Trauma Informed Care

One does not have to be a soldier, or visit a refugee camp in Afghanistan or the Vietnam to encounter Trauma. Trauma happens to us, our friends, our families and our neighbours. As human beings we belong to an extremely resilient species. Since time immemorial we have rebounded from our relentless wars, countless disasters (both natural and man-made), and the violence and betrayal in our own lives. But traumatic experiences do leave traces, weather on a large scale (on our histories and cultures) or close to home and on our families. They also leave impacts on our minds and emotions, on our capacity for joy and intimacy, and even on our biology and immune systems. *

We are obviously still years from attaining detailed understanding, but the birth of new branches of science has led to an explosion of knowledge about the effects of psychological trauma,  abuse, and neglect. These new disciplines have revealed that the trauma produces actual physiological changes, including a recalibration of the brain's alarm system, an increase in stress hormone activity, and alterations in the system that filters relevant information from irrelevant in the brain and the body. *

My role, through the assessment and formulation will be to help you understand the effects of previous traumatic experiences on your health, well-being, and on your social surroundings. The formulation that emerges from this trauma-informed understanding, will aid in identifying problem areas and develop a care strategy plan to deal with them.

* The Body Keeps the score- Bessel Van Der Kolk

Mental health of LGBTQ+ people

Psychiatry hasn’t always had a positive relationship with LGBTQ+ people. For many years the World Health Organisation (WHO) considered homosexuality a mental illness, and it was only voted off the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) in May, 1990. Until a few years ago, removing pathologising categories from the ICD-10 list of mental disorders affecting trans and gender diverse people seemed impossible. Only in May 2019 did WHO decide to no longer categorise being transgender as a “mental disorder”.

It was therefore not a total surprise when LGBTQ+ people in my life continue to report difficulties in receiving high quality psychiatric care from mainstream mental health services. The evidence are all pointing out that unless professionals communicate with knowledge and understanding about the health concerns, barriers to care, and other needs that are specific among LGBTQ+ people, they will not be able to offer the support LGBTQ+ people need.

Hence, my initial quest was to reconcile the fact that I am a Psychiatrist who is also a Gay Cis-gender man. My ethnic diversity and my training in Transcultural mental health also provided me with insight into the various challenges LGBTQ+ people face.

Over the years, my practice has broadened from diagnostic investigation to a supportive and collaborative exploration of mental health difficulties that includes effects of marginalisation, shame and the role of various harmful as well as helpful experiences in life . I provide an inclusive, and respectful environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals needing mental health support.