If you might be living with a disability because of an injury or long-term health condition, you could not have the opportunity to do all of the belongings you used to do. It could affect your emotions or your mental health.
It is likely to be helpful to see a specialist called a rehabilitation psychologist. They can show you ways to beat the psychological, social and work challenges you could face should you suffer from a disabling injury or illness. The skills you learn can improve your quality of life.
Rehab psychology might help motivate you, boost your self-esteem, increase your independence, and make you higher in a position to adapt to the physical, emotional, or mental changes you might be going through. The psychologists will create a treatment plan specifically for you, tailored to your individual lifestyle and desires.
They help individuals with a big selection of health problems, comparable to:
They also diagnose and treat mental illnesses comparable to:
- PTSD
- Fear
- depression
- Somatic symptom disorder (a condition that causes physical symptoms because of psychological distress)
You start by assessing your pondering skills and psychological well-being. Then, depending in your needs, they'll treat you with the next options:
- Individual or group therapy (including counseling and talk therapy)
- Building skills to maximise your pondering abilities and compensate for any deficiencies (also called cognitive correction)
- Tactics to provide help to manage any issues affecting your behavior
- Tips to provide help to make higher use of assistive tools or technologies
- Lifestyle changes that promote your health
Your rehab psychologist will consider your preferences, needs and resources when developing your treatment plan. You also needs to be respectful of things like:
- Your race or ethnicity
- Language
- Old
- Gender identity
- Sexual orientation
- social network
- Where you reside
- Socioeconomic status (based on things like your education level, income, and job)
In addition to helping you, your rehabilitation psychologist can even teach your close relations – or a caregiver if you've gotten one – how you can best support you as you adjust to your recent normal. You can also provide training, education, and support services to other vital people in your life, comparable to teachers, supervisors, colleagues, religious leaders, and friends.
To make sure you get essentially the most out of your treatment, they can also work closely with other specialists who could also be a part of your healthcare team, comparable to:
- Doctors for physical medicine and rehabilitation (physiatrists)
- Speech therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Physiotherapists
With the assistance of your team, your rehab psychologist desires to provide help to feel good completing on a regular basis tasks, socializing, going to work or school, and participating in activities you enjoy.
You should have a doctorate in psychology. You must even have accomplished extensive pre- and post-doctoral training in hospitals, clinics, or other places where people receive medical care.
Rehabilitation psychologists who provide clinical services must even be licensed within the state or province through which they practice.
These specialists work in various locations including:
- Hospitals and health centers
- Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation units or centers
- Assisted living and long-term care facilities
- Special clinics (e.g. for pain and cardiac rehabilitation)
- Community agencies that assist individuals with certain disabilities or chronic health conditions
You can ask your doctor or one other member of your care team to refer you to a rehabilitation psychologist. You can find one List of state-certified rehabilitation psychologists by the American Board of Professional Psychology. You can even contact the American Psychological Association to request a listing of rehab psychologists by calling 800-374-2721 or 202-336-5500.
Everyone is different. There is not any standard number as rehab psychologists treat individuals with a variety of disabilities and mental illnesses.
No matter what number of sessions you wish, a psychologist can provide help to over time by adjusting your treatment plan as your needs change.