Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[Animallover123]

Hi, 

I was wondering if anybody knows a way that you can ‘check’ the reputation of a psychiatrist before an appointment. My partner has booked an appointment with two psychiatrists for a 291 assessment and plan, but we aren’t sure which one to go for. I have googled both and looked on FB. One has a few negative reviews and a few positive reviews on a ratemydoctor.com and the other psychiatrist has no reviews… not good…. Not bad. Is there a website in Australia you can read reviews of doctors? 

Also, I believe my partner has comorbidity Bipolar with ASD. I noticed that a lot of psychiatrists don’t list ASD as an area of focus. Is this something a psychiatrist knows about or will we get the Bipolar diagnosis and then need to go to a psychologist for the ASS diagnosis?

Thanks.  

[amber22]

Hey! @Animallover123 

Hmm, if you are going through a private or public practice then they should have a little blurb on the website about the health professional that you are going to see - that way you can know a little bit about them and pick them accordingly to what you require and want within a psychologist.

I also think that it is a good idea to go in open minded but with an idea of what you would personally prefer your mental health professional to be like (e.g. someone more empathetic, someone that provides a lot of resources, someone more straight forward with their approach etc.) and see how you gel with them. You can always switch around and try new psychologists until you find the right one for you, because it is so important to be able to gel and feel supported by the person you are seeking advice from. 

I hope it goes well, 

All the best,

Amber22