- How can I schedule an appointment at THE PSYCH CLINIC?
We are glad to welcome you at THE PSYCH CLINIC (TPC). Please get in touch with our clinic manager in one of the following ways –
- Call at 9650090204 (Between 10 am and 8 PM Mon to Sun except public holidays)
- Drop in a Whatsapp message on the same number
- Send us a mail at info.thepsychclinic@gmail.com
We will get back to you soon 😊
2. Who all are available for consultation at THE PSYCH CLINIC?
At TPC, we recommend a combined approach of medication and therapy. We have consultants with expertise and experience to guide about both medication as well as therapy.
For Psychiatric Consultations, we have our founder Dr Apala A Tuteja available from Monday to Saturday. To know about her, please click here.
For therapy and psychodiagnostic assessments, we have a team of clinical psychologists all through the week from Monday to Sunday. Please visit their profiles here.
3. What is the difference between a Psychiatrist and a Clinical Psychologist?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors. They first complete MBBS and then get trained as specialists in mental health by doing either MD or Diploma or DNB degree. They diagnose mental illnesses and help patients recover from mental disorders by prescribing medication and therapy.
Clinical Psychologists are graduates of BA/BSc and postgraduates of MA/MSc. They then train as MPhil/Diploma in clinical psychology and may finish their education by doing a Ph.D. They are the backbone of mental health care and help evaluate the mental illnesses through Psychodiagnostic Assessments. Most importantly, they help the patients recover by providing counselling and therapy.
4. I have just taken my first appointment, now feeling a bit anxious about starting the whole process. What should I expect in my first appointment?
You are not alone in this journey and our team will assist you in the process.
First session is mainly about sharing information and understanding your mental health issues. Doctor/therapist will introduce themselves and request you to talk about your background, mental health issues, relationship problems and other mental health relevant topics bothering you. Please be assured that you will have enough time and safe space to share all your details and concerns. We maintain full confidentiality and follow a sensitive, non-judgemental, empathetic approach towards our patients. In the end, doctor/therapist will discuss a mutually agreeable personalised plan for you considering your needs and wants. Most importantly, they will address your queries and ask you to follow up with them after a specific period of time.
5. I have finished my first appointment and started medicines/therapy. What should I expect now?
Firstly, we request you to follow the prescription as mentioned. Please take the exact medicine in the same dose, frequency and interval as mentioned in the prescription and advised by the doctor for achieving the best results.
Secondly, please have patience as medication takes about 4 to 6 weeks to fully show its positive impact.
Thirdly, in case of your first therapy session, kindly maintain a dairy and do your homework, as told by the therapist. Consistency and Persistency is the key to recovery when it comes to mental health. This will help you greatly in the journey of your mental health recovery.
If you have any pressing questions before your next session, we would be happy to schedule a quick call with your doctor/therapist (with prior appointment) for your ease and comfort.
Lastly, please follow up with the doctor/therapist at the specified period for achieving the optimum results.
6. How long does the medication/therapy continue on an average?
Well, it is highly variable and depends on various factors such as patient profile, the type of illness, the kind of lifestyle one is leading, the support system one has, the compliance one shows towards the treatment plan, the presence of stressors during the recovery journey and the general physical health of the patient.
7. What are the lifestyle changes I should make to help recover faster?
For general lifestyle changes, we recommend the following:
First and foremost, please take timely meals. Small and frequent healthy portions are not only good for physical health, but also for mental health. Secondly, please follow sleep hygiene practices for healthy refreshing sleep. To know more about Sleep Hygiene, please click here. Thirdly, being physically active works wonders during your mental health recovery. WHO recommends 1 hour of exercising at least 4 to 5 days a week for an otherwise healthy adult. Lastly, pursuing hobbies create rapid turn over of the positive chemicals in the brain.
Timely meals, good sleep, regular exercise and periodic recreational activities release serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and other bioamines which help in a quicker recovery.
