We all struggle from time to time, don't let your struggle become your identity.
A mental illness can be described as a clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly interferes with a person’s cognitive, emotional or social abilities. It is a health problem that affects people’s thoughts, mood, behaviour or the way they perceive the world around them. A Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing found that an estimated 1 in 5 Australians aged 16–85 years experienced one or more mental health episodes during their lifetime and required psychology services. Mental illnesses can range from mild symptoms lasting only a few weeks to severe illnesses that can be life-long and cause serious disability.
A mental disorder causes distress and may affect the person’s ability to function at work, in relationships or in everyday tasks. Seeing a doctor is your first step towards healing, getting treated and returning to good mental health. If you think that you might be experiencing a mental illness, book an appointment with our mental health clinic in Penrith today. Mental disorders are treatable, and most people with mental illness can completely recover to live productive and happy lives.
A team of psychiatrists and psychologists is working at Penrith Medical and Fitness Centre using a holistic approach to treat patients with;
- Relationship issues
- Phobic disorders
- Personality disorders
- Chronic pain management
- Bipolar disorder
- Panic attacks
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.)
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Anger issues
- Addiction
- Bereavement
- Stress
And a wide range of other mental health issues.
The experts working at our mental health clinic in Penrith are also experienced in medico-legal writing and can help you with worker’s compensation cases (SIRA). They are also very proficient in providing vocational assessments, career counselling, return to work services and victim counselling services.
Access to different types of therapies at
Medical and Fitness Centre Penrith
Did you know there are different types of therapies, and the treatment is different for each type of mental illness? It can vary according to the individual, the severity of the illness and past history of illness.
The psychologists working at our mental health clinic in Penrith individualise treatment plans tailored to your needs and environment. This could include the use of therapy with or without medication as necessary. Your own preferences are a very important factor in making treatment decisions. A brief explanation of a few therapies is given below;
Cognitive behavioural therapy (C.B.T.)
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a form of psychotherapeutic treatment which emphasises what you think rather than what you do. It helps you to learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that are having a negative influence on your behaviour and emotions. It is believed that dysfunctional thinking leads to dysfunctional emotions or behaviours, and by changing these thoughts, you are able to change how you feel and what you do. The nearest psychologist working at the mental health clinic in Penrith uses C.B.T. and helps you to identify, challenge and replace these thoughts with more objective, productive, positive and realistic thoughts.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (A.C.T.)
A.C.T. is a form of behavioural therapy that encourages you to be more accepting of your thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them. In this type of psychotherapy, you will learn to stop denying, avoiding or struggling with your inner emotions and instead accept that sometimes these deeper feelings are the appropriate response in certain situations and they should not stop you from moving forward in your life. With this understanding, you will be able to accept your hardships and commit to making the necessary changes in your behaviour regardless of what is happening in your life and how you feel about it.
A.C.T. develops psychological flexibility. When you are aiming to be more accepting of your thoughts, emotions, and feelings, commitment plays a key role.
The six core processes of A.C.T. used by psychologist consultants include the following:
- Acceptance
- Cognitive Defusion
- Being Present
- Self as Context
- Values
- Committed Action
Running away from your problems only increases the distance from the solution. The easiest way to escape from the problem is to solve it.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (D.B.T.)
- Distress tolerance
- Emotion regulation
- Mindfulness
- Interpersonal effectiveness
Originally, D.B.T. was developed to treat people with borderline personality disorder and suicidal behaviour, but now at our mental health clinic in Penrith, it is used to treat a variety of mental conditions that threatens your safety, work, relationships, and emotional well-being.
Exposure therapy
In exposure therapy, in a safe environment, you are exposed to the stimulus, which causes fear and anxiety in you, with your consent. This helps in overcoming fears and anxieties by breaking the pattern of delaying and avoidance.
Critical incident stress debriefing (C.I.S.D.)
C.I.S.D. is an intervention conducted by mental health professionals in groups or individual formats. It is performed if you have been through a critical incident or seen someone going through one. A critical incident could be any event that causes a strong emotional reaction that could interfere with your ability to function. C.I.S.D. aims to lessen the impact of trauma and help you recover.
Other therapies;
You will have access to other therapies at our mental health clinic in Penrith, including;
- Pharmacotherapy
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (E.M.D.R.)
- Solution-focused therapy
- Interpersonal therapy
- Relaxation techniques and strategies
- Hypnotherapy
- Mindfulness
- Couples counselling
- Psychoanalysis
- Guided meditation
- Crisis intervention
- Progressive relaxation training
- Systematic desensitisation, etc.
Integrative or holistic therapy.
A blend of different therapies can be used and tailored according to your individual needs and preferences in integrative or holistic therapy.
Highly experienced team of Psychologists and Psychiatrists
The Psychiatrists practising at our mental health clinic in Penrith are Fellow of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (F.R.A.N.Z.C.P.).
The Registered Clinical Psychologists for mental health providing services at our Medical and Fitness Centre are credited by the Australian Psychology Society and endorsed by the N.S.W. Psychologists registration board.
At our clinic, you will also have access to mental health services for teens, therapist for men, and mental health services for youth.
See your GP and ask to be referred to one of the Mental Health experts at our location.