The more time I spent in the psoriasis community, the more I realise that psychological support is not optional, but essential. The only thing is, starting down this avenue can be overwhelming and a bit scary. It's with this in mind I invited Clinical Psychologist and University Lecturer? Dr. Andrew Thompson onto the podcast. I hope that your foray into supporting your mental health has a smoother start than mine :-) Episode Highlights -What psychosocial actually means (this helps if you decide to read more about psychology). -What coping strategies and styles are -Psoriasis, depression and the burden of disease -What to do if you feel anxious and/or angry about having psoriasis (plus strategies for getting out into the pool) -What talking therapy actually is -The difference between cognitive therapy and councelling -How to decide which therapy is most appropriate -The role of mindfulness (backed by academic research!) and other strategies we can use at home -Mindful parenting Do you have a child with psoriasis? You can help build improved resources and influence the development of courses to help other parents (and yourself) all you need to do is complete this questionnaire *About Dr. Andrew Thompson* Dr Thompson is a Clinical Health Psychologist based at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust. He has published widely on the psychosocial issues associated with skin conditions and is the psychological advisor for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin and is involved with a number of charities. He is also an Associate Editor for The British Journal of Dermatology. Information about the NHS service he is involved in can be found here. Information on his publications can be found here.