8. How important is it to get a psychodiagnostic assessment done?
Just like we get blood tests done to confirm the bodily diseases, similarly, we recommend getting psychodiagnostic assessments done to confirm and document the exact nature of the mental health issues. These tests not only give clarity to the mental health professionals, but these also clarify patient’s concerns about the intensity, category and type of their mental health issues.
Please click here to learn more about the importance of the psychodiagnostic assessments.
9. I have been taking medication for over two weeks now but don’t feel totally alright. How long does it take for medication to show its optimum effect?
Please remember that medication aims at correcting the chemical imbalance in the brain circuitry and takes 4 to 6 weeks to fully show its impact. In the meantime, it is prudent to follow the dosage, timing and frequency of medication as prescribed by the psychiatrist. Click here to know more.
10. How do I know if medication/therapy is working for me?
At TPC, we insist on making a list of target symptoms which will be treated by medication and therapy. You will be given a timeline as well as the yardstick of improvement on your first follow up session with the doctor/therapist. In most cases, the first symptoms to improve are sleep and appetite. The next ones to improve are energy level, daily functioning and social interactions. Last to improve are mood and thoughts.
11. I think I am experiencing some side effects of the medication. What should I do now?
At TPC, we believe in sharing the most relevant minimalistic prescription. For us, lesser is more. We also believe in going slow while increasing the doses to avoid side effects. However, if you are still experiencing side effects, please don’t hesitate to share it with your psychiatrist, who can work around it and make the best of what is required. We strongly request you not to stop your medication without consulting your psychiatrist. Importantly, in case of an emergency, kindly visit your nearest hospital immediately.
12. I have a few queries about my medication/next therapy session/current wellbeing state. How can I get in touch with my Psychiatrist/Psychologist before my next session?
Please get in touch with our clinic manager, who can organise a quick call with your doctor/therapist before your next session. In the meantime, you can write down all your queries and concerns in your homework diary so that its all penned down at one place and you don’t have to constantly worry to remember it.
13. I am a heart patient. I have Diabetes Mellitus also. Can I still take mental health medication along with my heart and diabetes medicines?
YES, one can take psychiatric medication along with their other medication safely. It is best to share the prescription of your physician with your psychiatrist so that there is no confusion about doses, duration and the frequency of the medicines you are already taking. You are also advised to share your physical health issues with your psychiatrist openly and frankly. Once your psychiatrist is aware of your medical comorbidities, your mental health treatment plan can be attuned to your physical health needs.
14. I want to plan a vacation while being on medication. Is it ok to go for it?
We advise you to share your travel plans with your psychiatrist/therapist well in advance of your travel so that they can evaluate as well as address your travel concerns. They will also advice you about the precautions to be taken while traveling.
15. I want to stop my medication. What should I do now? Can I stop my medication myself?
It is NOT advisable to stop medication suddenly without discussing with your psychiatrist. The best way would be to discuss about the same with your psychiatrist so that a detailed discussion about relapse, rebound effects, recurrence can be done and an informed decision can be taken.
16. What is the booking and cancelation policy at THE PSYCH CLINIC?
When you schedule an appointment at TPC, we reserve a significant amount of time specifically for your consultation. Therefore, we require advance payment at the time of booking of the slot.
If you are not sure about your visit to TPC, you are always welcome to visit as a walk-in patient. However, because of prior slots and long waiting, most of our patients prefer to make an advance booking for a hassle-free consultation.
Unfortunately, when a patient does not show up for scheduled appointment, another patient loses an opportunity to be seen. Therefore, ‘No Shows’, or missed appointments, will result in cancellation of appointment with no refund provided.
In case of an emergency, rescheduling of the time slot can be done at least 24 hours before the booked time slot. You may call our Clinic Manager for such requests.
Once a session is availed at TPC (medical consultation/therapy), patients are not entitled to a refund.
If our doctor or psychologists are unable to take up the session for any reason whatsoever, a full refund will be provided to you.
