Question: Is the feedback you get from patients in hospitals usually good or bad?

Emily Mattacola answered on 19 Nov 2019:

Patients are usually really appreciative of the help they get, but they’re not always immediately sure why they’ve been referred to see a psychologist. I work at the minute with women experiencing chronic pain. If you go to a doctor to get help for pain, you expect to receive a prescription for painkillers, but probably not to be asked to see a psychologist! Lots of patients resent this at first because they think the doctor is implying that their pain isn’t real. This means that a lot of the work we do initially is helping them to see that we know that their pain isn’t all in their heads, and to help them to understand why seeing a psychologist can help them to cope better with their pain. Not all patients are convinced, but those who stick with it are usually pretty grateful by the end!