‘Heartsink’, Health anxiety and Somatization
Patients with health anxiety are often frequent attenders at general practice surgeries but can be difficult to manage and treat effectively. The difficulty posed by managing these complex cases often represents a significant source of stress for health professionals.
There is growing evidence that hypochondriasis can be effectively treated with CBT.
This workshop takes a CBT approach to coping with ‘heartsink’ – the difficult emotional reactions that frequently arise in health professionals when faced by difficult patients, situations and even colleagues.
By attending this one-day workshop, participants will:
- Develop understanding of the CBT approach to health anxiety, hypochondriasis and somatisation disorder
- Learn how medical professionals may be involved in its development
- Discover new ways to cope with the stress and anxiety that can arise within health professionals when faced by challenging patients
- Improve relationships with health anxious patients
- Learn how to engage patients in the CBT approach by highlighting links between physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural factors
- Encourage patients to learn coping strategies to accept and manage their unpleasant physical symptoms
- Provisional Programme: ‘Heartsink’ and Health Anxiety
‘Heartsink’, Health anxiety and Somatization
8:30 – Registration and coffee
9:00 – Introduction to the CBT approach
10:00 – What is ‘heartsink’?
10:30 – Case example: non-organic chest pain
11:00 – Coffee
11:30 – Case example part II: overcoming ‘heartsink’ reactions
12.15 – Introduction to health anxiety
13:00 – Lunch
14:00 – Practical exercise: engaging patients with CBT approach
15:30 – Coffee
16:00 – Encouraging change: ‘reattribution’ techniques
16:00 – Course ends
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is suitable for health professionals with little or no previous experience / training in using ’10 Minute CBT’
Contact us for more information on this or any other CBT workshop.
