Psychiatrist Canberra
Available between 9am to 5pm
Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP)
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Dr Sunita D’Souza is a Consultant Psychiatrist in Canberra, ACT. Her specialist areas of focus include anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) Comcare, Icare or workcover and DVA patients. Dr D’Souza has worked with all types of people – from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to military veterans and those with intellectual disabilities. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and did her training for psychiatry in Australia. Dr D’Souza has a gentle, recovery-focussed and empathetic approach. As part of your care team, her goal is to help you overcome your difficulty in the best possible way. Our team will work together to provide you the best possible care. This includes keeping your GP informed of your progress, along with making sure they receive a copy of your management plan regularly. If you need to cancel your appointment, we ask that you provide at least 48 hours notice. Appointments need to be reconfirmed prior to consultation. We look forward to helping you move onto the next phase of your life in the most positive manner.
An anxiety disorder is when your anxiety gets out of control and starts to affect your life. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in Australia and New Zealand. Around 1 in 3 of us will have an anxiety disorder at some point in our lives. Having an anxiety disorder can be distressing and make it difficult for you to live your life the way you want. However, there are effective treatments available and effective ways to prevent anxiety.
Depression is a mental illness that makes a person feel sad or unable to enjoy anything for weeks at a time. They can also have other symptoms, such as having no energy, being irritable, or having problems with sleep. Depression can stop people being able to do their job, study, or look after themselves and their family. It can be a short-term illness, or it can come and go throughout a person’s life.
PTSD affects about 4% of adults in Australia and New Zealand. It is diagnosed more in women than in men. War veterans and emergency services workers generally have higher rates of PTSD. There are effective treatments available for PTSD. With the right help, you have a good chance of recovery. With treatment, people who have PTSD can feel safe in the world. PTSD treatment can help you get back your life and manage symptoms from your trauma.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that affects a person’s mood and energy levels.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, but with the right treatment the symptoms can be well controlled.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness.
The obsessive thoughts can be quite overwhelming, while compulsions can take up hours of a person’s day. The compulsions make a person with OCD feel (briefly) less guilty or anxious about their unwanted thoughts.
Dr D’Souza has expertise in: Initial diagnosis of mental health conditions by a Consultant Psychiatrist. Completing permanent impairment (PI) reports for DVA. Diagnostic Assessments GP Management Plans. Please ask your GP to fax a referral to Dr Sunita D’Souza, specifying it is for a DVA claim.
A DVA Mental Health claim is a claim made by a former ADF member for compensation regarding the treatment and rehabilitation of injuries or diseases linked to their time in service. These claims are intended to provide financial cover for the medical, hospital and associated allied health services linked with treating eligible veterans, their spouses and dependents.
A person who has been medically discharged is, virtually by definition, incapacitated for (defence) service. However, not all persons who have been medically discharged are incapacitated for (civilian) work. The ADF requires, as a condition of continued employment, high standards of personal physical fitness and functional ability from its members. ADF members must be capable of deployment to operational service and to reliably perform physically and mentally demanding tasks under combat conditions, in locations where there may be no medical support for an ongoing condition. An injured member may therefore be medically discharged from the ADF for a failure to meet the high fitness and health standards for deployment, yet still be capable of earning an income in suitable civilian work. This is because civilian work does not require combat readiness or the ability to serve in a war zone. Nevertheless and regardless of the residual capacity for civilian work, a medical discharge provides a medical opinion that the person is incapacitated for the full range of requirements of Defence service.
There is no cost to submit a claim with DVA.
Veterans’ service is covered by 3 Acts, known as the MRCA, VEA and DRCA. Which Act you are covered by will depend on the service that relates to your injury or disease. As a general rule, if your condition relates to service:
after 1 July 2004, then the MRCA will apply
before 1 July 2004, then either the VEA, the DRCA or both will apply
that spans 1 July 2004, then one or more of the VEA, DRCA and MRCA will apply.
Independent medical examinations
Dr. D’ Souza has formal training and expertise in Independent Medical Examinations in Psychiatry in Canberra Australia (Fitness For Duty, Income protection, total permanent disability assessments, and work cover reports) Several private and government organizations may request medicolegal reports about employee fitness for duty and rehabilitation suitability. The difference here is the active communication and liaison with treating providers and rehabilitation officers, to deliver the most effective outcome for the employee and employer.
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Mood disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Medico-Legal services
