Parkinson’s, stroke, and Fibromyalgia (secondary outcomes only). Conditions with evidence of positive effect include: Arthritis/rheumatic diseases (diagnosis related outcomes) and Cancer (secondary outcomes).
Policy and Research
Background and Policy on in VA
Guided imagery is one of the evidence-based complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches covered by the Veterans medical benefits package when deemed clinically necessary by their care team per VA Directive 1137 — Provision of Complementary and Integrative Health (recertified December 2022). Based on literature review these approaches were found to be safe and have sufficient evidence of benefit to be recommended as appropriate components of care for the Veteran population.
Highlighted Publications
Citation: Freeman, M., Ayers, C., Kondo, K., Noonan, K., O'Neil, M., Morasco, B., & Kansagara, D. (2019). Guided Imagery, Biofeedback, and Hypnosis: A Map of the Evidence (VA ESP Project #05-225). Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research & Development Service.
Summary: This report provides an evidence map of guided imagery, biofeedback, and hypnosis interventions based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It identifies health conditions for which these interventions have been examined, summarizing their effectiveness and associated harms. The map aims to guide decision-making and future research prioritization within the Veterans Health Administration.
Citation: Anamagh, M. A., Kouhpayeh, M. S., Khezri, S., Goli, R., Faraji, N., Anzali, B. C., ... & Ghahremanzad, F. (2024). The effect of Guided imagery on perioperative anxiety in hospitalized adult patients: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Surgery in Practice and Science, 18, 100255.
Summary: This systematic review evaluates the impact of guided imagery on perioperative anxiety in hospitalized adult patients. The findings from nine included studies suggest that guided imagery is an effective intervention for reducing anxiety before surgery, with most studies reporting a statistically significant reduction in anxiety levels. Despite limitations such as small sample sizes and varied measurement tools, the consistent positive results and high patient satisfaction indicate the potential benefits of integrating guided imagery into perioperative care.
Citation: Correa-Morales, J. E., Mantilla-Manosalva, N., Rodriguez-Cardona, X., Bedoya-Muñoz, L. J., Florez-Vargas, B., León, M. X., Giraldo-Moreno, S., Gomezese, O. F., & Salamanca-Balen, N. (2024). Guided Imagery for Symptom Management of Patients with Life-Limiting Illnesses: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 27(6), 802–812.
Summary: This systematic review examines the effectiveness of guided imagery (GI) for symptom management in patients with life-limiting illnesses receiving palliative care. The review included 14 randomized controlled trials and found that GI was effective in managing symptoms in 10 of these studies, leading to relief from anxiety, depression, pain, sleep disturbances, and fatigue regardless of disease stage. While acknowledging limitations such as methodological quality concerns in many studies and the exclusion of other combined therapies, the authors conclude that GI is a promising, versatile, cost-effective, and person-centered complementary therapy for physical and emotional symptom relief in this patient population.
Learn more
Learn more about other complementary and integrative health care options by visiting the Complementary and Integrative Health overview page or clicking the links below.
