What is health psychology?
Receiving a diagnosis, living with pain, undergoing long treatment or waiting for results does not happen only in the body.
These things can affect your sense of safety, your relationships, your work, your body image and the way you see your own future.
Health psychology deals with the links between physical health and emotions, thoughts, behaviour, relationships and the environment a person lives in. It does not assume that illness is caused by a mental state, and it does not replace medical treatment. It addresses how the situation is experienced, and the ways you can cope with the changes, decisions and load it creates.
This work can also suit family members, and medical staff carrying the emotional weight of caring for others.
In Israel the professional title is 'medical psychologist'; internationally the same field is usually called health psychology. They describe the same work.
What this work is for
Living with illness and treatment
Diagnosis, pain, the treatment timetable, and how much a day can still hold.
Anxiety and uncertainty
Worry, panic and health anxiety, including tests, waiting for results and the fear of deterioration.
Treatment, habits and motivation
Understanding why recommendations are hard to follow, and building steps that fit the life you actually have.
Communication and medical decisions
Preparing for appointments, voicing concerns, and taking an active part in decisions about your treatment.
Preparing for procedures
Working with fear, avoidance, anticipatory pain anxiety and previous medical experiences.
Family members and medical teams
Support for those who accompany, care for and carry emotional load over long periods.
Unsure whether to write?
Write one sentence about what is going on. I will say if I work with that, and if not, where else to look.
A free 15-minute call first. I usually reply within 2 working days.