Paediatric inflammatory bowel disease clinical psychology service

We are a team of clinical psychologists working within the paediatric gastroenterology service at Addenbrooke’s hospital. We are:

• Dr Caroline Lindsay - Clinical psychologist
• Dr Tabitha Pickup - Clinical psychologist

Our team is here to support children and young people who have an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their families who come to Addenbrooke’s for medical care.

We might meet you as an inpatient if you are staying in the hospital on a ward. We may also meet you at an outpatient appointment or with your doctor when you come to clinic.

What is a paediatric clinical psychologist and what do they do?

Paediatric clinical psychologists specialise in supporting children, young people and families around coping, adjustment and living with a medical condition such as IBD.

We are not medical doctors, so we do not give medications or do other medical procedures or examinations. The way we help is by talking with young people and families about any concerns or worries that you may have. We can then offer support or strategies to manage things that might be difficult.

Some of the areas that we might be able to help with include:

• support with adjusting when you are first diagnosed with IBD
• offering support and ways to cope with any difficult feelings about IBD (e.g. sadness, worry, anger, stress) that might interfere with everyday life
• coping with treatments you may feel worried or stressed about, such as injections, infusions, or surgery
• support with how you could talk to other people about IBD, such as your friends
• strategies for coping with other symptoms such as pain, tiredness or bowel symptoms
• supporting families with managing any difficulties related to the medical condition

What will happen when we meet?

At our first meeting, it is a chance for us to get to know each other. We will listen to what your concerns or difficulties may be. We will then talk about whether there is anything we could work on together to make things better.

We might see young people on their own or with family members. We usually meet for about an hour, and then decide if it will be helpful to meet again and make a plan.

Usually our conversations will be kept private, but we may agree to share some information with other people (such as family, school or medical team) with your permission, if we think it will help them to support you.

How do I arrange an appointment?

If you would like to meet with a clinical psychologist, then you can ask a doctor, nurse, or other clinician who is involved in your care. They will let the psychology team know and we will contact you to make an appointment.