A Guide for
Everyone
The Ramsay Way 2018 | 02 11
HOSPITAL NEWS
The Hollywood Clinic has introduced the first
mental health program in Western Australia
specific to binge eating.
The Clinic’s Therapy Programs Manager, Ian Goh, said
“Our Binge Eating Program focuses on recovery and
helps participants to develop the knowledge and skills to
overcome unhelpful eating behaviours and mindsets.”
“In addition, we educate individuals about the importance
of eating regular meals and a wide variety of foods, and
help them to identify emotional triggers and how the
disorder developed.”
Binge eating disorder is characterised by regular
episodes of eating more rapidly than normal, eating until
feeling uncomfortably full and eating large amounts of
food when not feeling physically hungry. Individuals with
the condition often also eat alone due to embarrassment
about how much they are consuming and feel unhappy
about themselves, depressed or guilty after overeating.
Mr Goh added, “We’re incredibly proud to be the first and
only medical facility in the State to offer a binge eating
program. Binge eating disorder is more common than
people realise and it’s important that people with the
condition can access treatment specific to their needs.”
The program comprises an eight day inpatient
component to regulate eating patterns, followed by eight
weeks of outpatient therapy up to two days per week
before discharge.
Care and support is delivered in a non-judgemental
environment by a multi-disciplinary team which includes a
dietitian, psychologist and psychiatrist.
The program will build upon The Hollywood Clinic’s
comprehensive range of treatment programs specific to
eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia
nervosa. In 2017, The Hollywood Clinic celebrated 20
years of providing eating disorder programs to the
community.
The Hollywood Clinic has received a Special
Achievement Award from the WA Eating
Disorder Outreach and Consultation Service
(WAEDOCS).
The Clinic was recognised for its distinguished
contribution to the eating disorders community through
the provision of excellent treatment.
Commenting on the award, WAEDOCS Acting Director, Dr
Anthea Fursland, said “We want to recognise the ongoing
excellence of the Clinic’s Eating Disorder Day Program and
its role in the recovery of people with eating disorders.”
“There are only a few specialist services and the Clinic has
consistently striven to raise the bar and be responsive to
the needs of patients.”
Director of Clinical Services, Karen Gullick, added “It is
very special to be recognised by such a highly respected
organisation within the eating disorder and mental health
communities.”
“The Clinic has a long history of providing eating
disorder programs to the community and this
achievement is testament to the high quality care and
support provided to our patients and their families.”
The Clinic’s Eating Disorder Day Program focuses
on recovery and helps participants to develop the
knowledge and skills to overcome unhelpful eating
behaviours and mindsets.
The Hollywood Clinic
recognised for Eating
Disorder Day Program
Members of The Hollywood Clinic’s Binge Eating Program team
Members of The Hollywood Clinic’s
Eating Disorder Day Program team
What is gender dysphoria? How does
it affect people? What do terms like
intersex, cisgender and transsexualism
mean? Dr Fintan Harte, Psychiatrist
at Albert Road Clinic, and Mr Andrew
Ives, Plastic Surgeon at Masada Private
Hospital, are contributors to a new
book ‘TRANS Exploring Gender Identity
and Gender Dysphoria – a guide for
everyone (including professionals)’.
TRANS is a book written for everyone –
insightful enough for health professionals, but
accessible enough for all. Put simply, TRANS
explains what gender dysphoria is, how it affects
people, and what is available, medically and
psychotherapeutically to support people with
gender dysphoria.
Dr Harte says “the book differs from some
previous publications in emphasising that
gender transition including surgery may not
be the appropriate treatment for all persons
presenting with gender dysphoria. The
importance of psychotherapy is emphasised
throughout the book.” He further explains
“Prevalence of gender dysphoria is increasing
worldwide and there is a huge need for
a book that explains gender dysphoria in
understandable terms for the layperson but
also explains complex medical treatments and
surgical procedures useful to both the layperson
and professionals alike. Consequently, the book
as the title suggests is a ‘guide for everyone’.”
TRANS is a collection of essays written
by Australian and UK doctors, surgeons,
researchers and trans community members and
offers an easy-to-read, jargon-free guide to the
psychology and the everyday reality of gender
dysphoria, transvestism, gender reassignment
and being trans. TRANS even addresses ‘the
difficult questions like ‘What do we tell the
children?’ and ‘What happens when you change
your sex, then change your mind?’
“Limited surgical services exist in the public
sector in Australia and Ramsay Health Care has
been a leader in providing surgical services in
the private sector” says Dr Harte.
Dr Harte has worked in the field for over 20
years and is currently president of ANZPATH
(Australian and New Zealand Professional
Association for Transgender Health). Mr Ives
also serves on the executive of ANZPATH and
has worked in the field for nearly 10 years.
Dr Harte and Mr Ives are both recognised as
international experts in the field.
Western Australia’s first
Binge Eating Program