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Stanford Health Care

Cardiac Behavioral Counseling

Our Approach to Cardiac Behavioral Therapy 

Certain lifestyle behaviors, such as stress eating, smoking, or substance abuse, can contribute to heart disease. Psychological issues, such as anxiety, depression, or stress, can also have an effect.

At our Cardiac Behavioral Medicine Program, we provide personalized care to help people manage these lifestyle factors. We use the most up-to-date research (some of it pioneered here at Stanford) to help people make small, doable changes for healthy, lifelong habits.

Our highly trained psychologists help you identify thought patterns that may cause unhealthy behaviors. With specialized training in heart disease-related issues, we help you make sustainable modifications.

What We Offer You for Cardiac Behavioral Therapy

  • Advanced expertise of Stanford’s licensed clinical psychologists, who have specialized training in health psychology, biofeedback, and cognitive behavioral therapy. 
  • Team-based planning between experienced psychologists, psychiatrists, cardiologists, surgeons, and dietitians, who work together to create an individualized, tailored approach for you.
  • Individualized care to work with you in the way you feel most comfortable: one-on-one or in small group classes.
  • Robust support services including a support group for women with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), meetings with a dietitian, and a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) class. 
  • Active research program that includes studies on the psychological impact that SCAD has on women and the use of telecommunications to manage hypertension. 

What Is Cardiac Behavioral Therapy?

About Cardiac Behavioral Therapy

If you have heart disease or certain risk factors for developing it, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, or diabetes, your doctor may advise you to make lifestyle modifications. At Stanford’s Cardiac Behavioral Medicine Program, we will come up with a tailored plan to help you prevent heart disease or slow its progression.

Our licensed clinical psychologists work with you to make long-term lifestyle changes. We support you in developing healthy habits such as:

  • Getting more and better quality sleep
  • Practicing portion control
  • Eating more fruits and vegetables
  • Practicing mindfulness
  • Lowering your body mass index (BMI) to below 30
  • Increasing physical activity
  • Quitting smoking or drug/alcohol use

We encourage small, sustainable steps so you can keep these healthy habits long term. Your provider and care team will check in with you and offer support throughout your entire journey.

We also help people with heart disease cope with the psychological issues that can accompany living with a chronic medical condition. Our psychologists help people:

  • Adjust psychologically and socially to having a cardiac condition or undergoing treatment
  • Manage emotional stress and reduce stress-related chest pain
  • Overcome PTSD or depression that stems from a heart attack or other acute event

Our Clinics

Preventive Cardiology

Our expert cardiologists offer an integrated approach to patient care, including understanding cardiovascular risk factors, developing individualized nutrition plans, and providing lifestyle counseling.

300 Pasteur Drive
2nd Floor, Room A260
 Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-725-5909 Getting Here
Make An Appointment

To schedule an appointment, please call: 650-723-6459