Salford ME/CFS Clinical Health Psychology Service
Address & Contact
Salford Royal Hospital
Stott Lane
Salford
M6 8HD
0161 206 5588
Website
Email: psychology.referrals@nca.nhs.uk
- The ME/CFS Service supports people who have a diagnosis of (CFS), also referred to as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). You might also have had your difficulties labelled as Fibromyalgia, or Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome.
- There is a multidisciplinary team based at Salford Royal that includes:
- Psychologists
- Assistant Psychologist
- Specialist Medical Consultants
- Physiotherapists
- The team offer assessment and treatment alongside an outpatient service, individual therapy and group programmes.
- ME/CFS Group Course:
This 6-week course is designed to help people to understand the main strategies for managing the condition. Each week a new topic is covered, including:
- Pacing
- The effects of stress
- Sleep patterns
- Acceptance
- Goal setting
- Managing your mood
- Planning for setbacks
- Gentle stretching and movement
- Relaxation/meditation practices are also part of the programme.
The groups are interactive and allow members to meet other people with ME/CFS. This can be a validating experience as people with ME/CFS can often report feeling isolated and misunderstood.
The course also requires you to complete supplementary ‘home practises’ between sessions, or doing gentle stretch and movement exercise.
- Individual Therapy:
Our team are experienced in delivering a wide range of therapeutic approaches. These include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT)
These approaches look at relationships between our thoughts, behaviours and mood. ME/CFS, like most other chronic conditions, is commonly accompanied by low mood and/or stress, which can make the condition worse. These approaches may help us adopt techniques to manage these symptoms as well as adopting helpful behavioural changes, such as pacing.