Child Health Psychology

The Child Health Psychology service offers support to children, young people and their families to help them to manage the impact of living with a health problem or hospital admission.

Clinical Psychologists are specially trained healthcare professionals that work alongside medical doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians, play specialists, occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals based at the Children's Hospital.

Meeting with a psychologist gives people a chance to think, talk about things and to come up with some new ideas.

We help children and their families with all sorts of difficulties, for example:

• Treatments that might cause you worries.
• Supporting you to live with your medical condition.
• Helping you make positive changes.
• Thinking about strong feelings such as being sad, scared or angry.
• Helping you cope with taking tablets or having blood / medical tests (often with help from the play team).
• Helping you make choices about your treatment.
• Helping you manage when you are in pain.
• Coping with tiredness and feeling down.
• Coping with changes in your body. 
• Helping you to talk through worries about the future.
• Dealing with feelings related to your condition like feeling different.
• Helping with specific problems like sleeping, eating, moving or using the toilet.

We might also offer support for parents or siblings where this is suitable.

To see if you or your child might be able to access psychology support, please discuss this in their next medical appointment.