Brisbane Specialist Suites

Get to know Brisbane Specialist Suites

From Brisbane Specialist Suites's website.

• Our approach

  Dr Catherine Llewellyn works collaboratively and sensitively with children and families to develop treatment plans suited to individual needs. Sessions follow a comprehensive approach that begins with detailed history-taking from caregivers covering observations across multiple settings, family history, and past medical history using a bio-psycho-social framework. First-line treatment typically consists of regular psychological sessions using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy principles, with caregivers actively participating and learning skills to reinforce strategies at home. Medication is only considered when psychological strategies have proven insufficient or when anxiety severity prevents the child from engaging in therapy or raises concerns about self-harm. As a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr Llewellyn is uniquely positioned to understand the complex emotional, social and cognitive developmental needs of children and adolescents.

• Working with families

  Caregivers play a strong role in their child's therapy and are encouraged to actively participate in treatment. Dr Llewellyn teaches caregivers specific skills and strategies that they can reinforce at home to support their child's progress. Parents or guardians are involved in the comprehensive initial assessment, and both guardians' involvement is particularly important if the child lives between two households. The practice welcomes significant support persons to attend appointments and works collaboratively with families and community supports to establish appropriate treatment plans.

• Meet the team

  The team is led by Dr Catherine Llewellyn, a Child, Adolescent, Adult and Addiction Psychiatrist and Lifestyle Medicine Physician with over 30 years of psychiatry experience and more than 15 years of psychology experience. The practice operates as a multidisciplinary team with extensive experience in treating children. Psychiatrists at Brisbane Specialist Suites are uniquely able to accurately diagnose emotional, behavioural and developmental difficulties, provide targeted psychotherapeutic support, and prescribe medications where appropriate.

• Your first visit

  The initial appointment involves two parts: first, a comprehensive assessment with parents or guardians to gather detailed history including observations of the child in multiple settings, family history, past medical history, and previous interventional strategies tried. Your specialist will also request collateral information from prior treatment providers and school. The second part involves an interview with your child, who may be interviewed alone as is standard practice. During this time, the specialist screens for any co-existing learning or language disorders and may recommend blood tests if medication is being considered to exclude possible medical conditions that can present with anxiety symptoms.