Abstract: | The traditional medical or disease model of emotional disorders is often counterproductive to the establishment of an effective psychological consultation service in a medical setting. The reasons for this problem are discussed in relation to the differences between psychological and medical consultants. The development of an effective psychological consultation service in a complex pediatric oncology setting is described in relation to staff and patient needs. The evolution of the consultation service suggests several generalizable principles that can be adapted for application in other medical settings. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |