What does a clinical psychologist do?
Being confronted with an illness or disease is often a very profound experience. It can evoke many emotions and raise questions or doubts. Conversations with a psychologist can help you, the patient, cope better with your illness or condition. Your family or other family members can also benefit.
The psychologists at UZ Gent offer mental support, guidance, diagnosis and treatment of psychological complaints. We always ensure a personal approach. The emphasis is on the individual person and their specific situation.
Psychologists in the department
Clinical psychologists work throughout the hospital. Many of them are grouped into psychology teams, directed by a team leader clinical psychologist.
In some departments or wards we work in separate teams of 10 or more psychologists. E.g..
- Centre for sexology and gender
- Cancer centre
- Children and adolescents psychiatry
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Rehabilitation centre
In other departments or wards, psychologists work alone or in small groups. E.g..
- General internal diseases
- Cerebral palsy reference centre
- Endocrinology and metabolic diseases
- Geriatrics
- Cardiac centre (cardiac rehabilitation)
- Critical services such as Intensive care, the Emergency department or the Burns centre
- Pulmonary diseases (pulmonary rehabilitation)
- Neurology
- Neuromuscular reference centre
- Palliative care
- Pain clinic
- Reproductive medicine
- Spina bifida reference centre
- Transplant centre
- Sexual Assault Centre
The Psychiatry department's liaison team provides consultations in various nursing departments.
Contact a psychologist
Psychological care is part of treatment in many departments. A psychologist will come to meet with you as standard.
On other departments, the psychologist comes only at the request of a caregiver, patient or family. Feel free to contact the head nurse or coordinator of your department or ward if you need psychological counseling.