What is Medical Psychology?
Medical Psychology refers to psychological interventions which aim to help individuals who are attempting to cope with aspects of physical trauma such as accidents, disabilities and traumatic brain injury (TBI) or illnesses such as heart conditions, HIV, cancer and diabetes. These interventions aim to assist the patient with the psychological implications of the physical impairment at an individual, relational and societal level.
Support for patient and their support system
At Hometree, we feel that people do not only function physically, but take into account their social, spiritual and emotional well-being. Thus we offer a support service not only for the client with physical and medical challenges, but also to their families.
A note to medical practitioners
Whether a medical diagnosis is acute or chronic, more often than not, it has an emotional impact connected to the physical implications on the patient as well as on the people close to him/her. The emotional aspects often take a back seat to the physical interventions but are often vital to recovery. There have been numerous studies that prove that patients that receive psychological assistance as part of their treatment has a better prognosis and often recovers quicker than patients without professional emotional assistance. At Hometree our intent is to work closely together with the multi-professional team in order to offer the client the best service while supporting and enabling the professional team to focus on their work. Our interventions has been found to positively contribute to treatment adherence specifically in our Cardiology and Oncology programmes.
Medical Psychology may be for you or your patient for the following conditions:
- Physical disabilities
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Cancer
- HIV
- Diabetes
Taking into account our client’s needs, Hometree provides this therapeutic service on an outpatient basis at our consulting rooms, as well as in-hospital visits if the situation necessitates it. Through professional guidance patients and their support systems can learn effective ways of dealing with these unfortunate experiences. The therapeutic process starts from the moment of receiving a life-changing diagnosis, throughout the process of medical treatment, up to re-adjusting to everyday functioning after recovery, or in case of terminal illness, bereavement counselling, preparing the patient and family for the inevitable as well as assisting the family members after loosing a loved one.
What can I expect?
Evaluation Phase
During this phase, we ask questions concerning your personal history which you may experience as intrusive. This assists us in developing a therapeutic or treatment plan, arriving at an accurate diagnosis and understanding your unique challenges and needs.
There may be a need to conduct psychological testing with you in order to obtain further information about your functioning. This will only be completed with your consent. Additionally, we may need to gather further information via interviews with relevant family members, professionals or colleagues at work either in person or telephonically or to request medical reports if this is relevant to your specific information. This process will only be done with your written consent.
Therapeutic Phase
Sessions involve one on one communication in a safe, empathic and non-judgemental space.
The aim of therapy is to bring about improved functioning and personal growth in the long term, and may involve personal change. This process may be unsettling or painful at times and hence at times you may experience emotional distress. This may have a temporary negative impact on personal, social and occupational functioning. Therapy may also result in a desire to alter your lifestyle or relationships which may not be welcomed by those close to you, and which may therefore result in interpersonal tension. Hence it is important to openly communicate with those around you concerning these changes.
The success of therapy is influenced by the degree to which you as the client take responsibility in order to bring about change. No therapist can guarantee that therapy will be successful.
Ending Therapy
Either party may terminate therapy at any stage. However, we will only terminate therapy in consultation with you and in a professionally accountable way. If you wish to terminate therapy, please discuss it with us so that we may have closure for the therapeutic process.
If at any stage you feel uncomfortable with what is happening in therapy, or with suggestions or the therapeutic procedures that are being used, please discuss this. This is of the utmost importance for the therapeutic relationship, and the process of therapy.
Will other people know what I say in sessions?
Your personal information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and no information will be shared with others without your verbal or written consent. However, there are some situations in which we may be obliged to break confidentiality. This includes:
- Emergency situations: Such situations are those where you may be at risk of harming yourself, another person or the therapist.
- Statutory duty: A provision in an Act may oblige me to disclose information.
- Court orders: A court may order us to disclose private information where we, in terms of our professional rules shall however endeavour to do everything possible to prevent the disclosure of private information.
- Certain medical aids require a diagnostic code in order to pay the account. If you do not agree to this code being disclosed, the medical aid may refuse to pay your account.
- From time to time we may need to refer you to other practioners such as a general medical doctor or psychiatrist. In this event, we will discuss this with you and your consent will be obtained to share information with these parties.
Appointments
- Sessions typically are 50-60 minutes long
- Appointments are generally set for the same time, in the same place each week
- The length of therapy is dependent on the findings of the evaluation phase and may be long or short term in nature
- Appointments should be cancelled 24 hours in advance
Fees
- Sessions can be paid for in cash or via credit card
- We are also able to claim from medical aids on your behalf
- Some medical aids offer a prescribed minimum benefit for therapy for certain conditions. You can discuss this further with us or consult our fees page in order to establish how this works