Consultant Psychiatrist/ Co-Founder

Dr Neeraj Sareen

Dr Sareen is a Consultant Psychiatrist and fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK. Dr Sareen has over 19 years of experience in delivering high-quality clinical care to his patients. He is passionate about providing mental health treatment in a timely manner and make it accessible to all. Dr Sareen trained in UK and gained expertise in a variety of sub-speciality areas of psychiatry. He trained as adult Psychiatrist and gained advanced training certificate in the field of Aged Psychiatry. Dr Sareen moved to Australia in 2012 and has since dedicated his efforts to improving quality of mental health care services across South-East Melbourne. Dr Sareen previously worked as the Head of Community Psychiatry for Alfred Addiction and Mental Health. He was the Unit Head of Adult Mental Health Services at Casey Hospital from 2017-2020. He considers himself as an expert who walks alongside his patients in their journey to recovery. Dr Sareen works with the patient and their family network to deliver on outcomes that his patients value. His passion for clinical leadership, caring and holistic approach extends to not only the patients he treats directly but also to the clinical services that he is responsible for. In working with Dr Sareen you can expect an open and comprehensive dialogue about your challenges and concerns. You can expect to have an engaging and inclusive conversation about care, support and treatment options.

Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Bharat Saluja

Dr Saluja is an experienced senior consultant psychiatrist with a passion for providing excellent care to his patients. He is an empathetic doctor who takes pride in providing recovery and evidence-based practice both in public and private practice. He is the Unit Head for Young Persons Mental Health Service and Acute Inpatient Unit for Monash Health and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Monash University. He has won several academic and clinical excellence awards. Over the last 20 years, Bharat has worked as a consultant Psychiatrist in Australia, Singapore, UK, and India. Bharat works with people of different ethnicities and cultures in diverse settings that include community, In-patient, Teaching hospitals, Rural and Forensic settings. In addition to his clinical and academic role, he is a researcher and has over 50 publications in various peer reviewed journals. Bharat utilizes his acquired knowledge, experience, and skills and works collaboratively with patients and their families to achieve the best outcome. He has devoted his life to serving community, teaching, and mastering the art of people relations.He helps people who are struggling to get a grip on their negative emotions and thoughts and desperately looking for support and guidance as they recover. His areas of special interest include ADHD in Adults , Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia. He provides cognitive behaviour therapy to his patients with Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders and OCD in addition to pharmacotherapy.

Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Umesh Babu

Dr Umesh Babu is trained in Psychiatry with sub-specialty experience in Developmental Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry. His initial training was at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), a centre of excellence in mind & brain sciences in India. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists since 2002 and has worked in senior consultant position in teaching hospitals for the past two decades. Dr Babu’s supportive and collaborative approach to assessment and treatment involves the person, their family & care givers in coming to a shared understanding of the presenting health problem and to arrive at a tailored treatment plan. Apart from managing general adult psychiatry conditions,Dr Babu has particular interest in managing psychiatric conditions associated with organic brain disorders presenting with symptoms of psychosis, depression and anxiety, often resistant to standard treatment. He has extensive experience in assessing and managing neuropsychiatric conditions in youth, adults and the aged. Assessment and management of emotional, behavioural and cognitive disturbances associated with neurological and other medical conditions including traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, hydrocephalus (NPH), Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Disease. Young onset dementia, non-epileptic seizure disorders and movement disorders. Intellectual disability, autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions commonly observed in childhood, can continue to significantly impact behaviour, disturb emotional and social functioning in adulthood. Adults experiencing this would benefit from the experience he brings from his years as a senior staff on Disability Assessment Services at St George’s Hospital, Sydney where he applied his neuropsychiatric expertise in managing complex neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and intellectual disability. He has special interest in managing adults with ADHD and co-existing anxiety, OCD, Tourette’s syndrome and tic disorders. He was Senior Staff Specialist in Neuropsychiatry Services at Newcastle, NSW for 12 years before moving to Melbourne in 2018. He was founding member of Neuropsychiatry Advanced Training program at this Service. This unique and highly specialized clinical service was awarded the Clinical Team of the Year in the Hunter and New England Health District.

Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Laurene Goh

Dr Laurene Goh is a psychiatrist with expertise in the mental health of older people, including mood, anxiety, psychotic and cognitive disorders. Laurene received her medical degree from Monash University Malaysia before moving to Melbourne, Australia for her internship. She completed psychiatry training in Melbourne and earned a subspeciality certification in Psychiatry of Old Age, alongside a Master of Psychiatry from The University of Melbourne. She is a Fellow of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and currently holds a public appointment with the Aged Persons Mental Health Service at Kingston Centre. Laurene is passionate about improving the wellbeing of older people through high quality, collaborative and patient-centred care. She has published in several peer-reviewed medical journals and has an interest in medical education and teaching. Professional qualifications and affiliations: MBBS (Hons), MP (Melb), FRANZCP, Cert. Psychiatry of Old Age.

