Specialising in mental health is a profession that is gaining popularity, and for a good reason. It's not just a financially rewarding career (most of the time); many psychiatrists in Australia find immense personal satisfaction in positively impacting people's lives.

We sat down with a psychiatrist from Melbourne to chat about the highs and lows of this career. His identity has been withheld for confidentiality reasons.

Q: You’ve been practising as a psychiatrist for 15 years now. What made you want to become a psychiatrist in the first place?

A: I have always had an interest in helping those who have mental illness. When I was studying medicine, many of my friends and colleagues wanted to specialise in professions such as oncology or dermatology. While those are much-needed professions, I wanted to move towards helping the mind heal. It is so important to have a healthy mind, and, in this day and age, far too many people, especially the young, are being diagnosed with mental disorders that can ruin their lives without the proper treatment.

Q: What are some aspects of your job that you enjoy?

A: I really enjoy working with young people, especially teenagers. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and mental health issues can be scary to deal with. Helping a young person who was struggling to get out of bed in the morning find meaning in their life again is very rewarding. I also enjoy working for myself. I started in private practice, and after ten years, I opened my one-person practice. I work from a home-clinic setting, and that suits me. I have a young family and must be around for my partner and kids. Working from home, deciding how many clients I take on and what hours I work strikes a good work/life balance.

Q: What are some aspects of your job that you don’t enjoy?

A: I see a psychologist myself, which is essential to maintain self-care when working in the mental health field. This dramatically helps, but some days, work can be heavy. Over the years, I have learnt to put a protective barrier up between myself and a client, but it can still be mentally taxing listening to people’s issues all day long. Another thing I find challenging is the stigma around mental health in Australia. We have certainly come a long way from a few decades ago, but there are still harmful and untrue perceptions out there about mental health.

Q: What does a typical day at work look like?

A: I usually see around eight patients per day. I also do telehealth consults, which can be easier for the patient. My clients range in age from teenagers to older people. Depending on whether I have seen a patient before, I review their history, assess them, and make a diagnosis. Mental health conditions range from depression and anxiety to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Sometimes, I will prescribe medication; other times, I will treat them using psychotherapy. When I am not seeing patients, there is administration to be done, and I also spend a lot of time researching current treatments and reading a lot about the industry, so I am up to date with the latest news.

Q: What is your advice for anyone who wants to become a psychiatrist?

A: Be prepared to spend many of your years studying! I think many people don’t realise that a psychiatrist studies medicine and completes a medical degree before they can even think of heading down the psychiatry route. Altogether, I spent 12 years studying before I became qualified. However, once you get there, it is a reasonably family-friendly job – depending on where you work. Also, only get into this line of work if connecting with others is essential to you. In my opinion, it is nearly impossible to help someone if you cannot foster connections.