Clinical Health Psychology
Over the past decade, professionals in both behavioral health psychology and the medical community have integrated into what today is called behavioral health services within primary care. Many common medical problems treated by primary care (e.g., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain) involve behaviors and health habits that initiate, exacerbate, or perpetuate the patient’s symptoms and contribute to poor functioning.
The concept of the integrated care model in any one of its formats is comparatively new and designed to meet the behavioral health and overall health care needs of patients in primary care. Integrated behavioral health care means better care for patients when the physician’s priorities are identified and reviewed with the health psychologist.
This relationship provides an opportunity to contribute to the well-being of patients who might otherwise never use behavioral health care and to assist the primary care physician in delivering more effective behavioral health services. For example, behavioral health disorders such as anxiety and depression affect nearly 15% of the disease burden in the U.S. 70% of primary care office visits are related to behavioral health needs, and over 80% of psychotropic medication is prescribed by non-psychiatric physicians.
Populations We Treat
Since we are generalists, we can provide psychological analysis for the following, but not limited to, patients with these conditions:
- Potential mental health diagnoses (e.g., anxiety, depression, PTSD)
- Potential medical health diagnoses (e.g., acute and chronic pain, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, headaches, women’s reproductive issues)
- Health-related behavior change (e.g., smoking cessation, increasing exercise, diet changes)
- Stress or coping difficulties
- Grieving or dying
- Family members of patients with illnesses or disabilities
- Medical adherence difficulties
Patients with whom the physician is frustrated, such as individuals who excessively use health care resources, or demonstrate personality disorders, or for whom there is no significant benefit derived from seeing the doctor.
Care We Provide
Since we are generalists, we can provide psychological analysis for the following, but not limited to, patients with these conditions:
- Psychological counseling
- Medical Adjustment Counseling®
- Biofeedback
- Psychological examinations
- Psychological pain examinations
- Presurgical psychological examinations(pain, reconstructive, reproductive)