Over the last thirty years practising as a clinical psychologist I have been privileged to help many individuals who were in deep inner turmoil, but there were many who also presented with mild to severe physical illnesses. Some of the illnesses presented were back pain, migraine headaches, asthma, eczema, Chron’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, heart disease, ME, MS, MN, cancer, brain tumour – indeed, all of the most prevalent illnesses. Naturally, these individuals were receiving medical intervention and that is how it needs to be. However, there is an embarrassing source of riches to show that illnesses are more than purely biological realities and that an effective response requires a serious consideration of the psycho-social contents of the persons who suffer illness. Medicine has developed some amazing technological and chemical treatments for particular illnesses and continues to pursue rigorously the causes of illness, particularly the two current greatest killers – heart disease and cancer. However, in spite of the recognition within medicine of the psychosomatic and psychophysiological nature of most illnesses, the medical practice continues to focus on ‘cures’ and detecting causes. This essentially biological approach – whilst praiseworthy in its efforts – fails to consider that a particular illness may have an individual meaning for the person who is ill. A recurring political reality is the never-ending crises in our health services and the challenge to provide an effective and efficient service for what appears to be a relentless escalation in the demands for medical services. It is a worrying reality that in spite of the wonderful medical achievements that the rate of illness has not even been reduced by one per cent!