Body system research has advanced alongside medication and therapies studied in psychiatric and developmental conditions, with increasing strong evidence of the causes linked to gut health, environmental toxins, genes, and systemic functional changes such as within the immune system or the polyvagal nervous system. Genetic association with scientific observation in clinical concerns, also improves the statistical analysis for evidence.

Unlike medicines which may modify the pattern of symptom generation or soothe symptoms by introducing a chemical trigger, integrative health analysis can find and treat the imbalance that promotes the symptoms. While we must consider which differences are more innate and make us individual, the troubling symptoms or functional impairments in neurodevelopmental disorders and chronic physical illness can be improved from a small to a large or complete extent.

The more complete the functional assessment, the more likely we are to find one or several causes that disturb health and with care, to alleviate this cause. For example, genetic variants can absolutely be the barrier to brain health if affecting B12 or Vitamin D transport into cells, and other variants will require an active folate for recovery of otherwise persistent depression. Multiple antibiotic and other impacts upon the gut microbiome can lead to food intolerances, autoimmune or inflammatory triggers each that can cause brain dysfunction such as ADHD symptoms, or mould exposure can create a complex mental and physical health picture.

The breadth of possibilities means that a good interview is suggestive, but the detail usually needs to be confirmed from testing, especially if there are causes that may heighten the risk of future cellular, brain or body injury if not addressed.

Finally, many young people and families benefit from psychiatry, to assess and understand symptoms, unconscious patterns and both medical and social systems together with treatments. It is true that when strained, family system communication and improved feelings can alleviate issues for a child.

A broad appreciation of mind-body therapies can often inform additional choices to standard therapies. that are less difficult or dependent on what can be spoken of, than talking therapies and these sometimes directly support or calibrate the nervous system toward recovery, or engage a young person creatively.

I will see a child or teenager with their family and offer them individual time if possible. Both parents (where applies) should attend this or the next appointment. There are toys and sensory items in my office, the space is comfortable but not large. I do not expect young people to want to talk and I take a gentle approach to encourage feeling comfortable with me over time rather than immediately.

Many questions will be about physical, emotional, mental health, development and about family health and experiences, including relationships, communication and parent backgrounds. Many things can contribute to what is happening for a person’s mental health, but finding what is relevant is quite individual and a complex task. I always take an integrative medicine approach, from baseline diet and lifestyle to elective and explained testing. However, wellbeing in relationships and the developing self is key, and nutritional medicine takes a little longer, so timeframes ahead do depend on staying open to all needs and collaborative approaches.

It is important to have filled in a questionnaire that arrives with your booking, as this enables time for quality engagement more important to your child and the discussions that arise for you.

All new assessment appointments are booked after your referral letter from your GP has been received and accepted (when I can appropriately provide for your situation and there is availability). Once accepted, our admin will contact you and you will be able to book via the link on this website. There is a delay in this process of 1-6 weeks to be accepted or declined.

Please refer to the referrals and booking page for more information and the link for bookings.

Initial individual and family assessment appointments for children or teenagers will take 1.5 hours.

Follow-up appointments are usually 45 minutes – 1hr.

1.5 hour and 30 minute options are available, as well as parent only appointments if a young person is regularly seen.

It is ok if your child or teen do not answer much and it is better not to pressure them. Usually they are taking their time for good reasons and non-verbal behaviour or interaction is thought about too.

It helps to explain the appointment in advance, to respond to feelings and concerns, as there is a cancellation policy to enable appointment to be filled. Often it helps to be matter-of-fact, calm and express good intentions.

If they are not wanting to attend, it is a good idea to slow down and listen about this. My suggestions are to listen and support. Encourage trying it out, model that you are too, eg. you can make up your own minds afterwards if anything was useful.

Please bring anything they would like to bring and show.

I trained in Perth in adult and child psychiatry, working with inpatient, community and specialised services including metropolitan and regional CAMHS, day program assessment teams for complex presentations, PMH eating disorders and KEMH and Raphael Service perinatal care. For 5 years I worked with Wheatbelt CAMHS and Youth teams as a consultant.

Therapies I have used or studied include psychodynamic therapy, Jungian understandings, cognitive therapies, dialectical behaviour therapy, narrative therapy, mindfulness and somatic approaches, attachment, play therapies and family therapy. I have recent experience also with yoga, mindfulness, breath, movement and guided processes using conscious awareness, creativity and intention, and continue to learn in these areas.

I have completed studies with ACNEM, Bio-balance and Psychiatry Redefined, and am progressing toward ACNEM fellowship. I combine and apply balanced judgement across all approaches. I continue to undertake focused learning offered by Integrative GPs, Paediatricians, Nutrigenomists, Naturopaths and Nutritionists, for example in 2025 with MINDD international forum and also MTHFRsupport training on genetics for mental health. I have completed herbal medicine modules relevant to mental, gut, immune and child health.

I study deep change and trauma-informed therapies, including compassion focussed therapy, vedic meditation, ayuvedic basics and yogic approaches with BIYOME in Queensland.

Due to the nature of providing an integrative medical approach in a sole practice, I do not accept referrals for primary ADHD or ASD assessment purposes or if the goal of referral is initiating or continuing the standard management of neurodevelopmental conditions. I do not provide NDIS assessments generally.

I do offer integrative approaches and accept referrals where integrative medicine is the family or referrer's starting priority. If there is medical complexity, I will need to clarify that aspects may be outside my scope of practice and how they are directly supported by another specialist or GP.

I accept referrals when a holistic or natural/integrative approach is sought for mental health conditions and symptoms - where I am able to appropriately respond to their needs.

