What is Rehabilitation Psychology?

Rehabilitation Psychology is a specialty of psychology that serves individuals with disabilities as they adjust, adapt, and progress toward healthy and satisfying lifestyles. Psychologists working in rehabilitation use education, remediation, counseling, and advocacy to minimize effects of impairments due to disabling medical conditions and promote wellness through optimal psychological, and social functioning.

Assessment Services in Rehabilitation Psychology

Comprehensive Evaluations combine information from the individual and/or family, other service providers, medical records, and even school or work records to determine what assistance if any may be needed. Comprehensive Evaluations may include Psychological and/or Neuropsychological assessments.

Psychological Assessments describe how personality characteristics, expectations, social skills and current stresses may affect school, work, independence at home, independence in the community, or response to rehabilitation services.

Neuropsychological Assessments address how individuals' cognitive abilities may affect these same activities (i.e., school, work, independence at home, or independence in the community).

Treatment Interventions Provided by Rehabilitation Psychologists

Health and Behavior Consultation provides information and advice about medical conditions, how they affect one’s life and life satisfaction, as well as making necessary changes in behavior or adapting to treatment demands.

Counseling/Psychotherapy seeks to align attitudes and feelings with the need to change behavior or adapt to demands in one’s life.

Cognitive Remediation helps adapt cognitive abilities with the demands of school, work, independence at home, or independence in the community.

Related Information

Board Certification in Rehabilitation Psychology is earned from the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology <www.apa.org/divisions/div22/ABRP.html>, a part of the American Board of Professional Psychology <www.abpp.org>.

The primary Professional Association in Rehabilitation Psychology is the American Psychological Association’s Division of Rehabilitation Psychology (Division 22) <www.apa.org/divisions/div22>.

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