Psychiatric Consultation

A psychiatric consultation is a comprehensive evaluation of the psychological, biological, medical and social causes of emotional difficulties. Together you and Dr. Kelleher, and possibly other clinicians at Guelph CBT as needed, will review your relevant current and past stresses, symptoms, medical information, and/or psychiatric conditions. This information, as well as any necessary medical records and laboratory tests, will lead to the formulation of clinical diagnosis and a comprehensive treatment plan.

Because we know that our emotional health is multidimensional, a psychiatric consultation considers the contribution of several factors in assessment. This can help you and your doctors understand the sources of problems from biological (i.e. heredity, hormones, physical illness), psychological (i.e. current life stressors, childhood experiences), and social (i.e. cultural differences, family relationships, prejudice) viewpoints.

During your appointment, time will be spent reviewing the nature of your problems, their origins, and the course of any previous symptoms and treatment. You will then discuss the assessment and results with Dr. Kelleher, and any treatment recommendations.

Many patients are referred for psychiatric consultation by physicians or therapists to determine if psychiatric medications might benefit their patients. A careful evaluation of this question is usually part of psychiatric consultation, but also includes a consideration of other reasonable treatment alternatives, along with the risks and benefits of these treatments.