WHAT IS A HEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST?
Health psychologists use psychological methods to help people suffering from medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Health psychologists work with other health professionals to provide a complete treatment that considers the patient’s attitude and behavior as essential parts of an effective protocol.
Most of you learned the basic skills for reading, writing and arithmetic in grade school. But how many of you know the basic skills for managing the painful emotions that come with major illness.
As a certified health psychologist, Dr. Lightstone will teach you these skills and examine with you the dynamic interplay between emotions and medical illness. You will learn skills to modify your attitude, change your behavior and adopt healthy lifestyle practices. And you will learn to “give meaning” to this challenging period in your life, inspiring you to find happiness and quality of life in spite of your illness.
Health psychologists also help people suffering from chronic pain, insomnia, reticular sympathetic dystrophy and chronic fatigue syndrome. Health psychology belongs to a larger subject field called “behavior medicine,” a multidisciplinary field of study that looks at both physical and psychological factors in its attempt to understand disease. If you are seeking help from a health psychologist, make sure the practitioner is a certified health psychologist with the proper training.