Eating Disorders & Treatment – Brisbane Specialist Suites

Contemplate Tx is a central Brisbane Eating Disorder Service that combines comprehensive Medical, Psychological and Nutritional Assessment and Treatment at Brisbane Specialist Suites. Whether you are concerned about your body image or eating patterns, or concerned about your loved one, our Contemplate Tx team at Brisbane Specialist Suites provide treatment for a range of nutritional challenges affecting individuals across the age range.

*Please note that changes to the number of medicare sessions will occur in November 2019 under the Medicare Better Access Scheme – The new medicare support will allow Australians with Eating Disorders to access up to 60 sessions of treatment comprising of 40 psychotherapeutic sessions and 20 Dietitic sessions. Please call medicare for more details.

When you receive treatment from our Multidisciplinary Team, you can be confident that your physical and emotional needs will be catered for with a single visit. This allows you to have more time to simply focus on your Recovery.

Conditions Treated

Support for Parents coping with Fussy Eating affecting Toddlers and Children
Nutritional Support for children with Sensory or Developmental Disorders (e.g., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder including Asperger’s Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorders)
Body Image Concerns including Early Intervention Group Therapy (Contemplate Tx) for girls and boys
Problem Dieting or “Yo-Yo” Dieting
Restrictive Eating Disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Orthorexia)
Emotional Eating or Overeating
Binge Eating Disorders including Bulimia Nervosa
Patients considering or recovering from Bariatric Surgery (including Gastric Banding, Gastric Bypass or Partial Gastrectomy)

The Contemplate Tx Team

Dr Catherine Llewellyn
Bruce Laing

We understand that you are unique, so we provide tailored solutions to meet your needs.

Our Brisbane team support individuals and families who are seeking to optimise health, improve body image and self-acceptance, are struggling with medical conditions that negatively affecting emotional or physical wellbeing, as well those who are experiencing the metabolic effects of prescribed medications.

What is involved in assessment?

Due to common and often under-diagnosed medical complications of eating disorders, we recommend that all patients are reviewed by one of our our Medical Specialists. If you would like to see one of our therapists, referrals can also be made directly to members of our therapeutic team by your General Practitioner or treating Specialist doctor.

For paediatric patients, assessment may include:

Observations of your child in multiple settings (at home, at school, at extra-curricular activities)
Family history of anxiety or other medical conditions
Past medical history of the child in question
Interventional strategies that have been trialed to date by caregivers and professionals

Your Specialist will also request collateral information from prior treatment providers (GP, psychologist) as well as school (teacher, guidance officer or school chaplain).

For adolescent and adult patients, assessment may include:

Collateral information provided by caregivers or your support person
Past medical history
Interventional strategies that have been trialed to date by previous and current treating professionals

For patients who are struggling with severe nutritional deprivation or purging, your Specialist will recommend blood tests. Your Specialist may also ask you to obtain further investigations as required to ensure your continued medical stability.

What treatment can we expect?

Our team can offer appropriately skilled nutritional & psychological support from a Dietitian, Psychologist, Psychotherapist or Psychiatrist with experience in Eating Disorders. If you are unsure of which therapist to see, come and talk to one of our Psychiatrists first and we will match you to the right therapist depending on your preferences and interpersonal style.

Psychotherapeutic sessions will generally occur weekly or fortnightly, and will be tailored to your unique needs. Rather than use a strict manualised treatment approach, our Specialists use a range of therapeutic strategies to meet your needs from a range of treatment modalities including:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy
Narrative Therapy
Maudsley Based Family Therapy

Caregivers are encouraged to be strong participants the therapeutic process when possible. Your Specialists at Brisbane Specialist Suites will also teach caregivers skills so that they have the knowledge and confidence to support your recovery at home.

Medication can be considered when psychological strategies have failed, or when anxiety or mood symptoms are disabling and distressing. Medication should only be considered under the supervision of a Psychiatrist.