Areas of Expertise
I’m a general adult psychiatrist with additional training and expertise in Neuropsychiatry. As a general adult psychiatrist I have extensive experience in treating a wide range of mood, anxiety-related and trauma-related conditions. As an inpatient consultant, I worked in multiple specialist services offering support for complex and treatment-resistant psychosis.
My areas of special interest are complex conditions with interrelated physical and mental health difficulties. I have significant experience in helping individuals struggling with acute and chronic complications of alcohol and complex substance misuse that requires careful monitoring and treatment of physical and mental health.
As a neuropsychiatrist, I manage complex Neurodiversity and neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ADHD, autism and behavioural difficulties. I have experience managing neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions, such as brain injury, early onset dementia, memory, mood and emotional difficulties following head injury and stroke.
I specialise in providing expert witness reports and medico-legal reports for family and criminal courts, mental health review tribunals and the Court of Protection. I receive instruction from legal firms and private organisations and have experience of acting as defence, prosecution and joint expert witness.
I’ve produced reports for the medico-legal practice since 2014, during this time, I have compiled over 200 reports for families and provided evidence in criminal courts, court of protection, family courts, employment tribunals, Mental Health Review Tribunals and for civil proceedings.
My professional experience in medical management and service lead positions helped me understand the complex commissioning structures and varied funding streams that dictate the treatment decisions. This knowledge allows me to correctly identify the best clinical care and service available to address the individual in question’s needs, efficiently and quickly.
Special Areas of Expertise
- Brain injury
- Alcohol related brain damage
- Complex mental capacity assessments
- Capacity assessments for Court of Protection
- Medical negligence
- Personal injury
- Fitness to plead and stand trial
- Pre-sentencing reports
- Assessments for hospital disposal from the courts
- Parole board assessments
- Mental Health Review Tribunals
- Complex functional neurological conditions
- Treatment resistant psychosis
- Mood disorders
- Work related stress and occupational mental health difficulties
- Employment tribunals
My approach to mental health
I explore my patient’s difficulties through their unique perspective, understand the reasons for their visit, their hopes and expectations from the treatment.
Mental health conditions can be caused by a range of stressors, including health problems, psychological or social difficulties. Mental health symptoms can be caused as a result of a complex combination of factors, including genetic vulnerability, psychological disposition, or environmental changes (work, school, social or family).
The first step in treatment is to understand the nature of the issue and how it affects you. I believe it’s crucial to find the best treatment approach for each individual, based on their symptoms and strengths, to give you the best chance of recovery.
Treatment typically involves the following steps, but the length of treatment and type of approach will depend on the individual:
- Understanding the nature of the problem
- Assessing negative impact and associated consequences (risks)
- Diagnosis
- Symptom relief
- Structured intervention (medication and/or therapy, social and lifestyle)
- Improving resilience and psychoeducation
- Contingency planning before stopping treatment, so if any issues come up again we are better prepared to address them quickly
I am trained in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). In my approach to treatment, I also integrate the principles of family (systemic) therapy and psychodynamic therapy. I regularly collaborate with an extensive network of psychologists that I can refer patients to, should a specialist talking therapy be required.
I have additional expertise in identifying treatment strategies for people struggling with comorbid physical health and mental health conditions. In cases where physical health conditions could be complicating symptoms, I recommend full physical health investigations and collaboration with other specialists to confirm the best treatment pathway.
My approach to medication
I believe in a collaborative approach where we work together to determine if medication is right for you. In many instances, medication can improve symptoms, but in some circumstances, a non-medical treatment approach would suit better. The benefits and potential risks of any medication will always be discussed with you so that we can weigh up the likelihood of improvement in combination with any side effects.
If medication is necessary, I always explain all of your options in detail, combining the latest scientific evidence with my professional view of your unique symptoms and circumstances.
Training and education
I am a consultant psychiatrist specialising in general psychiatry, neuropsychiatry and forensic psychiatry. My experience has involved both training and clinical roles in the NHS and independent health care organisations, meaning I gained experience working across urban, suburban and rural areas, with a wide variety of demographic and ethnic groups.
I’ve worked as the Regional Medical Director, Group Research and Development Lead and the chair of the Neuropsychiatry Steering Group for Cygnet Health Care. In these roles, I provided clinical support and advice on acute mental health, mental health rehabilitation, personality disorders, neuropsychiatry and intellectual disability services.
I completed my MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of surgery) medical degree at the University of Health Sciences in India, before pursuing my psychiatry training in the UK. I completed my core training in psychiatry in the West Midlands and received membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych). I completed higher training in general adult psychiatry from Wales Deanery, receiving CCT (certificate of completion of training) in general adult psychiatry with accreditation in liaison psychiatry. I also received a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Neuropsychiatry from the University of Birmingham.
Due to my strong interest in psychiatric research, I’ve authored and co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals across a wide range of topics. I have also presented at several academic conferences throughout the UK on mental health rehabilitation, holistic treatments and neurobehavioural disability and rehabilitation.
