• Depressed or low mood that doesn’t go away
• Feelings of crippling anxiety and panic
• Suicidal thoughts
• Thoughts to hurt other people
• Excessive stress
• A continuous stream of negative thoughts
• Auditory or visual hallucinations
• Delusions
• Disjointed thoughts
• Obsessive behaviours and compulsions
• Emotional outbursts
• Out of control alcohol or drug use
• Autism, mental disability, childhood trauma, and so on

Psychiatrists are medical professionals who are certified to provide both psychological treatments in the form of therapies and also prescribe medication for your mental condition. Psychiatrists can also modify treatments prescribed by other psychiatrists and psychologists if a patient is referred to them.

Psychiatrists can advise patients about the nature of the treatments, their benefits, side effects and their costs. They can suggest hospitalisation or rehabilitation to the patient if so required.

Any psychiatrist wishing to practice in Australia must have completed a cumulative of at least 11 years of medical study and practical training from a university/practice that is under the purview of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Psychiatrists in Australia must be registered with their respective state medical boards to be licensed to operate.

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COMING SOON

COMING SOON

• Persistent pain after surgery e.g. knees, hip, abdomen, pelvis, spine

• Severe pain not suitable for surgical management e.g. arthritis with multiple comorbidities

• Pain from repetitive strain injury e.g. shoulder or back pain

• Pain of unclear diagnosis impacting on daily activities

The spectrum of care provided by a pain specialist includes prescribing medication, co-ordinating rehabilitative services, performing pain relieving procedures, counselling patients and families, directing a multidisciplinary team, co-operating with other healthcare professionals and liaising with public and private agencies.

In Australia and New Zealand, a career in pain medicine is generally obtained by qualifying as a Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). The fellowship in pain medicine is an “add-on” specialist degree. Thus, those wishing to enter the field usually will have or be training toward a specialist qualification in one of the participating specialties, namely anaesthesia, medicine, surgery, psychiatry or rehabilitation medicine.

Entry into pain medicine training has been broadened to include Fellows of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners or Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners or a faculty or chapter of one of the participating colleges (other than the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine).

• Relationship problems

• Substance abuse

• Childhood trauma

• Grief

• Racism

• Bullying

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Stress

• Insomnia

• Sexual/gender orientation

• Compulsive behaviours

• Phobias

• Self-image

• Learning disabilities

• Childhood obesity

• Gambling

Psychologists provide counselling and specific therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), schema therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness therapy, motivational therapy. They are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication.

In Australia, a practising psychologist must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and listed with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). 

All registered practising psychologists are required to have a minimum of six years of university training and supervised experience, and to engage in ongoing education to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

They must also adhere to certain strict standards to keep their registration, and must provide professional services according to a strict code ethics written by the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

• Poor planning skills

• Poor time management

• Short attention span

• Poor prioritisation skills

• Low social communication skills

• Low self-esteem

• High stress and social anxiety

• Poor multitasking ability

• Punctuality issues

• Discipline issues

• Commitment issues

• Personal boundary issues

• Low accountability

• Low motivation

ADHD coaches can provide patients with strategies to cope with their unique personal and professional challenges. They will provide customised action plans that patients need to implement for increased self-efficacy and personal discipline.

ADHD coaches focus on individual motivation and individual development. They don’t necessarily deal with psychological issues but provide support to patients to enable them to lead more fulfilling lives.

ADHD coaches in Australia need to be trained and accredited by internationally-recognised institutes like ADD Coaching Academy (ADDCA) or International Coach Federation (ICF), and must have completed the required years of study and supervised practice to be able to practice in Australia.