Integrated Healthcare: A Brief Overview

As most of you know, I am a psychological trainee. That means I am in school learning how to be a psychologist. There are many paths psychologists can take, and a lot of different ways they can specialize. I have chosen Integrated Healthcare as my specialty. In a fully integrated system, psychologists work in primary medical settings (i.e. your primary medical doc or nurse practitioner's office). In this setting we do not provide psychotherapy. Rather, we utilize brief, solution focused treatment modalities. Appointments are generally for thirty minutes rather than fifty. Things we commonly treat or assist in are symptoms of depression, anxiety, chronic pain, sleep difficulties, weight loss, and smoking cessation. I like integrated care because it is a holistic approach. We do not ignore the impact of the mind on the body or the body on the mind. Integrated care is relatively new, and I am lucky enough to be able to have a practicum rotation in one of the only such prac sites in the U.S. I also like integrated care because it is more direct, concrete, and to the point. We address what the patient wants rather than what we feel is pertinent (psychologists are very good at thinking they are all-knowing and brilliant). There are also a lot of reasons why it is good for the healthcare dollar, but I won't go into them now. ;)