Health psychology and behavioural medicine

This unit provides an advanced level introduction to the growing field of health psychology. Building on your knowledge of psychopathology and psychological therapies, the focus here is the application of health psychology principles and interventions to a variety of clinical health contexts.

You will be provided with an overview of health and illness in Australia and the key theoretical frameworks for conceptualising health behaviour. Exercises will guide you to consider and reflect on the impact of biases, privilege and social determinants on health and service delivery in the diverse Australian population. Psychological issues related to acute illness and injury, pain management, and chronic illness and disability across the life span will be explored and the related clinical interventions will be highlighted and practiced.

You will  learn about psychological issues related to a number of key disorders and diseases. There will also be a focus on how we communicate with and work alongside other health professionals, to improve collaborative care for clients. Over the course of the unit, you will be expected to integrate health psychology principles and procedures with their knowledge of clinical psychology and demonstrate competence in providing holistic formulations of and treatment approaches to clinical issues.