Psychology

At the New York Bariatric Group we understand that weight loss surgery is only the beginning. What comes next is all the difficult work of changing a lifetime of habits and ways of living and thinking about yourself and your place in the world. Very few people understand what this process is like. It seems easy. Just have the surgery and lose all the weight. Voila! You are a changed person. As you know, there’s a lot more to this process than that!

A key constituent of the success of The New York Bariatric Group surgical based weight loss program has been the emotional screening and support we have as part of our Weight Loss and Weight Management programs. We are pleased to announce that Ms. Jean Rafferty, a board certified licensed social worker administers to the needs of our patients. Jean Rafferty meets each of our patients at the beginning of their journey.

Jean Rafferty offers up a unique perspective to her work as she is also a former surgical weight loss patient. Jean performs our patient evaluations. These evaluations are necessary to help determine if you are prepared to make this dramatic change in your life for the better.  Most importantly, you will find that the psychologist's recommendations may be helpful.

The psychological evaluation helps to determine your understanding and knowledge of the surgery and your ability to follow the postoperative weight loss plan and lifestyle changes. Many Insurance companies require this evaluation prior to giving approval for surgery.You will find that Jean can be helpful in defining your personal goals and expectations.

Psychological evaluation helps to identify and rule out major psychiatric illness such as uncontrolled depression, eating disorders and others conditions that can effect a patient’s success with weight loss surgery. It also helps to identify patients who need more education and preparation prior to surgery. Some patients may need counseling either before or after the surgery and the initial evaluation helps to identify this potential need.