Who am I?

I am a mother, a wife, a doctor, a yogi, an optimist, a lover of life, nature, travelling, hiking and reading. I call myself an introvert but I also do not like to miss out on anything and I enjoy being social and meeting people.

I have been working in the field of psychiatry for the past twenty years, and I thrive on spending time with my patients. Every one of my patients is different; there is no same treatment plan for any patient and when I spend time with my patients I am always reminded that everyone has a different story and a different perception and take on life.

What can a patient expect from the first session with me?

Logistics:

I see my patients from my office in Ananda Sanctuary, 2 Clyde Road, Woodstock. I see patients any day of the week and also after hours. I also do online consultations. I always spend at least an hour with a patient when I see them for the first time. I also appreciate it if a spouse, family member or carer can talk to me with or without the patient present, after the session as collateral information about my patient’s level of functioning and illness presentation can be valuable in formulating a treatment plan.

The Interview:

I do an interview where we talk about personal background, family history, work and relationship history, psychiatric history, drug and alcohol use, previous admissions, suicide attempts, physical illnesses, and the reason for making the appointment with me and what they would like to change. I focus on the bio-psycho-social model and I often incorporate motivational interviewing into my first session with a patient.

We will then discuss my take on the information provided to me as well as diagnoses and different treatment modalities (medication and alternative therapies). I also spend time focusing on psycho-education, where I provide education and information about the disorder at hand and medication prescribed to my patient as well as family members. I find that this helps with treatment compliance, understanding of symptoms and it shifts stigma related to mental disorders.

After the consultation I will give the patient a script for medication if needed, but I seldom prescribe Benzodiazepines or cocktails of different psychiatric medications.

How do I get referred to you?

I mostly receive referrals from General Practitioners or Clinical Psychologists, but I am also happy to receive referrals directly from individuals or family members who need help coping with a mental illness. I treat individuals from 2 to 99 years old. I treat any psychiatric diagnoses; from depression and anxiety to schizophrenia and addiction, to emotionally unstable personality and PTSD.

If you want to book an appointment with me, please send me an e-mail, stating the reason why you need help and I will contact you with a list of available times during which you can see me. I usually try to see my patients within at least a week from when they first made contact with me.

The Cost:

• I charge R1600 per hour, an initial assessment usually lasts an hour.
• I charge R800 per 30 min for follow-up appointments.
• I am registered as a Medical Doctor/General Practitioner in South-Africa.
• Some medical aids in South-Africa accept claims from my consultations, but some not, and therefore I ask all my patients to pay me directly and then they can check for refunds from their medical aid.