This article addresses a number of psychosocial issues that advance practice nurses and other health care providers should be aware of when working with patients who have congenital heart disease. If not properly addressed, particularly during adolescence, these issues can have a strong impact on a person's medical care and over-all quality of life. This article includes information from medical literature, conversations with adult patients, and my own experiences as both a patient with congenital heart disease and as a clinical social worker.