PERRI CARLSON-HAWKE
clinical psychologist
My unique, holistic approach integrates traditional psychological therapies with metabolic health strategies. I use evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT), integrating mindfulness and dialectical therapy-based interventions, interpersonal psychotherapy, prolonged imaginal exposure therapy, and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). I am an eating disorder credentialed clinician, trained in the Maudsley model for anorexia nervosa treatment for adults (MANTRA) and family-based therapy (Maudsley model).
I am a board-approved clinical psychologist and supervisor. I am registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Psychology Board of Australia. I am also a member of the Australian Psychological Society, Australian & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders and Fellow of the College of Clinical Psychologists.
Perri
Transform Your Life
Prioritising your mental health can lead to transformative change. Talking to a psychologist doesn't mean something's wrong with you. It's about improving your life with specialist help.
Professional Services
Online Therapy
Individualised, effective therapy with a clinical psychologist
Metabolic Psychology
A metabolic approach to the treatment of anxiety and mood disorders
Online CBT-e
12-week online CBT-e treatment for binge eating
Online Therapy
As an experienced clinical psychologist, you can expect me to provide you with a professional, confidential, and compassionate environment tailored to your unique needs. Our sessions provide a convenient and flexible way to receive support, allowing you to engage in therapy from the comfort of your home or any private space. This ensures that you can easily fit therapy into your schedule without the added stress of travel or logistical concerns.
My aim is to create a collaborative and empowering therapeutic relationship, helping you navigate challenges and improve your quality of life. Together, we will explore your thoughts and feelings, develop effective strategies, and foster resilience, all within a safe and supportive virtual setting.
Metabolic Psychology
Unlocking the Power of Metabolic Health for Mental Wellness
Metabolic psychology is an emerging field that explores the connection between metabolism and mental health. It emphasises the impact of metabolism on brain function and mood, highlighting how interventions including nutrition, sleep and exercise can influence mental health and potentially play a role in preventing and improving mental health disorders.
An increasing number of psychiatrists, psychologists and medical professionals are recognising that inflammation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial may be important root causes of many chronic brain illnesses, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, binge eating, bipolar and schizophrenia. By improving metabolic and mitochondrial health, we can enhance the effectiveness of traditional therapeutic approaches and offer new pathways to healing.
Integrating Metabolic Health into Mental Health Treatment
At my practice, I integrate metabolic health strategies, such as a therapeutic ketogenic diet, with evidence-based psychological therapies to provide a holistic approach to mental health treatment.
This integration aims to address both the mind and body, promoting comprehensive healing and wellbeing.
I conduct thorough assessments to understand your unique metabolic profile and mental health needs.
Based on your assessment, I create tailored treatment plans that may include dietary interventions, such as a therapeutic ketogenic diet, alongside more traditional therapies like CBT, mindfulness, and MANTRA. I work with your healthcare team, dietitians, GP’s and specialist physicians.
I offer regular support and monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of your treatment plan, making adjustments as needed to help you achieve optimal results.
Ready to take the first step towards better mental and physical health?
Schedule your telehealth appointment today here and experience the benefits of my integrated approach to mental health. With Medicare rebates available, expert care is more accessible than ever.
Understanding Metabolic Health
Metabolic health refers to how well your body processes and uses energy. Factors such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body weight play crucial roles in your metabolic state. When these factors are out of balance, they can contribute to various physical and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
Improving brain energy typically includes exploring how nutrition impacts the brain, with a specific focus on minimising sugar, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates to elevate both mental and physical wellbeing. The journey toward enhanced metabolic and mental health, tailored to individual needs, may involve strategies like personalised nutritional guidance, medication management, and psychotherapy.
Click here for more resources on metabolic therapies in mental health.
Therapeutic Keto Diet
A therapeutic ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that shifts the body’s primary energy source from glucose to ketones, a process known as ketosis. This dietary approach has been shown to have numerous benefits for brain health and mental wellbeing, including:
Reducing Inflammation
Ketones have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in the brain, which is often linked to depression and other mental health disorders.
Regulating Neurotransmitters
The ketogenic diet can help balance neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which play key roles in mood regulation and mental health.
Stabilising Blood Sugar Levels
By reducing carbohydrate intake, the ketogenic diet helps stabilise blood sugar levels, which can alleviate mood swings and anxiety.
