Role of Counseling Psychologist in Psychological care of Patients
with Spinal Cord Injury and their family members

Nopchanok Sukprasert¹

nokjayway@hotmail.com

Abstract

Not only physical care provision is important for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment, but also mental health care provision. Mental health care provided by a counseling psychologist, who is a part of a multidisciplinary health care team delivering rehabilitation services to the patients, is the provision of counseling services to heal, solve, and prevent psychological issues. A counseling psychologist also fosters the development of the patients' functional abilities during hospital stay, before discharge and aftercare phases. Such holistic care will enable SCI patients and their families to exploit their physical and psychological potentiality to achieve the desired goals, which allows them to live peacefully in a community with good quality of life.

This article aims to present the author's knowledge, understanding and experience regarding the process of psychological counseling provided to SCI patients in relation to phases of illness, including initial/acute; rehabilitation; before discharge; and aftercare. This is to propose a guideline on providing health care and rehabilitation services for SCI patients and their families.

Keywords: Counseling psychology, spinal cord injury, Psychological care

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