Dr. Jan Smith BSc (Hons), MSc, MSc, PGCert, PGCAP,  FHEA, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS

Director of Health Psychology Online is owned and operated by Dr. Jan Smith and is registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC) in the United Kingdom (UK). 

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What makes Health Psychology Online unique? 

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• Health Psychology Online will draw from years of specialising in applied psychology, with particular specialisms in health psychology. 

• The vision of Health Psychology Online is to provide an inclusive approach with sensitivity to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We will also provide you with a personalised approach to help support your needs and aspirations. 

• We have specialist expertise in psychological interventions, supervision and an Aspiring Health Psychologist Service (AHPS) supporting aspirational Practitioner Psychologists into the psychology profession. We will also provide options for consultancy, research and webinars or training in due course (beginning in 2025). 

• The exclusive online features of Health Psychology Online will allow you to benefit from health psychology expertise from the settings of your choice.

• Health Psychology Online is based in Scotland as part of the United Kingdom. However, as Health Psychology Online is operated using an online platform, we therefore have the capacity to assist clients across the United Kingdom. 

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Professionalism and codes of Conduct 

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Health Psychology Online will be delivered and managed by Practitioner Psychologists, regulated by the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC). This registration with the HCPC ensures that all services conducted by Health Psychology Online will follow a series of HCPC codes of conduct for Practitioner Psychologists which will ensure a high quality standard of care and support throughout. 

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The Director of Health Psychology Online, Dr. Jan Smith is also a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and an Associate Fellow with the British Psychological Society. The title of Chartered Psychologist is legally recognised and reflects the highest standards of psychological knowledge and expertise. Furthermore, the title of Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society is awarded in recognition of several years experience and contribution the the field of psychology. 

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What is Health Psychology?

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Health psychology has been defined as the contribution of psychology to all areas of physical health, but particularly to health promotion and maintenance, illness treatment and prevention, and the role of psychological factors in health and illness and to improving health-care services and policies (Matarazzo, 1980).

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The Director of Health Psychology Online, Dr. Jan Smith introduced the PACED acronym to summarise the key areas of health psychology practice (Smith, 2018). The PACED acronym includes the folllowing:

• Processes in health, illness and health care delivery 

• Adjustment or acceptance of health or illness considerations

• Cognitions or thoughts or beliefs associated with health or illness presentations

• Health Enhancing behaviours, which emphasise behaviours that protect health

• Health Damaging behaviours, with a focus on reducing behaviours which may harm health outcomes.