Assessment and support for every stage

Many bariatric surgeons ask patients to see a psychologist before surgery. The assessment is not a test you pass or fail. Its purpose is to make sure you are well prepared and have the right support in place.

We usually meet for one or two sessions. We talk about:

• your history with weight, eating and previous attempts at change
• your reasons for surgery and what you expect afterwards
• mood, stress and how you cope
• eating patterns such as emotional eating, grazing or binge eating
• alcohol and other substances
• the support you have at home and at work

With your consent, I send a written report to your surgeon and GP. If something would benefit from more work before surgery, we plan that together.

Surgery changes your body quickly. Your thinking, habits and relationships can take longer to catch up. Support after surgery can help with:

• adjusting to new ways of eating, and hunger that doesn't come from the stomach
• body image, including excess skin and not recognising yourself
• changes in relationships, and how other people respond to you
• mood, anxiety and the feelings that food used to manage
• changes in how alcohol affects you
• worry about weight regain, and what to do if it happens

Obesity management medications (OMMs) can change appetite and the constant background thoughts about food. That can be a relief, and it can also raise questions people don't expect. I work alongside your prescribing doctor to help with:

• deciding whether medication is right for you, and setting goals
• making sense of changes in appetite, eating and enjoyment of food
• building habits that will last beyond the medication
• coping with side effects, costs and supply interruptions
• planning for reducing or stopping medication

Not everyone wants or needs surgery or medication. I also see people for:

• emotional eating, binge eating and night eating
• weight management without surgery or medication
• body image and weight stigma
• low mood and anxiety linked to weight or chronic health conditions such as diabetes, sleep apnoea or chronic pain

If an eating disorder needs more specialised care, I will help you find the right service.

I accept referrals for pre-surgical assessment and ongoing psychological care. Reports are sent promptly and I am happy to discuss shared patients with their consent.

Please send referrals through the Whychange contact page, call us, or ask the patient to book directly. For ongoing care, a mental health treatment plan or chronic condition management plan allows the patient to claim a Medicare rebate.