FAQ

A psychiatrist is a person who has studied medicine, who is a medical doctor that specialises in psychiatry. It is important to be trained as a doctor to understand that some mental health /psychiatric disorders are caused by ‘organic of physical illnesses’ such as brain tumours, thyroid disease or medication induced. This enables a psychiatrist to recommend appropriate treatment. A psychiatrist can help develop a management plan to tackle mental / psychiatric disorders and help patients towards obtaining mental health wellbeing.

Psychiatrists can prescribe medications as it is important to understand how these medications can help but also what medical conditions it may interact with or how it can cause adverse side effects. Just because you see a psychiatrist doesn’t mean you will have to take medications.

Psychiatrists also understand the importance of other treatments for psychiatric and mental disorders such as psychotherapies ‘talking therapies’, some psychiatrists can also do these therapies.

Psychologists are university trained professionals, but are not medical doctors. Although some have Dr. In front of their names, this Dr. means they have done a doctorate or extra studies in their field of expertise. Psychologists tend to do more ‘talking therapies’. There are so many different styles and techniques of talking therapies that some psychologists specialise in certain types e.g. CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy), ACT (Acceptance commitment Therapy), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) etc. Psychologists can do various specialised tests such as WAIS or WISC to assess your cognitive functions, as well as various other psychologic tests.

At Health Wise Innovations psychiatrist and psychologists work together in collaboration to give the best quality care to their patients/clients.

Your partner or family member can be part of the consultation if you wish, this is entirely up to you. At times Dr. Dang Nguyen needs to talk to you on your own and she will discuss this with you if needed.

All consultations are confidential. However, if there are concerns regarding risks to safety of yourself or others Dr. Dang Nguyen is obligated by law to contact the relevant authorities to ensure you and others are safe.

Dr. Dang Nguyen will also write a letter to the referring GP regarding your assessment and management plan. She will also update your GP if there are any treatment changes. If there is anything you don’t want included in this please let Dr. Dang Nguyen know.

If Dr. Dang Nguyen requires further information from other people who have treated you before she will ask you to sign a Consent form for her to seek information from other professionals.

If other professionals want to seek information about you, Dr. Dang Nguyen will request you to sign a Consent to Release Information. If you do not consent to this Dr. Dang Nguyen will not release any information about you unless it is subpoenaed by a Court of Law.

Please email us at Health Wise Innovations to make an appointment. DR DANG IS NO LONGER TAKING ON NEW PATIENTS

You also need a GP referral, so please see your GP to get a referral which can we emailed to Health Wise Innovations.E: admin@healthwiseinnovations.com

Dr. Dang Nguyen sees all types of mental health and psychiatric disorders. Including ADHD/ADD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety disorders, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Dang Nguyen has a very pleasant office where you can sit in comfortable lounges and talk about your issues. She usually asks you about the problems you are experiencing and how it has affected your life. She will ask about your past history, family history, medical history etc to understand you as a person.

If you are taking any medications please take a photo of it or bring a list as well as any other previous psychiatric reports to the consultation as this helps Dr. Dang Nguyen assess your needs.

Dr. Dang Nguyen will discuss diagnosis and recommend a treatment plan, involving you in the process. If you need medications she can give you a prescription, if she recommends you seek additional services she can recommend some for you.

The initial assessment usually takes around 50 minutes. Follow up sessions are around 30 minutes. If you have psychotherapy sessions it is usually around 45-50minutes.

Dr. Dang Nguyen encourages you to be involved in your child’s care. She would often see you with your child initially but also see your child on their own, if they are comfortable to do so. This can enable your child to have a space to express themselves.

Dr. Dang Nguyen always encourages your child to talk to you about their concerns as she endeavours to improve the communication between parent and child knowing how important this is to well being of both parent and child.

Medications are one form of treatment for mental / psychiatric disorders. If Dr. Dang Nguyen feels that you need medications then she will discuss this with you and your input into this process is important. She will also discuss with you other forms of treatment if she feels this is needed as well.

Dr. Dang Nguyen sees children and adolescents of all ages as well as adults. She can also see couples, families and pregnant women.

She has experience with diverse cultural backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.