Psychological factors, such as high stress levels from work or our relationships, can also have a negative impact on our skin. Living with a skin disorder may affect your mood and sometimes leads to states of anxiety and depression.
Psychological treatment can be helpful in both coping with and treating many skin disorders, either alone or in combination with conventional medications.
We are strong believers that it is important to tackle skin conditions holistically. Failing to address mental health issues can slow down the recovery of a skin condition, or mean that you can’t shake off feelings of anxiety or low mood even when your skin is getting better.
Our dermatologists may recommend you book an appointment to see a psychodermatology specialist if during the course of their assessment for your skin condition, they recognise symptoms of anxiety, depression or low self-esteem relating to how your skin looks or feels, and feel that addressing these could help your recovery.
As a patient of our clinic, you have access to the skills, experience and expertise of a carefully chosen wider multidisciplinary team. These multidisciplinary team members include adolescent and adult psychologists, psychiatrists and dermatologists with a special interest in the field of psychodermatology.
What can I expect from psychodermatology treatment?
Treatment is tailored to individual needs and will help you learn new ways of thinking and behaving in order to reduce psychological symptoms such as stress, anxiety and depression, which in turn may be triggering or aggravating your skin condition.
Particular attention may be paid to:
- understanding beliefs about appearance and attractiveness
- exploring the relationship between stress and your skin
- developing tools for coping with a skin disorder
- addressing habits (e.g. itch, scratch, picking)
- improving self-esteem
- improving relationships
- improving social interaction skills
- reducing psychological distress (e.g. anxiety, depression)
What is involved?
You will typically have an initial consultation followed by a series of appointments to work on the issues identified.
Appointments may be conducted in person or remotely, depending on the therapist.
Duration and frequency of follow up appointments will be decided with the psychologist on a case by case basis. Some people only require one or two appointments; others need a course of treatment.
What do psychodermatology appointments cost?
Each psychologist sets their own appointment fees.
NB: If you have private health insurance, please contact your insurer before booking your consultation to check the terms of your policy, particularly the level and type of cover you have including the limits for reimbursement. Please confirm that talking therapies or psychological interventions are included and whether a referral from a GP or psychiatrist is required. Please be aware that you are responsible for any fees not covered by your insurer.
