The service provides for the psychological needs of adults and their carers whose emotional or mental health problems are either caused by a physical health problem, thought to be making it worse or making it hard to manage.
Although able to offer assessment and agree therapy plans with patients still in hospital, the service mainly works alongside the primary health care team providing therapy for outpatients.
We provide advice and support for direct care staff and GPs if required.
Who we are
The psychologists who work in the service are experienced clinical and health psychologists who provide mainly Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy.
How we help
We aim to apply our psychological knowledge to help individuals, couples and families face the impact of a frightening diagnosis, an accident, or a long-term illness.
Whether you are trying to learn to live with a disability or suffer acute symptoms, we will help you mobilise and use your psychological resources to the full. We will try to help you to find ways to reduce your distress and enhance your sense of being in charge of how you feel.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps by reviewing some of the person’s beliefs, which may be making life hard, and encouraging a step by step and experimental approach to finding solutions to problems.
Particular attention is paid to your:
- Beliefs about your health and the effectiveness of your treatment
- Sense of being at risk of further problems
- Confidence that you can make any necessary changes to lifestyle, relationships or behaviour
- Mixed feelings that make it hard to cope with life as it is now, with rehabilitation, or to stick to your treatment
Greater understanding of your feelings about your illness and its consequences may produce a better sense of choice and control. People often report positive effects on key relationships and an improved feeling of wellbeing.
Living well with pain
The challenge of living with chronic pain is often a hidden one. Not only can you not "see" chronic pain, it is also difficult to easily find the information and resources that could be of help. For this reason, we have put together a web page which we hope will help: www.sabp.nhs.uk/livingwithpain
We have included a range of information from recommended reading material to potentially useful web sites and local resources.
What to expect
You will be sent an appointment for an assessment interview and you may be asked to fill in a few questionnaires. By the end we hope to have a clear understanding of the psychological issues and an agreed therapy approach for resolving them.
Confidentiality
Much of what you discuss with your psychologist or counsellor can remain confidential between you. However we do have a keep in touch with your doctor and others who may be helping you about anything that might affect the overall plan for your treatment. If you have any concerns about confidentiality please raise them at your first session.