Dr Robert Llewellyn-Jones

Before seeing a specialist, you should have the opportunity to learn as much about them as you can.

So this is to tell you about myself.

I am a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and a Member of its Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry.

I have been a Consultant Psychiatrist in private practice for over 25 years and specialize in general and old age psychiatry.

Your welfare is my top priority.

I will do my best to ensure that you feel heard, respected and cared for. I will explain to you my understanding of your difficulties and the treatments for them. I will take time to answer your questions. I want you to feel comfortable with my approach and my reasons for recommending specific treatments.

With your permission I will communicate regularly with your GP and am happy to talk with your family and loved ones if you want me to. I see medical care as a collaboration between the doctor and the patient. My goal is give you tools and strategies that will enhance the quality of your life, assist you to recover and to get the most out of life.

I have special interests in the treatment of mood disorders (eg Depression) and anxiety disorders and stress management in adults of all ages. I also have an interest in mental health disorders among individuals with physical health problems. I specialise in Aged Care Psychiatry and have special interests in the treatment of late life depression, early dementia and grief. In addition to medication management I provide Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as well as insight oriented psychotherapy and counselling. I do not see individuals under the age of 18 years.

Prior to training in Psychiatry I completed the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Family Medicine Training Program and worked as a GP in Australia, Nepal and the UK.

After becoming a psychiatrist I set up the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Aged Care Psychiatry Service for Northern Sydney Health and was Senior Staff Specialist and Director of this Service during the period 1995 to 2005. As Senior Staff Specialist I also provided general psychiatric care to working aged adults. I was then Senior Visiting Old Age Psychiatrist to Coffs Harbour and Dubbo Base Hospitals between 2005 and 2011 and regularly conducted clinics at these hospitals.

I have provided geriatric psychiatry outreach to towns in outback NSW with the Royal Flying Doctor and have provided education to rural and remote GPs using a telemedicine video link.

Part of ensuring that I provide the most up-to-date medical care includes regularly attending medical conferences and scientific meetings. I have been a speaker at many national and international scientific meetings and a regular speaker at many general practice educational evenings.

I was previously Conjoint Senior Lecturer with the Department of Psychological Medicine at Sydney University. I was also a Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle. I was awarded a PhD by Sydney University for research into new ways of managing depression in residential aged care. I have published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals. My publications have focused on depression and dementia. I have received many research grants and several research awards. The Depression Intervention that I designed has been replicated in Australia, Japan and the USA. I have served as an advisor to state, national and international bodies on the management of depression and dementia. In my spare time I work as a member of the Management Board of Giant Steps Australia – a charity that I cofounded and that provides school and post school programes for autistic children and adults with significant developmental challenges in Sydney and Melbourne.

I established Wellview intending it to be a Centre of Excellence in Health Care. I am passionate about raising community awareness and understanding about mental health issues and have regularly appeared on National TV on this issue. Do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance.