Profession health psychologist

Health psychologists deal with the various aspects of health related behaviour of individuals and groups, by helping individuals or groups prevent illness and promote healthy behaviours by also providing counseling services. They perform tasks for the development of health promotion activities and projects on the basis of psychological science, research findings, theories, methods and techniques. They also engage in research about health related issues to influence public policy on health care issues.

Personality Type

• Social / Investigative
• Investigative / Enterprising
• Investigative / Social

Knowledge

• Crisis intervention

  Coping strategies in crisis cases which allow individuals to overcome their problems or fears and avoid psychological distress and breakdown.

• Counselling methods

  Counselling techniques used in different settings and with various groups and individuals, especially concerning methods of supervision and mediation in the counselling process.

• Psychological counselling methods

  The various psychological counselling, training and coaching methods for persons of all ages, groups and organizations considering medical aspects.

• Psychopharmacology

  The awareness of various effects that medicines have on the patient or client's behaviour, mood and thinking.

• Psychological diagnostics

  The psychological diagnostics strategies, methods and techniques concerning health-related experiences and behaviours as well as mental disorders

• Psychiatry

  Psychiatry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Health care occupation-specific ethics

  The moral standards and procedures, ethical questions and obligations specific to occupations in a health care setting such as respect for human dignity, self-determination, informed consent and patient confidentiality.

• Psychological treatment measures

  The psychological treatment measures for persons of all ages and groups, with the aim of improving treatment skills and the provisions of trans-cultural and gender aspects.

• Psychological interventions

  The characteristics of the methods and procedures meant to instigate change in human behaviour.

• Conditions for professional practice of health psychology

  The institutional, legal and psychosocial conditions for professional practice of health psychology with the aim to apply them in the exercise of the psychological profession in health care.

• Consultation

  The theories, methods and concepts related to consultation and communication with clients.

• Clinical reports

  The methods, assessment practices, credentials and opinions gathering procedures necessary for writing clinical reports.

• Psychological concepts

  The psychological concepts of health protection and health promotion.

• Therapy in health care

  The principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions.

• Psychological measures in working with other health care professionals

  The various psychological measures considering medical aspects in terms of the collaboration with other health care professionals.

• Psychology

  The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.

• Health psychology

  The development, implementations and evaluation of health psychological concepts.

• First aid

  The emergency treatment given to a sick or injured person in the case of circulatory and/or respiratory failure, unconsciousness, wounds, bleeding, shock or poisoning.

• Neurology

  Neurology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Psychological healthcare services

  The characteristics of the psychological healthcare services in the inpatient and outpatient sector.

• Evaluation of psychological performance

  The characteristics of the methods used to assess psychological parameters.

• Emergency psychology

  The methods used for coping with trauma or disasters.

• Psychopathology

  The criteria of psychiatric diagnoses, the use of the disease classification system, and the theories of psychopathology. The indicators of functional and organic disorders and the types of psychopharmacological medications.

Skills

• Conduct psychological assessement

  Assess patient`s behaviour and needs via observation and tailored interviews, administering and interpreting psychometric and idiosyncratic assessments.

• Encourage healthy behaviours

  Encourage the adoption of healthy behaviours such as exercise, a healthy diet, oral hygiene, health checks and preventative medical screenings.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Inform policy makers on health-related challenges

  Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.

• Advise on healthcare users' informed consent

  Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.

• Apply health sciences

  Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.

• Empathise with the healthcare user

  Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.

• Formulate a case conceptualisation model for therapy

  Compose an individualised treatment plan in collaboration with the individual, striving to match his or her needs, situation, and treatment goals to maximise the probability of therapeutic gain; considering any possible personal, social, and systemic barriers that might undermine treatment.

• Analyse health damaging behaviours

  Examine behaviours that may be damaging to an individual's health, such as smoking, drug abuse, or poor diet. Use psychological theories and interventions for primary prevention and health related behavioural change.

• Manage healthcare users' data

  Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.

• Assess healthcare users' risk for harm

  Evaluate the healthcare user's potential for harm to him- or herself or others, intervening effectively to minimise risk and implement prevention methods.

• Use clinical assessment techniques

  Use clinical reasoning techniques and clinical judgement when applying a range of appropriate assessment techniques, such as mental status assessment, diagnosis, dynamic formulation, and potential treatment planning.

• Use e-health and mobile health technologies

  Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.

• Provide health counselling

  Provide health counselling, training and coaching to people of all ages, groups and organisations.

• Employ cognitive behaviour treatment techniques

  Employ cognitive behavioural treatment techniques for those whose treatment involves cognitive re-training, addressing dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviours and cognitive processes and contents through a variety of systematic procedures.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

• Comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

  Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.

• Apply conceptual thinking

  Identify patterns and connections between situations; identify key issues in complex situations.

• Promote psycho-social education

  Explain mental health issues in simple and understandable ways, helping de-pathologise and de-stigmatise common mental health stereotypes and condemning prejudicial or discriminatory behaviours, systems, institutions, practices, and attitudes that are clearly separatist, abusive or harmful to people's mental health or their social inclusion.

• Interact with healthcare users

  Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.

• Apply health psychological measures

  Apply health psychological measures on persons of all ages and groups regarding health behavior, particularly with regard to health related risk behaviors such as diet, exercise, smoking, including advice in relation to the promotion and maintenance of health and the prevention of health risks, taking into account leisure and work.

• Test for behavioural patterns

  Discern patterns in the behaviour of individuals by using various tests in order to understand the causes of their behaviour.

• Advise on mental health

  Advise persons of all ages and groups in terms of the health-promoting aspects of individual behaviour and institutions with regard to the personal, social and structural factors on physical and mental health.

• Facilitate the psychological development of the healthcare user

  Facilitate the process of self-discovery for the healthcare user, helping them to learn about their condition and become more aware of and in control of moods, feelings, thoughts, behaviour, and their origins. Help the healthcare user learn to manage problems and difficulties with greater resilience.

• Manage health promotion activities

  Plan, implement and evaluate health promotion activities and projects in different settings such as kindergarten and school, workplace and business, social living environment and primary health care, particularly in the context of projects.

• Help healthcare users to develop social perceptiveness

  Provide strategies and support to healthcare users with social difficulties, helping them understand others` verbal and non-verbal behaviour and actions and guiding them in learning to interpret a combination people`s words, tone of voice, body language, gestures, and facial expressions; while developing better self-confidence in social situations.

• Analyse large-scale data in healthcare

  Carry out large-scale data gathering such as questionnaire surveys, and analyse the obtained data.

• Advise policy makers in healthcare

  Present research to policy makers, health care providers, and educators to encourage improvements in public health.

• Ensure safety of healthcare users

  Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Provide health psychological analysis

  Advise organizations and institutions in regard to health conditions, measures of health promotion, health care and rehabilitation by providing them with health psychological analysis.

• Counsel clients

  Assist and guide clients to overcome their personal, social, or psychological issues.

• Educate on the prevention of illness

  Offer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and health conditions. Provide advice on the identification of risks leading to ill health and help to increase the patients' resilience by targeting prevention and early intervention strategies.

• Analyse psychological aspects of illness

  Analyse the psychological impact of illness on individuals, close ones, and caregivers and use psychological interventions to promote self-management, helping patients cope with pain or illness, improve their quality of life and mitigate the effects of disability and handicap.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Interpret psychological tests

  Interpret psychological tests in order to obtain information on your patient`s intelligence, achievements, interests, and personality.

• Provide health psychological concepts

  Develop, implement and evaluate health psychological concepts.

• Provide health education

  Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

  Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.

• Provide psychological health assessment strategies

  Provide strategies, methods and techniques of psychological health assessment in specific areas of activity such as of pain, illness and stress management.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Respond to healthcare users' extreme emotions

  React accordingly when a healthcare user becomes hyper-manic, panicky, extremely distressed, agressive, violent, or suicidal, following appropriate training if working in contexts where patients go through extreme emotions regularly.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Provide health psychological advice

  Provide health psychological expert opinions, reports and advice in regard to health related risk behaviour and its causes.

• Deal with emergency care situations

  Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.  

• Provide health psychological treatment advice

  Provide treatment advice to persons and groups of persons of all ages in relation to the various aspects of mental health related risk behaviours such as diet, exercise, substance abuse, stress management.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Motivate patiens

  Encourage the patient's motivation to change and promote the belief that therapy can help, using techniques and treatment engagement procedures for this purpose.

• Apply context specific clinical competences

  Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.

• Analyse processes influencing health care delivery

  Investigate the communication between healthcare practitioners and patients, observing psychological interventions to improve communication, adherence, preparation for stressful medical procedures, and other topics of interest.

• Evaluate psychological health measures

  Evaluate the provided psychological health measures in order to assess their impact and their outcomes.

• Provide health psychological diagnosis

  Analyse persons and groups of persons of all ages using health psychological methods in relation to the various aspects of health behaviour and its causes.

• Follow clinical guidelines

  Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.

• Test for emotional patterns

  Discern patterns in the emotions of individuals by using various tests in order to understand the causes of these emotions.

• Work with patterns of psychological behaviour

  Work with the patterns of a patient or client's psychological behaviour, which may be outside of their conscious awareness, such as non-verbal and pre-verbal patterns, clinical processes of defence mechanisms, resistances, transference and counter-transference.

• Perform therapy sessions

  Work in sessions with individuals or groups to deliver therapy in a controlled environment.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB