Counselling and dermatology

Psychological treatment for people affected by a skin disease have ranged from
psychoanalysis to the use of hypnosis, and treatmentmethods have been reviewed
for anumber of skindiseases suchas acne, psoriasis, eczema and virus-mediated dis-
eases.The published literature inthis field suggests that psychological interventions
have proved to be effective for many different disorders. Psychological interven-
tions, such as suggestion and hypnosis, have been shown to have the capacity to
enhance immunity, and behavioural and cognitive interventions have also been
used in the treatment of dermatological conditions. Behavioural interventions tend
to focus on understanding and improving the ways in which people behave that
might impact on their skin condition, whereas cognitive interventions tend to
focus on the way people think about their skin condition. Cognitive behavioural
therapy uses a mix of these ideas. One of the most effective therapeutic models in
helping people cope with skin disease is this cognitive behavioural therapy style.It has been found to help improve quality of life, body image and self-esteem of
dermatology patients.

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