Why see a psychiatrist?

A Psychiatrist is a Medical Specialist who both practices medicine and has special expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. A Psychiatrist may use medication as part of their treatment and will want to help rule out a physical cause for your mental health difficulties. You will need a referral from your General Practitioner and you will get a medicare rebate on the consultation fee. Please be aware that the gap between Dr Clayton Smith’s fee and the medicare rebate is not covered by your private health fund.

A psychiatrist can help guide your treatment and link you with the right people and resources to help manage your condition. Psychiatrists are bound by the same strict rules about confidentiality as other health practitioners although in rare cases (where there are serious concerns about the safety of yourself or others or where your files have been subpoenaed by a court) it may be appropriate to disclose information about your condition. It is often helpful to include your family in your care, especially to help make a diagnosis and plan treatment, but this can only happen with your consent.

Psychiatrists often use a range of different treatments including medication, psychotherapy and lifestyle modification. Different psychiatrists use different kinds of psychotherapy depending on their training. Dr Clayton Smith is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).