Health psychology is a specialized area of psychology that helps people understand and manage how their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and lifestyle choices impact their physical health—and how health conditions, in turn, affect mental well-being.
If you’re facing a medical diagnosis, preparing for a procedure, or just struggling with stress about your health, a health psychologist can help you cope more effectively, reduce stress, and take an active role in your health.
Why Talk With a Health Psychologist?
There are many situations—both common and complex—where meeting with a health psychologist can make a real difference. You might consider scheduling a session if:
Emotional Reactions to Illness or Injury
- You’re feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious after being diagnosed with a medical condition such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s, or autoimmune disease.
- You’re having a hard time accepting or adjusting to a new medical reality. For example, being unable to work or do the activities you previously enjoyed.
- You’ve survived a medical trauma or emergency (such as a car accident, surgery complication, or ICU stay) and are still emotionally affected.
Preparation for Surgery or Medical Procedures
- You’re preparing for a surgery that requires a pre-surgical psychological assessment, such as:
- Bariatric (weight-loss) surgery
- Spinal cord stimulation or pain implants
- Organ transplant
- You feel nervous or unsure about how medical issues might affect your lifestyle, identity, or relationships.
Coping with Chronic Conditions or Long-Term Care
- You live with a chronic illness (like cancer, lupus, Crohn’s, or asthma) and are struggling with burnout, frustration, or staying consistent with self-care.
- You experience chronic pain, and want tools to manage it in ways that support your mental and physical health—not just medication or opioids.
- You’re facing a progressive or degenerative illness (such as ALS or dementia) and want emotional support through the journey.
Health Behavior and Lifestyle Changes
- You’re trying to quit smoking, improve sleep, or manage emotional eating, but feel stuck or self-critical.
- You’ve been told your health would improve with certain changes, but you’re finding it hard to follow through—and want non-judgmental help figuring out why.
- You want to reduce stress, anxiety, or panic symptoms that may be worsening your physical health (like IBS, high blood pressure, headaches, or fatigue).
Navigating Complex Health Situations
- You have a medically unexplained condition or symptoms that haven’t been clearly diagnosed, and it’s affecting your quality of life. Examples include Functional Neurological Disorder.
- You’ve been dismissed or misunderstood by healthcare providers and need a space to talk about how this has affected you. Sometimes this can be impacted by cultural and other psychosocial factors, so exploring this can be meaningful.
- You’re facing difficult medical decisions, such as how to proceed with treatment, discuss prognosis with loved ones, or plan for long-term care.
Support for Mental Health in a Medical Setting
- You have health-related anxiety or phobias (e.g., fear of doctors, needles, or hospitals) that interfere with your care.
- You’re dealing with insomnia, fatigue, or mood swings related to hormonal, neurological, or autoimmune conditions.
- You want support for navigating relationships, caregiving roles, or work-life changes related to a diagnosis.
What Does a Health Psychologist Do?
A health psychologist works with you to:
- Help you adjust emotionally to illness, injury, or major changes in your body
- Support healthy habits and reduce self-blame or guilt around lapses
- Teaching practical skills like:
- Relaxation and breathing techniques for managing pain or anxiety
- Cognitive-behavioral tools to challenge unhelpful thoughts
- Mindfulness strategies to stay grounded in the present
- Problem-solving approaches to health and lifestyle challenges
- Improve communication with doctors or family members
- Build your confidence and motivation for managing your health
- Provide a safe, nonjudgmental space to process everything you’re going through
Ready to Learn More?
This kind of care is collaborative. You set the goals (your psychologist can help assist with this if you’re not sure where to start), and then work together to move toward them.
If you’re navigating medical stress, preparing for a procedure, or simply need someone who understands the emotional toll of health issues, consider reaching out to a health psychologist.
You can search for providers in your area, ask your doctor for a referral, or reach out to Health Psychology Texas to learn more about how this kind of care might support you.
The author generated this text in part with GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication. It has also been edited and reviewed line by line for accuracy, but in the spirit of full disclosure, Health Psychology Texas felt that this should be noted.
If you are interested in learning more about health-related psychotherapy (from anywhere in Texas!), check out healthpsychologytexas.com for more information.
