General health psychology
What is general health psychology?
A health psychologist is a professional dedicated to psychological support in situations of vital suffering. We are endowed with the necessary knowledge and skills, as well as techniques and instruments to perform an adequate evaluation, and we know the diagnostic entities to be able to discern whether the picture presented meets the criteria of a mental disorder or not, and therefore decide And determine the most appropriate and adjusted intervention for the patient.
Psychotherapy is not a modern healing method, but has always existed and can be considered as “the oldest therapy that has served medicine.”
Throughout history we can see the different ways in which human beings have sought psychic relief, the healer, the oracle, the spiritual counselor, the wise old people of the communities, are just a few examples of the past. In our day we are the sanitary psychologists who fulfill this important social function, with scientific tools and interpersonal talents.
There are other types of professionals within psychology such as educational psychologists and business psychologists (human resources) who are not prepared for the practice of psychotherapy.
There are also other professionals such as coaches or other alternative therapies that are not prepared to offer psychotherapeutic services. Get in the hands of professionals prepared and authorized by the College of Psychologists and the Ministry of Health.
Our center puts at your disposal all our human capital and more than 20 years of experience to meet the goal of the World Health Organization, which mentions that health is: the highest possible level of physical, psychological and social well-being , And of the functional capacity, that allow the social factors in which the individual and the community lives immersed; In which personal, group, social and cultural factors that are determinant, both in the origin, maintenance, evolution and prognosis, of the health-disease process are involved.
In accordance with the provisions of article 6.4 of Law 44/2003, of November 21, we conduct research, assessments and psychological interventions in our general health psychology consultation (General Public Health Law 33/2011 of October 4) On those aspects of the behavior and activity of the people that influence in the promotion and improvement of the general state of health, as long as those activities do not require specialized attention by other health professionals.
Our main function is intervention in promoting health, restoring emotional well-being and avoiding the worsening of symptoms for the prevention of mental illness.
We take care of this large group of people who come to psychological professionals seeking guidance and psychological support to deal with problems of life and solve situations of unhappiness, blockage and emotional distress because they feel overwhelmed in their coping strategies.º
At the level of primary prevention, we carry out prevention programs in different areas aimed at health education. Smoking, eating habits and alcohol and drug abuse, as well as in the development of social skills, coping strategies and impulse control or improvement of self-esteem. We work with vulnerable or at-risk populations: people without social support networks, children of mentally ill and addicted, or relatives of dependent patients. In this way the resilience and the psychological strengths could be activated in these people.
At the secondary prevention level, we provide psychological support to patients who do not know how to deal with their emotional distress and who have not yet developed a mental disorder: acting on anxiety attacks before they become panic disorder or on the Excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs, as well as different crisis intervention programs after an emotional loss or a traumatic event. Another path of action that is much in demand is the psychological support to people who suffer from a conflict or a breakup of partners or who are experiencing a difficult divorce process or those people who feel overwhelmed in their psychological resources to deal with labor disputes, The education of their children or the change of cultural values.
In the event that after the evaluation we identify problems that exceed our scope of action, the patient and his / her family will be oriented to the type of professional best suited for referral. For our part, you will find reliable information, motivation to find solutions, support in accepting special needs, as well as providing basic information and psychoeducation and fostering problem-solving and decision-making skills.
We also offer intervention in the psychological problems and behavior patterns necessary in the case of medical diseases with psychological implications: obesity, epilepsy, migraines, rheumatic diseases, diabetes or hypertension. It also establishes healthy living habits for the chronically ill, coping with a partially crippling disease, coping with chronic pain, or living with people with dementia or large dependents.
At the level of tertiary prevention, we offer programs of cardiovascular rehabilitation in patients who have had a cardiac crisis or psychological support to improve the quality of life and emotional well-being of those who have infertility problems, suffer or have suffered from cancer, have been Transplanted or have had medical complications and long periods of hospitalization.
We work hand in hand with general practitioners and specialists (oncologists, psychiatrists, endocrines, etc.) for the prevention of serious mental disorders or the reinsertion of patients who have suffered or suffer physical or mental illnesses.