How Does A Mental Health Consultation Start?
Your doctor will ask about your mood, sleep, stress levels and daily functioning, in the same unhurried way any other consultation begins. There is no need to arrive with the right words prepared. Explaining that something feels wrong is enough of a starting point, and the rest of the conversation follows from there.
Who Is This Service For?
This is for anyone noticing a change in their mood, energy or ability to cope, whether that change has lasted a few weeks or much longer. It is equally suited to someone in crisis and to someone who simply wants to talk something through before it grows into a bigger concern.
What Happens If You Are Referred To Psychology?
Where ongoing psychological support would help, your doctor can refer you to Dr Dominique Manias, our on-site clinical psychologist, or to another practitioner suited to your needs. Having this referral pathway on site removes some of the friction that can come with asking for help, since the introduction happens within a consultation you have already started, rather than a cold call to a stranger.
What If You Are Not Sure Whether You Need Support?
You do not need a diagnosis in mind before booking. A conversation with your GP is often the easiest way to work out what kind of support, if any, would be useful, and there is no pressure to commit to anything beyond that first conversation.
What Can You Expect Going Forward?
If ongoing support is recommended, your GP remains part of the picture, checking in on how things are progressing alongside any psychological care you receive. Mental health support at Sunningdale is treated as part of your overall care, not a separate track that runs alongside it without ever touching base.
A Note On Privacy
Conversations about mental health are treated with the same confidentiality as any other medical consultation. Nothing you share is treated as less serious or less private than a physical concern would be.
Medical Aid And Billing
GP consultations relating to mental health are generally billed in the same way as any other consultation. In contrast, ongoing psychology sessions with Dr Manias are billed separately according to her own rates and your scheme's mental health benefit.
Dr Dominique Manias, Clinical Psychologist: 076 071 2306 (Adeline) | dmaniasreception@gmail.com