Psychological Services
Charles K. Burnett, PhD, DrPH, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and the Center’s Director of Psychological Services. In addition, Stephan Weinland, PhD, has joined the Center’s clinic staff as Instructor of Medicine to provide psychological services. Patients are referred to the two psychologists through the Center and by outside physicians. When the medical evaluation of a patient visiting the FGID Clinic suggests that psychological evaluation and/or treatment that could include pain management or psychological treatments would be beneficial, then Drs. Burnett or Weinland or a psychology intern working with them is brought into the patient’s overall care as part of our multi-disciplinary team approach. Drs. Burnett and Weinland specialize in the treatment of patients with chronic gastrointestinal illnesses, using one or more of the following techniques or therapies, in collaboration with the patient’s other health care providers:
Charles K. Burnett, PhD, DrPH, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and the Center’s Director of Psychological Services. In addition, Stephan Weinland, PhD, has joined the Center’s clinic staff as Instructor of Medicine to provide psychological services. Patients are referred to the two psychologists through the Center and by outside physicians. When the medical evaluation of a patient visiting the FGID Clinic suggests that psychological evaluation and/or treatment that could include pain management or psychological treatments would be beneficial, then Drs. Burnett or Weinland or a psychology intern working with them is brought into the patient’s overall care as part of our multi-disciplinary team approach. Drs. Burnett and Weinland specialize in the treatment of patients with chronic gastrointestinal illnesses, using one or more of the following techniques or therapies, in collaboration with the patient’s other health care providers:
- Stress Management: Stress management therapy seeks to help a person understand the role of stress in his/her life and how it relates to the person’s FGID symptoms. It also seeks to provide the patient with a variety of ways for dealing with stressful events in ways that minimize their impact on the person’s FGID symptoms and quality of life.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT focuses on the interrelationship between a patient’s thoughts (cognitions), actions (behaviors) and feelings (affect), and the role they play in their FGID symptoms. A common example is to beat the “vicious cycle” that occurs when chronic severe symptoms lead to psychological distress which, in turn, worsens the symptoms. By understanding and focusing on the psychological components of the “brain-gut axis”, changes can be made in how a patient thinks, acts and feels about his/her GI difficulties, and thereby help reduce the frequency and intensity of FGID symptoms.
- Relaxation Therapy: Relaxation therapies to reduce a person’s current state of physical and psychological activation include progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), autogenic training, breath regulation, and meditation. With these techniques, a person can learn how to “turn down the volume” on their GI symptoms by becoming more calm and relaxed about them.
- Hypnosis: Hypnosis or hypnotherapy is a set of techniques designed to help a person focus their attention and concentration in more positive directions. This can be accomplished with the help of a therapist or by oneself (self-hypnosis). It creates a very deep state of relaxation and imagining through which the patient is open to ideas or concepts that may help him/her manage certain problems, such as FGID symptoms.
- Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a technique in which the person is trained to change a specific physical response. Biofeedback requires equipment that can be used in a therapist’s office, or can be purchased or rented for personal home use. Biofeedback has been used to successfully treat many diseases and disorders, including IBS. Through biofeedback, a patient can gain control over his/her physical responses and manage the unpleasant symptoms to a point where the equipment becomes unnecessary.
