What a psychologist does
A psychologist listens carefully, asks questions to understand the pattern behind what you are going through, and then works with you on it using approaches that have research behind them.
Depending on the concern, that might mean learning to spot and test unhelpful thoughts, changing habits that keep a problem going, working through a past experience, or improving how you communicate with the people close to you.
At a glance
- Talking therapy, one to one or with family
- Approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Structured assessment of what is going on
- Referral to a psychiatrist when medicine is worth discussing