Dr Annelies is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist originating from Belgium, who moved to Australia in 2017. Dr Annelies finished the training as a Psychiatrist and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in the Netherlands in 2004 where she had a special interest in diagnosing and treating ADHD, ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders until moving to Australia in 2017. She believed then, and still believes, in medication to treat mental health disorders but also in non-pharmacological strategies with the child and the important people around them including mindfulness and the collaborative problem-solving method (Ross Greene). In Australia, Dr Annelies has worked treating children's mental health problems caused by traumatic events, such as (complex) PTSD, Reactive Attachment Disorder and Dissociative Disorders. Dr Annelies again believes that medication can have a role in the treatment of these disorders, however, that therapeutic interventions and non-pharmacological strategies are equally important for the child and family's healing and recovery. 

Further Description: 

Dr Annelies completed her training as a medical doctor in Belgium in 1999 and then moved to the Netherlands where she completed her training as a Psychiatrist and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in 2004. For 14 years she provided specialised care in assessing and treating children and young people with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and their comorbidities, both in a clinical and out-patient setting. Dr Annelies worked passionately for 5 years as the Clinical Director of a day-clinic facility for children with severe mental health problems, where she pioneered a clinical enhancement program informed by the well-known collaborative problem-solving method (Ross Greene). Dr Annelies believes that medication can be helpful in the treatment for children and young people with ADHD and ASD, but also believes that therapeutic interventions and non-pharmacological strategies, like family work and skill development in the child, as well as the important people around and raising them, are equally important.

In Australia, Dr Annelies has worked for Queensland Health, treating children's mental health problems caused by traumatic events, such as (complex) PTSD, Reactive Attachment Disorder and Dissociative Disorders. Dr Annelies developed a keen interest in this area and has further trained in different therapeutic modalities (EMDR, Theraplay, DDP, Play Therapy), and completed a 12-month long, international certification course for treating complex PTSD with Bessel Van Der Kolk (2019) and an international 12-month long certification program in treating dissociative disorders in children and youth (2024, Waters and Marks). Dr Annelies again believes that medication can have a role in the treatment of (complex) PTSD, however, that therapeutic interventions and non-pharmacological strategies like attachment-based therapy (Theraplay, DDP) and individual treatment delivered in a playful way, like EMDR and dissociation treatment, are equally important for the child and family's healing and recovery. 

Age Groups:

• Children and Adolescents (0-17 yrs)

Therapeutic Approaches and Modalities:

• Theraplay - D(yadic) D(evelopmental) P(sychotherapy)
• EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing
• Play Therapy
• Collaborative Problem Solving Method
• Dissociation Work
• Mindfulness
• Assessment
• Medication Therapy