Dr Grace Bamber and Dr Ariyana Reddy, Clinical Psychologists, provide a service to patients referred by Ä¢¹½tvÊÓƵ Regional Cystic Fibrosis Team.
Appointments are available at St James’s Hospital (Cystic Fibrosis Unit)
Information for Patients
Ä¢¹½tvÊÓƵ Clinical Psychology Service for Adults with cystic fibrosis.
What is this information about?
This information aims to answer some of the questions you may have about the Clinical Psychology Service for adults with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Why is there a clinical psychologist working as part of the CF team?Â
Having access to a clinical psychologist is now a standard part of CF care and most CF units in the country have either a dedicated CF psychologist, or a clinical psychologist available for their patients. Living with CF and its challenges and treatment can bring many different feelings, both for you and those close to you. These may include low mood, anxiety, anger, isolation, resentment, and lots of other things. These feelings can sometimes feel overwhelming, and people may find it hard to cope. This is where seeing a clinical psychologist may help.
How could seeing a clinical psychologist help?Â
The clinical psychologist you see will have an understanding of the psychological effects that CF and its treatment can have. There is no ‘one size fits all’ and people want different things from seeing a clinical psychologist. Some people want to develop strategies to cope when they are feeling a particular way, and other people simply want to talk through their difficulties. The clinical psychologist will talk to you about what you would like to get from sessions, and you will not have to talk about anything that you don’t want to.
Examples of things that people may talk to clinical psychologists about include:Â
- Feeling low, upset, angry or worried
- Decisions about treatment and coping with treatment
- Decisions about transplant and coping with the transplant process
- Worries or fears about things such as treatment, being in hospital and the future
- Issues with eating and body image
- Difficulties in relationships
- Decisions about having children and parenting
Who is the service for?
This service is available to all adults with CF who are under the care of the Ä¢¹½tvÊÓƵ adult CF unit based on J6 at St James’s. It may be that if some of your difficulties are not related to your experience of CF and if so we can help you to access another source of support for these issues.
What happens to the information I share with you?
Information that you share with the clinical psychologist is kept confidential and notes we write in psychology sessions will be kept separate from your medical notes. Clinical psychologists have a responsibility to tell somebody if they are worried that you or somebody else is at risk of getting hurt. We would always try to discuss this with you first. Your Clinical psychologist will talk more about confidentiality with you at your first appointment.
What should I do if I would like this kind of help?
If you feel that you might benefit from talking to a clinical psychologist, please tell one of the doctors or another member of the team who will be able to refer you. You can do this at one of your outpatient appointments or during an inpatient stay. There might be a short wait before you can be seen (the doctor or person referring you will be able to find out more about this). Alternatively, you can call the psychology department on 0113 206 5897 and ask to speak to Dr Grace Bamber or Dr Ariyana Reddy, who are the clinical psychologists for the Ä¢¹½tvÊÓƵ CF unit, in order to request a referral to psychology, or you could ring the ward and ask to speak to Maya or another member of the team on 0113 206 9106.  Â
How often will I see the clinical psychologist?
You and the clinical psychologist can discuss how often it would be best to meet. Some people see the Clinical psychologist only once or twice, whereas others may see them once a week, once a fortnight or once a month for several weeks or months.
Where will I see the psychologist?
The clinical psychologists see people either on J6 or J12, depending on where you usually access your care. We can see people as inpatients or as outpatients.
Where can I get more information?
If you want to find out more about the CF clinical psychology service, please ask one of the doctors or another member of the team involved in your care, or call the psychology department and ask to speak to Dr Grace Bamber or Dr Ariyana Reddy.
The clinical psychologist specialising in CF is:
- Dr Grace Bamber or Dr Ariyana Reddy, Clinical Psychologists
 When are the clinical psychologists available?
Dr Grace Bamber or Dr Ariyana Reddy are around during standard working hours Monday to Friday, for both inpatient and outpatient appointments.