Psychological Interventions

Peer support – local and online groups

Peer support has been shown to be effective in helping those living with facial palsy manage distress, reduce feelings of social discomfort and gain information and knowledge about coping with facial palsy.

Find a local or online support group: Facial Palsy UK local groups page

Self-help guides, videos, resources and books

The Clinical Psychologists working in the Oxford Facial Palsy Service at the John Radcliffe Hospital have developed a series of self-help resources for people with facial palsy, and their families. Funding to develop these resources was generously provided by the Vocational Training Charitable Trust Foundation.
The resources cover a range of topics and issues known to affect people with facial palsy and can be found on the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website (links below). They are designed so that you can work through them in your own time, and they contain information, advice and exercises to help you to cope with the psychological impact of facial palsy.

Each guide is a free downloadable PDF:

• Managing anxiety – practical exercises to help you feel more able to engage in activities that matter to you.
  Facial Palsy: Managing anxiety (ouh.nhs.uk)
• Managing your mood – information, advice and exercises for low mood.
  Facial Palsy: Managing your mood (ouh.nhs.uk)
• Building self-esteem – tips and exercises for rebuilding confidence.
  Facial Palsy: Building self-esteem (ouh.nhs.uk)
• Communicating with confidence – techniques for whole-body communication.
  Facial Palsy: Communicating with confidence (ouh.nhs.uk)
• Coping with comments, questions and staring – practical methods for difficult social situations.
  Facial Palsy: Coping with comments, questions and staring (ouh.nhs.uk)
• Advice for carers, friends, family and partners – tips for supporting someone with facial palsy and looking after your own wellbeing.
  Facial Palsy: Advice for carers, friends, family and partners (ouh.nhs.uk)

Breathing and meditation

There are also videos and exercises on breathing and meditation, designed to help calm the nervous system, ground and centre, and manage anxious or restless thoughts.

For breathing and meditation exercises, visit our Breath and Meditation Practice page:
Breath and Meditation Practice.

The Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead has recently published the following self-help video about managing the psychological impact of a facial condition.

Online Programmes

• Visible Difference Support Hub – free, evidence-based resources for anyone affected by a visible difference, including facial palsy. visibledifferencesupporthub.com
• Face IT@home – free 8-session self-guided CBT programme for adults with a visible difference, with a peer discussion forum. faceitonline.org.uk

• ACT It Out® – free app-based ACT programme, 6 short sessions. Ages 16+. Available on App Store and Google Play.
• Beating the Blues – computerised CBT, available via some GP practices.
  Beating the Blues.
• MoodGYM – free online self-help CBT programme.
  MoodGYM.

Self-help books

• CBT for Dummies – Branch & Willson (2005)
• Introducing CBT: a Practical Guide – Foreman & Pollard (2011)
• Overcoming Depression – Paul Gilbert (2009)
• Overcoming Chronic Pain – Cole et al. (2005)
• Overcoming Chronic Fatigue – Burgess & Chalder (2009)
• Overcoming Anger and Irritability – Dr William Davies (2009)
• Overcoming Low Self-Esteem – Dr Melanie Fennell (2009)
• The Complete CBT Guide to Anxiety – Cooper, Shafran & Brosan (2013)
• The Happiness Trap – Russ Harris (2008) (with accompanying website)
• The Mood Gym – Christensen & Griffiths (2011)

Therapy, NHS referrals and private options

Seeking professional support is a positive step – you do not need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy.

Specialist facial palsy services:

Some specialist centres have a psychologist embedded within their facial palsy service who can provide specialist support in managing the psychological impact of facial palsy. You can ask your clinical team for a referral.

NHS talking therapies:

If you do not have access to a specialist, general adult mental health services can support people living with chronic health conditions if experiencing common mental health difficulties, for example anxiety, stress and low mood. You can ask your GP for a referral, or self-refer directly.

Find your local NHS Talking Therapies service – self-refer online, no GP needed in most cases.
NHS Talking Therapies.

Finding a therapist privately:

• British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) – lists accredited CBT therapists and has information about CBT.
  BABCP.
• HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) – register of practitioner psychologists. Use this to check a psychologist is registered.
  HCPC.

Cognitive behavioural therapy – CBT:

CBT is widely used with people experiencing distress due to a visible difference. It helps you understand the link between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and identifies ways in which unhelpful thoughts and behaviours can negatively affect emotional wellbeing. For facial palsy, CBT typically focuses on reducing avoidance of social situations and managing anxiety or low mood.

• MIND – information about CBT.
  (MIND)
• NHS – comprehensive information about CBT.
  (NHS)
• Royal College of Psychiatrists – online leaflet about CBT.
  (Royal College of Psychiatrists)

Counselling:

Counselling is an opportunity to talk one-to-one with a trained professional about the things in your life that you are struggling to make sense of. A counsellor will listen to you and try to understand your perspective.