Enhancing Brain Function
Ketones provide a more efficient and steady energy source for the brain, improving cognitive function, clarity, and focus.
Ketogenic Diet for Mental Wellness
Understanding the Ketogenic Diet for Mental Wellness
Imagine your brain as a high-performance car. Usually, it runs on regular gasoline (carbs), which leaves behind a lot of soot and gunk, clogging up the engine over time and causing problems. Switching to a ketogenic diet is like switching to a cleaner-burning fuel (fat). This new fuel burns more efficiently, producing fewer waste products (advanced glycation end products). As a result, the engine (your brain) stays cleaner, runs smoother, and performs optimally. The ketogenic diet is the premium fuel that keeps your brain at its best.
How the Keto Diet Helps the Brain?
For your car to run smoothly, it needs a steady power supply. Ketones, produced by the liver when you're on a keto diet, provide this steady energy. This helps your brain work better, leading to clearer thinking and improved mood.
Keto Diet and Epilepsy
For people with epilepsy, the keto diet can be a lifesaver. Imagine your brain's electrical system is like a city's power grid. In epilepsy, there are frequent power surges (seizures). The keto diet helps stabilise the brain's electrical activity, reducing these surges and making the brain function more smoothly.
Epilepsy and Psychiatric Disorders: A Shared Link
Both epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, like depression and anxiety, involve problems with brain signalling. A therapeutic keto diet helps by providing a consistent energy source, allowing the brain to conduct electrical signals smoothly and efficiently.
Beyond Epilepsy: Other Brain Conditions
Researchers are now exploring how a therapeutic keto diet might help with other brain conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Biochemical Targets in Psychiatric Disorders
Psychiatric conditions involve imbalances in brain chemicals, inflammation and energy disruption. The keto diet can help address these issues by balancing neurotransmitter activity (brain chemicals), reducing inflammation, and improving energy production, much like a comprehensive maintenance check-up for a car.
High Blood Sugar and Mental Health
High blood sugar is toxic to cells and can disrupt brain function. A keto diet is low in carbohydrates, helping to regulate blood sugar levels, preventing these disruptions.
Role of the Keto Diet in Correcting Imbalances
The keto diet acts like a multi-tool, addressing several brain health issues at once. It balances neurotransmitters, reduces inflammation, supports energy production, improves glucose metabolism, and enhances brain flexibility, much like a tool that can fix various parts of a machine.
Insulin Resistance and Psychiatric Conditions
Insulin resistance, when the body doesn’t respond well to insulin, affects brain health too. It’s like having a faulty fuel pump that affects the whole car’s performance. The keto diet helps improve this condition, supporting better brain function.
Ketogenic Diet and Specific Psychiatric Conditions
Case studies have shown the keto diet can help with conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, OCD and autism.
Start Your Journey Today
Discover how metabolic health and the therapeutic ketogenic diet can transform your mental wellness. Contact me to learn more about my innovative approach and schedule your telehealth appointment. Together, we can pave the way to a healthier, happier you.
Click here for more resources on metabolic therapies in mental health.
Fees & Rebates
Therapy sessions cost $250 and you can access a Medicare rebate of $141.85 if you have an eligible Mental Health Care Plan or Eating Disorder Plan from your GP.
I also accept all major private health insurance providers in Australia. Your private fund rebate will depend on your coverage, and you may be eligible to claim full cover. Ask your private health insurer for more details. No GP referral required.
Access Medicare rebate
Work with Me
Originally from Queensland, I moved to Orange, NSW in 2012 where I completed my Honours in Psychology at Charles Sturt University. I went on to study Coaching Psychology at the University of Sydney before obtaining my MPsych(Clinical) in 2016.
I am a board-approved clinical psychologist and supervisor. I am registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Psychology Board of Australia. I am also a member of the Australian Psychological Society, Australian & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders and Fellow of the College of Clinical Psychologists.
Discover how metabolic health and the therapeutic ketogenic diet can transform your mental wellness. Contact me to learn more about my innovative approach and schedule your telehealth appointment. Together, we can pave the way to a healthier, happier you.
Metabolic Psychology Resources
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Mailing Address
Central West Neurology & Neurosurgery
93 Byng St, ORANGE NSW, 2800
AUSTRALIA
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