Recorded live at the RANZCP 2025 Congress in the Gold Coast, this podcast features members of the Section of Private Practice Psychiatry. Dr Michelle Atchison and Dr Gary Galambos join host A/Prof Jeffrey Looi to discuss the benefits and challenges of telehealth in psychiatry. They also explore the future of private practice psychiatry in the context of developments in telehealth, digital technology and the private healthcare sector. 

A/Prof Jeffrey Looi, MBBS Syd, MD ANU, DMedSc Melb, FRANZCP, AFRACMA, FAMA, is a clinical academic neuropsychiatrist in private practice and leads the Social Psychiatry and Epidemiology Research Unit at the School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University. He conducts research in health services, health policy and neuroscience, and is Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Australasian Psychiatry. 

Jeffrey has received numerous research and leadership awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship, the Australian-Davos-Connection Future Summit Leadership Award, and Fellowship of the AMA. He is a co-author of over 375 peer-reviewed papers, with 6,056 citations and an h-index of 36. 

Dr Michelle Atchison is a private psychiatrist based in Adelaide, where she runs a practice focused on military psychiatry and independent medical examinations (IMEs) in civil law. She has been a strong advocate for private psychiatry within the College and is a former Chair of the Section of Private Practice Psychiatry. 

She currently serves as an elected Board Director of the College and is Chair of the Education Committee.

Dr Gary Galambos is Chair of the Binational Section of Private Practice Psychiatry for the RANZCP, Associate Professor at the Medical School of the University of Notre Dame, and Medical Director of the Uspace Young Adult Mental Health Service at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney. At Uspace, he has established a medtech incubator and R&D innovation program focused on developing advanced treatment programs for OCD, TRD and ADHD. 

He is the founder of the mental health utility platform MindSkiller.com, designed to support these programs through the integration of next-generation technologies. MindSkiller incorporates digital CBT interventions using VR and scent-based devices, person-centred shared care models with single- or multi-team case management software, remote psychiatric governance and a consent-based approach to data sharing. It also includes a service-based care pathway form tailored to individual consumer needs, enabling integration of all clinical activities, as well as additional digital tools such as telehealth-enabled eLearning modules.

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Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.