YourHealthcareTeam:CounselorHello, my name is Dave.And I’m here in my studio with all my toys. And I want to show you something.Now, let’s pretend this is you. And you’re trying to manage your health condition. It could be anything. Butlike most health issues, it can be scary, overwhelming, and even depressing.But there is good news. Uhmm, where is my good news?Ah, here it is.Thank you Mr. Bucket.(That’s odd.)It says, you’re not alone. And that’s because you are part of a team - a health care team.I’m here to tell you about one of them: the counselor.They’re kinda like a wise old wizard except their magic is that they are professional listeners and problemsolvers.Your problems aren’t too big or too scary for them. Counselors are superheroes at helping people figure outwhat may be getting in the way of coping with a diagnosis, or tackling the lifestyle changes needed to managea condition. And that includes dealing with anxiety, substance use, depression, and much more.They offer practical solutions for day to day management of these challenges. Or are just there to listen.Managing your healthcare can be a lot and you don’t have to do it alone. You are a member of one of the bestteams around.
Patients are often presented with a variety of treatments, medications and procedures that can be complicated and sometimes difficult to understand, both in terms of the expected result, but also in terms of possible side effects. One of the best ways to overcome this challenge is for patients to ask a lot of questions of their healthcare providers, so they can make the most-informed decisions for their own care. Patients can also play an important role in preventing infections while they are in the hospital.
