Our Healing Process:
What to Expect
At Soul Medicine VAR, we provide a supportive and transparent process for assessment and treatment. Our approach ensures you understand each step and feel confident throughout your care journey.
OUR 4 - STEP PROCESS
You will need a referral from your GP to make an appointment. If you do not have a regular GP we can signpost you to veteran friendly GP practices. Once we have received your referral, you will receive an email with your appointment times for an onboarding consultation and a psychiatrist assessment. You must confirm both appointments via the link provided in the email
If you are unable to attend the scheduled time, you can decline the appointment and will be offered the next available time slot. You will receive another email to accept the new appointment time. Please ensure you accept it to confirm.
Appointments are assigned automatically to the next available time with your assigned practitioners. If you are having any problems with the allocated times, please contact admin@soulmedicinevar.com.au
Your onboarding appointment takes around 20–40 minutes. This appointment allows you to ask in-person questions and receive instructions on completing the assessment questionnaires.
Before the Appointment
Two days (48 hours) before your onboarding appointment, you will receive an email reminder with a link to the assessment questionnaires. Do not complete these before your appointment.
During the appointment please tell your onboarding liaison about any past medical reports or investigations, for example, blood tests, electrocardiogram (ECG) reports, brain imaging reports (not images) and discuss how to send them in before your psychiatrist appointment.
After the Appointment
After your onboarding appointment, you will complete the assessment questionnaire in your own time, in the comfort of your home. This must be completed at least 7 days before your upcoming psychiatrist appointment to ensure your psychiatrist has accurate and comprehensive information to inform your assessment.
Appointments are scheduled with sufficient time between them to allow you to complete the questionnaires properly.
Your telehealth psychiatrist appointment takes around 60–90 minutes. This appointment focuses on your individual needs and allows your psychiatrist to ask questions to understand your symptoms and causes. Try to give them the best picture of your experiences and symptoms so that they can help you as much as possible
We understand that completing forms can be difficult and you may have had to fill them out before. We are sorry if you are having to repeat this but they are vitally important for your review.
If you are wanting to make DVA claims then please upload/or include any previous DVA reports too.
Before the Appointment
Two days (48 hours) before your psychiatrist appointment, you will be sent an appointment reminder with a link to an additional questionnaire. This must be completed the day before (24 hours before) your psychiatrist appointment. It is very important for your assessment. The questions in the questionnaires are similar and should be answered based on how you feel at the time of completing each questionnaire. This willallow your psychiatrist to accurately assess how you are feeling.
What and Who to Bring to the Appointment
Please bring any past medical reports or investigations to your appointment, as previously mentioned in the onboarding appointment.
You are encouraged to bring a family member, carer or support person to your appointment if this would help you feel more comfortable or supported.
After the Appointment
Where treatment is indicated, this will be discussed in detail with you , including the clinical rationale. A comprehensive assessment letter will be forwarded to the referring GP within two weeks to support continuity of care. Follow up appointments will be planned as appropriate. Where required, DVA related documentation, including compensation or reporting requirements,can also be discussed and provided.
Your follow-up telehealth psychiatrist appointments take around 60 minutes and provide an opportunity to:
- Ask questions about your assessment
- Clarify your diagnosis and treatment
- Confirm next steps in your treatment plan
- This consultation ensures you fully understand your diagnosis and treatment and feel confident moving forward with your care.
If you would like more information about our process or treatments, please contact admin@soulmedicinevar.com.au.