17. Do you take psychology internships/observerships at THE PSYCH CLINIC?
We do NOT take inclinic interns at the clinic. However, we frequently run time-bound inclinic workshops/online programs for psychology interns. Please get in touch with our clinic manager at 9650090204 for more details.
18. Do you have a pharmacy at the clinic?
NO, we do NOT have a pharmacy at the clinic. However, the medicines that we prescribe are easily available at all local chemists throughout the country.
19. I do not want my private discussion to go public. How do you go about that?
We do understand that a lot of sensitive information is shared with doctor/therapist during the sessions. We offer a safe and secure environment at TPC and have a strict confidentiality policy wherein anything shared as doctor-patient privileged information remains only with the doctor/therapist.
20. Is psychiatrist/therapist available for online consultation at TPC?
YES, we have a provision for online consultation for special cases. However, we strongly encourage inclinic consultations, especially for the first time. This gives patient as well as the doctor/therapist a better understanding of each other. Once the improvement sets in, we can have follow ups through online mode.
21. Who should come for consultation at THE PSYCH CLINIC?
If you or your loved one have any kind of mental health issues such as irritability, sadness of mood, persisting low energy level, sleep difficulties, negative thinking, anxiety complaints, poor or excessive appetite, sexual problems, intense mood swings, self-harming thoughts, suicidal ideation, repetitive behaviors such as repetitive handwashing, checking doors and knobs, trouble abstaining from alcohol, smoking or any other psychoactive substance, memory problems, marital conflict, relationship problems, you can benefit from consulting at THE PSYCH CLINIC. We also see patients with delusions, hallucinations, gross abnormalities of behavior and impaired reality testing.
Children with behavioural issues, poor academic performance, school refusal, anger problems, drug use and childhood disorders such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Learning Disorder often visit us for evaluation and management of their mental health problems.
We also see senior citizens with memory complaints, sleep difficulties and mood changes.
People with marital conflict, relationship problems and other maladjustments also seek therapy with us and benefit from it.
22. I am confused about whether I really need help or not. I am not sure if I have a diagnosable mental illness. What should I do?
It is ok sometimes not to know all the answers. We recommend that you meet our experts to figure out if your mental health issues are part of a diagnosable mental illness. Please read this article to have more clarity about what is normal and what is pathological.
23. What all services are available at The Psych Clinic?
We offer psychiatric consultations for evaluation and management of mental disorders by a psychiatrist.
Furthermore, we offer psychodiagnostic assessments and different kinds of therapy for evaluation and management of mental disorders by clinical psychologists.
Please click here to learn more about our services.
24. What is the difference between drug therapy and talk therapy?
Drug therapy treats biological symptoms occurring due to chemical imbalance in the brain circuits, with the help of medicines. Our psychiatrist would be evaluating and prescribing medication for you.
Talk therapy (also known as Psychotherapy) is delivered by a clinical psychologist. It treats problems of emotional nature, in which the therapist establishes professional relationship with the patient, with the objective of:
- Removing, modifying or retarding existing symptoms.
- Mediating disturbed patterns of behavior and
- Promoting positive personality growth and development.
Please click here to learn more about the differences between the two.
25. I know a friend/family member who needs professional help, but he/she is not ready for it. How can I convince him/her to seek help?
We understand that it can be a tricky situation when you feel that your loved one needs help, but they are not ready for it yet. We advise you to gently request them for the same and not push them for it as pushing can sometimes backfire and make things even more tricky. In the meantime, you can educate yourself on how to deal with them so that you can help them in the most effective way in their day-to-day life. For educating yourself, you can read books, go through scientific blogs, or meet a mental health professional so that you know better about mental health disorders and ways to convince the needy ones.
Have more questions?
Our team is reachable. Please get in touch:
- Call at 9650090204 (Between 10 am and 8 PM – Mon to Sun except public holidays)
- Drop in a Whatsapp message on the same number
- Send us a mail at info.thepsychclinic@gmail.com
Wishing you the best of mental health today and always!