Psychology - Clinical Health Psychology

We are a Clinical Health Psychology Department offering outpatient support to individuals with physical health conditions.

We aim to reduce distress and help you develop coping strategies.

What is Clinical Health Psychology?

Clinical Health Psychology helps people to cope with physical health conditions. It is a way of working with the whole person and looks at how health and illness affects our lives and how our own behaviors can impact upon our health in many ways.

It can offer you a safe, private space to explore worries around your health and different ways of coping.

What do we do?

We are a team of specialist psychological therapists who are trained to help people cope with their physical health problems.

We use a wide range of talking therapies to deal with thoughts and feelings related to physical health problems. This support may be offered either one-to-one or as part of a group.

Why would I want this support?

Experiencing physical health problems can affect people’s lives in many different ways:

• Lifestyle change
• Choices about treatment
• Feelings of loss
• Changes in mood e.g. anxiety, anger, depression and frustration
• Family life and relationships

Support with such difficulties is given by the professionals involved in your current care, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists etc. However, sometimes it can be helpful to work through these feelings with someone who understands that physical health problems can affect the body but also the way you think and feel.

How can I access this support?

A referral to the Department of Clinical Health Psychology may be suggested by a health professional involved in your care and they should discuss this with you beforehand. You can also ask your health professional for a referral.

After you have been referred, you will be invited for an initial appointment to consider how we may best help you when one becomes available.

What should I expect?

When you first see us, it will be for a discussion about your life and how you are coping. This can take place over one to two appointments, each lasting 50-60 minutes. The therapist will then explain the ways in which the service can support you.

Before this meeting you may be asked to complete some short questionnaires.

You will then decide together whether therapy would be helpful for you and if so, what the next steps will be.

In line with current NICE Guidelines the therapy offered will be tailored to your needs, usually between 8-12 sessions.

Scheduled appointments are usually weekly or fortnightly.

Will my information be kept confidential?

Your information and anything written down during your session will be kept private.

Sometimes it is helpful to share information to achieve the best care for you. Your therapist will ask your permission before sharing information about you.

However, there may be occasions where your information must be shared with other services, due to issues of safety for yourself and others.

You will be informed if this is the case.

Sources of further information:

If you would like to discuss your referral to the Clinical Health Psychology Department, please contact us on 0161 206 5588 or email psychology.referrals@nca.nhs.uk