Due to the detail and study required, unfortunately this can exclude people where there is a high likelihood for needing a high frequency of review or a team for responding to medical or safety concerns. This includes responsive support for safety, admission or medical stability outside of appointment times or anticipated to take a larger proportion of the appointment time.

As I draw upon my time significantly outside of the appointments to focus on each patient's health needs, I am not in a position to work with emergency and hospital admission services or families needing frequent support.

This means I cannot accept most referrals for young people with prominent eating disorder symptoms unless very stable and supported, those with unstable self harm or interpersonal difficulties and those with complex behavioural concerns facing ongoing school or family crises.

As a general rule, no. I will consider referrals particularly if the adult has a parenting responsibility and/or is an individual with low risk mental health concerns not requiring more intensive treatment from me such as liaison with adult services. As an adult, it may be more appropriate that they see an integrative GP for any complex health component as metabolic illness for example, may be more established and outside of my scope.

I am not experienced with or equipped to support adults with significant complex neurodevelopmental disorder or disability and do not accept these referrals if this is their need.

As I maintain availability for the child and adolescent population, accepting adult referrals may lessen..

Please ask your GP to contact me to enquire or email via the contact page.

Yes, I consider and prescribe medications including for ADHD in the course of my care, but I do preference time for integrative testing and holistic approaches - often including supplements - to support any contributing causes to lessen.

If time is of the essence, I balance risks and benefits of targeted nutrients, well studied herbs and standard medications in conversation with parents which may lead to medication, but not always.

Initial Consultation

The fee for an initial appointment is $1100. The medicare rebate is $255 (June 2025).

Three appointments are generally needed to transition from brief recommendations to a better initial assessment that is appropriate to the young person’s ‘bio-psycho-social’ needs, including their trust and interest in any approach.

Follow-Up Consultations

The fee for a 45-1hr follow-up appointment is $650 with a medicare rebate of $180. Longer and shorter are available.

All fees will be provided in a welcome document.

*** In the first few appointments, please factor in your individual needs when you book online,

-        For example, I can interview parents together with a young person or alone if the child or teen can wait in a shared waiting room). Depending on health, relationship and life event complexities - a second 1.5 hour appointment may be needed. Parents are also welcome to book their own timeslot when a young person has attended once and/or is seen regularly.

*** Please also be aware that an integrative assessment may involve external testing

-        Approximately 1 month may be needed for you to obtain the service and for the result to be processed and sent to me.  Some blood tests take 7-14 days.

All fees are the same via telehealth and whomever attends.

A current referral is essential for a rebate

Other costs apply

Pathology testing costs apply if recommended and agreed to, and are directly paid to external functional pathologists with no financial relationship with my care. These tests can cost on average $200-500, and commonly a few are recommended to cover the bases.

A personalised complex analysis report fee applies and will be disclosed when tests are discussed. This is only for large non-standard tests, and is to account for the time involved per person in considering a wide range of individual differences, pathology data and applicable research.

Consent

You do not have to commit to certain testing to see me, the usefulness to your individual situation will be discussed and your consent is important. A low toxin, regulating and supportive lifestyle and a diet approach can be very helpful, as well as therapies.

Booking deposit

A $220 deposit applies when you book your appointment online. Please pay the remainder on the day of appointment or within 1 week, by an e-pay link which is sent by SMS. If required, an invoice can be requested instead

To rebook your appointment online, you will need to pay a new deposit. Both deposits will be present on your medical record and will be subtracted from your fees on the day.

Your payment will be submitted by us to Medicare within 48hours or checked for and submitted on Wednesdays thereafter. The rebate commonly follows within 1 working day.

Once you spend over a certain threshold amount as an individual or whole family, you will receive the usual Medicare rebate plus 80% of the remaining gap fee (to a maximum $500 for consultations) for the rest of the calendar year. Please visit humanservices.gov.au website for details about registering for the Extended Medicare Safety Net.

Please rebook via the website / health-engine site at least 48 hours prior to your appointment if you are unable to attend your scheduled time.

A $220 cancellation fee is retained if you cancel within 48 hours as the space is unlikely to be filled. This clinic does not keep a waitlist or call to manage cancellations in the same week and bookings are made by families directly via the website.

If a cancellation is due to unexpected circumstances, you may consider a telehealth request or time adjustment which can be provided at short notice for the same or next day. If a serious situation does not allow any variation, the fee is waived.

I am not able to provide crisis support, after hours contact or sufficient follow-up appointments to manage and support through urgent situations.

However, I do appreciate updates within the software email system and can continue to see you if the situation settles, for example is not ongoing or is responded to successfully by family, by emergency or by therapeutic supports. For recurrent risk concerns, you may need to access a different service such as CAMHS

Please use the following emergency numbers, consult your GP or attend an emergency department in urgent situations:

Under 18yo:

CAMHS Crisis Connect     1800 048 636             24h phone or telehealth support

Other phone support lines:

Metropolitan adult urgent mental health response MHERL 1300 555 788

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36

1800RESPECT for violence or abuse: 1800 737 732

Please feel welcome to attend unless you are experiencing an illness where isolation is currently recommended. Alternatively you are welcome to reply to your appointment SMS or email, to request a link to meet via telehealth. Akana administration do not handle enquiries about my practice, but you are welcome to call their reception if unsure about your illness.

Telehealth links require an internet connection, browser and camera/microphone and only require a link to be clicked, sent by SMS and email just prior to your appointment. A quiet and flexible home space and non-distracting comfort items are recommended so that a young person can attend, and potentially be seen alone.

Telehealth cannot be used for a first appointment unless you are unable to come to Perth and to qualify for medicare, live in a Modified Monash Model area 4-7 or have not seen a private psychiatrist in person in the past two years.