FIRST VISIT

MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

We ask that you make the initial call for an appointment yourself except in the case of children, the very elderly and patients who is denying to having illness though obvious behavioral problem are there (in these conditions a valid caregiver who is living with patients can make the initial call for an appointment). Your appointment will only confirm after paying fees prescribed as per our clinic rules. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to the time of your first appointment in order to complete the necessary formalities. You should bring along the following information:

• Please accompany with a valid Informant/caregiver in the case of children, the very elderly and patients who is denying to having illness though obvious behavioral problem are there
• A List of Your Current Medications (If Any)
• A List of Previous Mental Health Treatment and Past Medication Treatment (If Any)
• A list of any other treatment or record related to other illnesses

For your convenience, we have attached forms for new patients to be completed and returned prior to (via mail/whatsapp) or during your first appointment in our clinic. (Link for SCL)

Your First Visit

Please follow all Covid19 related precautions while coming to our clinic. You should wear a mask (preferably N95 Mask) during your visit with hand sanitization and physical distancing.

Prior to meeting the clinician, you will be asked for general formalities including assessment of routine vital checkup like weight, height, blood pressure, Pulse, oxygen saturation and temperature by hand held thermometer. You will also be asked to complete a medical questionnaire and to review for accuracy the information that we obtained from you on the telephone when you arranged for the appointment.

In the first session, your clinician will ask you quite a few questions about your current problems and the history of those problems. The clinician will also ask about your medical history and will inquire about your past personal history in order to obtain a more complete understanding of the context in which your problems have arisen.

Your clinician will then discuss with you how we can help you and will suggest what might be the next steps. Your clinician may suggest additional counseling or therapy sessions as per your diagnosis, or perhaps referral for other specialized services. It is important that you feel free to express any ideas or preferences you have about treatment because treatment is likely to be more effective if it is consistent with your point of view.

Your first appointment will last approximately one hour. The clinician will first and foremost explore the reason for seeking treatment. Your current symptoms, any past treatment family information, educational and occupational history will all be reviewed. At the end of this intake, a mutually agreed upon treatment plan will be decided and follow up appointments will be scheduled.

PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION

The purpose of a psychiatric evaluation is to diagnose, emotional, behavioral or developmental conditions or disorders. This initial evaluation provided by either the psychiatrist or clinical psychologist is comprehensive but medical in nature. It will explore many aspects and typically will last 45 minutes. Upon completion of the evaluation, the doctor will arrive at a psychiatric diagnosis and may prescribe medication if needed few in number preferably. Referrals to therapists may also be offered as additional treatment for symptoms accompanying the diagnosis.

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT

The purpose of medication management is to prescribe medications to effectively treat psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, sleep or focusing issues and ensure your medications and dosages work effectively to help you manage that condition. Our psychiatrist is highly trained and familiar with the different medication options available, and typically will use the lowest doses of medication possible to restore balanced functioning. They will partner with you to deliver a mutually agreed-upon treatment plan. A medication management appointment typically lasts 15 minutes.

COUNSELING/THERAPY

Counseling is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a trained therapist in a safe, caring, and comfortable environment. A client and therapist may work together for as few as five or six sessions or as long as several years, depending on the client’s unique needs and persona goals for therapy. If indicated, family can also be involved in sessions, especially for our child and adolescent clients to enhance parent-child relationships. Counseling appointments typically last 45 to 60 minutes

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – A short-term, problem-focused form of behavioral treatment that helps people see the relationship between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings, and subsequent behavior patterns and actions. Through this type of treatment, people discover that it is their perception of events, rather than the events themselves that determines how he or she will feel and act. Cognitive behavioral therapists believe that by adjusting our thoughts, we can directly influence our emotions and behavior. Research shows this type of therapy is very successful in reducing the impact of clients’ symptoms

Trauma Therapy – Trauma can leave a person struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, behaviors and anxiety that won’t go away. Unresolved trauma can negatively impact a person’s moods, thoughts, and behaviors. Learning about the stages of healing can be distressing, motivating, upsetting, or uplifting. Regardless of which emotion is expressed, a person’s reaction is not wrong. While there are numerous therapy approaches, the purpose of trauma-sensitive therapy is to integrate the traumatic event into a person’s life, not subtract it. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help one gain insight and learn how to reprocess the trauma. This allows for relief from symptoms and the ability to move forward by learning how to manage mood, thoughts and behaviors more effectively. In order to heal from psychological and emotional trauma, a person will need to reprocess the unpleasant feelings and memories they have long avoided, learn to regulate strong emotions, develop healthier response skills and rebuild the ability to trust other people.

Art Therapy – Art therapy, facilitated by a professionally trained art therapist, utilizes art as a creative process to engage the mind, body and spirit. Art allows some individuals whom may struggle with communication to move beyond words and express themselves through the process of art. Trusting the process by utilizing various art mediums allows the individual to gain insight and awareness, empowering the individual. Art therapy has been effective for increasing self-esteem, identifying and verbalizing thoughts and feelings, developing healthy boundaries, increasing positive communication within family systems, and developing emotional, creative and spiritual growth.

Grief Therapy – Grief counseling is a form of psychotherapy that aims to help people cope with grief and mourning following the death of loved ones, or to cope with major life changes that trigger feelings of grief such as divorce or job loss. Often people feel disorganized, tired, have trouble concentrating, sleep poorly and have vivid dreams, and they may experience change in appetite. Grief counseling helps the individual recognize normal aspects of the grieving or mourning process, cope with the pain associated with the loss, feel supported through the anxiety surrounding life changes that may follow the loss, and develop strategies for seeking support and self-care.