Terms you might not understand

BMI

Body Mass Index. A formula is used to compare your height and weight. This helps health professionals assess your health.

CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. A therapy that looks into patterns of behaviour and how they can be changed.

This is really wekk explained on the Royal College of Psychistrists site, click here to see the CBT page

Counsellor

A counsellor is someone who has had specialist training to work with people to help them resolve their difficulties without judging. There are many different types of counselling approaches. The British Association of Counselling is the professional body who overseas all registered counsellors.

There are a variety of different counselling approaches. You may find that some fit with you better than others.

For example Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aims to help individuals to understand what triggers certain behaviours. It involves recognising that you are thinking in a negative way and changing your thought processes. The therapist works with this information to help the person to change. All of our feelings are a response to a thought. If the thought is negative, the resulting feelings will be negative - sadness or depression. If you can change the negative thoughts into positive ones, the resulting feeling should be good rather than bad.

You can be referred for counselling by your doctor.  If you are at school, college or university you may have access to a free counsellor on site. Some are available all the time and others you will have to make an appointment for. You can also access counselling privately, there is often a cost for this. There are organisations that provide free confidential counselling to young people. To find out more about access to counselling in your area you can look at our help finder. Another place that you can look for free counselling is the Youth Access database where you can look for help in your area.

Dietician

A dietician is someone who has studied the scientific effects of food and nutrition on the body and is able to give advice on issues relating to food and eating habits. Whilst it is important to regain a normal eating pattern, it is important to treat the underlying emotional difficulties too.

G.P.

General Practitioner. A doctor based in your local surgery or practice. They can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

PCT

Primary Care Trust. Primary Care is the help you get from the first people that you see when you have a problem with your health. This can be the doctor,dentist, optician,NHS Walk-in Centres,NHS Direct. All of these services are managed for you by your local Primary Care Trust (PCT).

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is someone who has initial training in general medicine and has then specialised in the diagnosis, treatment and the prevention of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. Psychiatrists have the right to prescribe medication because they are trained physicians (doctors).

Psychologist

A psychologist specialises in the way the brain works and how we think and feel about things.

Psychotherapist

A psychotherapist treats mental and emotional disorders by psychological techniques rather than by medical means.

Secondary Care

Secondary Care is the help that you recieve after being referred by someone in primary care such as your doctor. Professionals in secondary care that you might recieve help from are psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists. Secondary care is most likely to be recieved in a hospital setting.

Tertiary Care

This is care recieved in a specialised setting such as an eating disorders unit.