The Role of a psychologist in a hospital

In everyday practice, the best proof of this is the fact that I come to the hospital, there are no consultation requests in the system, yet I or my colleagues from the team go to the ward and end up spending more than half a day there, because it turns out that the patients’ needs are so great. And that’s just one ward. We have ten of them… so you can see how important the role of a psychologist is—one who reaches out to patients instead of waiting to be called.

This is also the approach I try to teach my trainees, and if they truly understand it, that is my greatest success, because with such an attitude they will go out into the world and, I hope, help many people who lack the courage or conviction to seek psychological support.

What to do when a patient refuses to see a psychologist?

Returning to the issue of loved ones who notice that the patient could benefit from meeting with a psychologist—what should you do when the patient firmly refuses such a meeting?

Consultation at the facility

First, at the facility where the patient is being treated, find out where the hospital psychologist is and talk to them. Explain the patient’s reluctance to use this type of support. If the psychologist is open enough, they will likely approach the patient and casually try to establish contact. If done with sufficient sensitivity, there is a very high chance that the patient will open up and be willing to talk.

Meeting at home

If we are talking about a patient who would need to come to such a consultation from home:

• Use the argument that the meeting can be treated as purely educational.
• Reassure them that they do not have to answer all questions and can share only as much as they wish.
• They can end the conversation at any time and decline further cooperation.
• No one should be upset with anyone in this situation.

It is important to praise the patient’s openness and the very fact that they gave themselves a chance and personally checked whether this form of support works for them. During the meeting, it may turn out that the psychologist’s personality does not suit the patient, or that some aspects of their communication style are not appealing—and that is completely normal. After all, we do not like everyone or feel comfortable with everyone in life.

That is why in such situations it is worth giving it another chance and trying a meeting with someone else. You may find someone the patient likes and trusts. There are many wonderful psychologists whom patients truly appreciate. Try to find one who, in addition to professional competence, is simply a good, approachable person and has that “something” that will resonate with your loved one.

Benefits of working with a psychologist

By working with a psychologist, a patient may:

• Cope much better with treatment and feel more motivated for rehabilitation and therapy.
• Feel safe and develop ways to manage anxiety about their health.
• Find space to release difficult emotions related to the illness without fear of burdening loved ones.

This very concern is, for most patients, a significant source of discomfort, which leads them to avoid topics related to fear, helplessness, and sometimes even hopelessness… in order to protect their loved ones. And suppressing emotions consumes a great deal of energy… energy that we need for recovery, not for hiding from the world what is suffocating and overwhelming us.

Support from people with experience

If you know people who have used psychological support during illness, try to encourage the patient to meet with them. Their experience may be the most credible confirmation of the benefits of working with a psychologist.

Don’t give up and respect the patient’s decision

I do not promise that this will help. However, even if the resistance persists, it is worth returning to the topic from time to time. It may turn out that today is simply not the right moment—the patient may be too tired or irritable to engage in difficult conversations. Therefore, if you expect refusal, plan such a conversation for one of the patient’s better days, when they are relatively rested.

I hope the above tips prove helpful and, above all, effective. Let me know if you have experience in this area—perhaps you have your own methods I would be very interested to learn about. Take care, and remember that we cannot help anyone by force. What matters is having the sense that we have done everything we could. That is more than enough. So keep trying, but do not get discouraged or disheartened if your proposal is rejected despite your efforts. The patient has the right to make their own decisions, and we must respect that.