On 8th June, Sarah took part in further online training presented by BABCP. The course was titled “Persistent (Medically Unexplained) Physical Symptoms: A Scientist Practitioner Approach”.
The lone presenter was Professor Trudie Chalder, Professor of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy at King’s College London.
Persistent (medically unexplained) physical symptoms is an umbrella term for a range of lasting symptoms and syndromes commonly seen in outpatient clinics (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome, non-cardiac chest pain, chronic fatigue, cough hypersensitivity, fibromyalgia, and tension-type headaches).
With COVID-19 we are likely to see people experience ongoing persistent physical symptoms which will impact on their functioning / quality of life and which will need clinical input.
The aims of this workshop are to; (1) describe a transdiagnostic approach to understanding and treating persistent unexplained physical symptoms, and (2) give therapists an opportunity to observe some key skills for intervening with patients experiencing such symptoms in primary and secondary care settings.
Professor Chalder has worked as a clinician and a researcher in the area of long-term conditions and medically unexplained symptoms for 30 years. Trudie develops specific CBT models to understand and treat symptoms and distress in MUS and uses randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effects of treatment on quality of life in primary and secondary care. Trudie’s work includes treatment for adults and adolescents and she has published over 250 articles. She was BABCP President and is a member of the IAPT advisory group for Long Term Conditions and Medically Unexplained Symptoms.
