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Biopsychosocial counselling is a supportive intervention that aims to facilitate a person’s ability to deal with their situation, noting the interplay between thoughts, emotions, behaviours and the social environment have an important influence particularly in challenging scenarios.

Biopsychosocial counselling may be provided by psychologists, counsellors, rehabilitation counsellors, OTs, physiotherapists, nurses, GPs and others — provided they have completed appropriate training in biopsychosocial counselling and behaviour change therapies.

Those who provide psychosocial matched care may deliver this in addition to their traditional services, as in-person sessions or online calls.

The biopsychosocial model recognises that a person’s psychosocial responses generate neurobiological processes that increase pain, distress and disability. By identifying personal psychosocial responses in each case, tailored education and self-help coaching (or training) can reduce the impact of those neurobiological processes.

That understanding occurs when the person is taught that pain and distress are ‘whole of body’ responses controlled by our brain and that what we do, think and feel will dampen or enhance that pain or distress.

This ‘bio’ aspect of biopsychosocial counselling is just as important for people experiencing psychological distress as it is for those dealing with physical pain.