For Health Professionals
As as GP myself I know first hand how important it is to patient care to get correspondence from other doctors and allied health that you might refer your patients to. It can be incredibly frustrating and disruptive to patient care when you refer to someone and don’t hear back from them.
As such, I will write to you periodically and (with patient consent) keep you informed regarding your patient. In my scope of care as a GP psychotherapist I have chosen not to prescribe medication as I feel the patient’s regular GP is best placed to manage medication. That being said, I am always happy to provide medication advice if you need it. I am also a phone call away if any urgent advice is required.
Similarly, I don’t diagnose, investigate or manage your patient’s other medical conditions. I am well placed to offer my opinion and input in situations in which a patient’s mental health may be a significant contributor to physical symptoms, but you can trust that I will not order tests and encroach on your place and role as their regular GP.
The collaborative role is something I take seriously and believe it is best for patient care to have clear boundaries around what they will get from seeing me, what they get from their regular GP and how powerful it can be when we work together collaboratively to optimise patient care.
I sincerely thank you for your trust in me, as your GP colleague.
Regarding my additional training, I have completed Level 2 Focussed Psychological Strategies training with the RACGP and post graduate training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (with an adolescent and teen focus) and am venturing into the space of Internal Family Systems, which holds enormous potential as a therapy modality.
I am a full member of the RACGP and work part time as a Medical Educator with GP Synergy. I am also a full member of the Australian Society For Psychological Medicine (ASPM).