Clinical Psychologist & Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist

Malika Verma

Malika Verma is trained in the British psychoanalytic tradition from the renowned Tavistock Clinic in London. She completed her professional training in Clinical Psychology from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), India in 2001. Subsequently she went on to work in the NHS in London, UK and then co-founded Tara Clinic in Kerala, India. Malika has over two decades of experience in the field. She is currently in private practice in Melbourne, Australia. Malika offers consultations and longer term psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families. This modality is useful for those going through difficulties in their personal life or relationships providing an opportunity to look beyond the presenting problems at the underlying forces shaping our emotions and behaviour. She is actively involved in teaching and training psychologists and psychotherapists in psychoanalytic approaches to therapy and conducts a number of supervision groups and seminars.

Counsellor/ Mental Health Clinician

Hugo Fernandez

Hugo is a warm and approachable counsellor with more than ten yearsof experience providing a safe and supportive therapeuticspace for his clients. Hugo completed his training in psychology at Universidad Austral de Chile in 2009 and arrived in Australia in 2016 through the skilled migration program, as a psychotherapist. Hugo is an Associate Member of the Australian Psychological Society and a Level 3 Member of the Australian Counselling Association. Hugo has worked in the private and public sectors providing counselling in a wide array of settings including primary health care, occupational health, child protection, NDIS, crisis services and perinatal mental health. Hugo is passionate about people and their individual stories and acknowledges the uniqueness of each personal experience by tailoring specifically to his client’s needs. Hugo has a special interest in CBT-based psychotherapeutic approaches, depression and anxiety, trauma-informed care and perinatal mental health.

Mental Health Clinician/ TMS Clinician

Katherine Lee

Katherine is working as a Mental Health Clinican/ Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) clinician at the MPC. She is registered as a Provisional Psychologist and recently completed her postgraduate studies, she now supports patients through their mental health journeys at the MPC. Katherine is a warm, empathetic, and honest clinician who aims to create a safe, judgement-free environment in which patients can speak openly about their experiences. As part of an interdisciplinary team, Katherine assesses patients at intake and monitors their response to treatment. As a TMS Clinician, she is training in administering this non-invasive therapeutic technique to patients under the supervision of the principal psychiatrist. She uses evidence-based, humanistic, person-centred approaches to help her clients through life’s challenges.

Mental Health Nurse/ TMS Clinician

Annette Woods

Annette is a Registered Mental Health Nurse. She has earned her qualification in Dublin, Ireland. She has a special interest in Neurostimulation, and has worked in this field for 18 years. Annette has worked in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and has played a large role with one of many Clinical trails from 2004. At The Melbourne Psychiatry Centre, Annette’s role is to deliver rTMS treatments to clients whilst offering guidance and support along their journey.

Mental Health Clinician

Emma Bourke

Emma is a Mental Health Clinician at the MPC. Emma is a qualified Counsellor and a Member of the Australian Counselling Association. Emma previously worked as a Patient Coordinator at the MPC where she supported patients to navigate their journey through the mental healthcare system. Emma also holds a Bachelor of Law (First Class Honours) and Arts (Psychology) from Monash University and is undertaking postgraduate study to become a qualified Clinical Psychologist. Emma’s therapeutic style is warm, compassionate and person-centered. She has a particular interest in working with adolescents and helping them with issues such as anxiety, social skills, relationships, academic stress, body image and self esteem issues. Emma adopts a holistic approach to counselling and has a growing interest in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-based Therapies.

Psychologist

Nisha Sharma

Co-founder/ Practice Manager

Aparana Sareen

Aparana is the Co-founder and practice manager of the MPC. She is a member of the AAPM. Having completed her Masters in Business Administration from Heriot Watt University, UK she has worked in the marketing, banking and finance sectors. Aparana is extremely passionate about providing a high-quality experience for patients at the MPC. She makes sure that the facility is run smoothly and she oversees multiple aspects of practice administration, business development and compliance. Aparana considers herself extremely fortunate to be working in a team that embodies values of respect, care and joy. Her goal is to look after the needs of the patients as well as the team who care for them.

Medical Secretary

Alexandra Harkins

Alexandra is working as a Medical Secretary for The Melbourne Psychiatry Centre. She has over 7 years experience in the Medical Industry and has worked in a variety of different settings from general practice to hospital administration and allied health. Alex is extremely passionate about client care and she strives to create a safe and caring environment for all patients who attend the MPC.

Patient Journey Coordinator

Aparna Lal

Aparna Lal is a Patient Journey Coordinator for The Melbourne Psychiatry Centre. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and a Master’s degree in Electronic Science from Pune University, India. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in IT from Monash University Melbourne. Aparna works closely with MPC team to help patients navigate their journey to mental health care system. Aparna is committed to ensure our clinic services are a simple, comfortable and worry-free experience for patients and their families.

Medical Receptionist

Kristie Viney

Kristie, who currently serves as a Medical Receptionist at The Melbourne Psychiatry Centre, blends her passion for psychology with an undergraduate degree in Management from Deakin University. She is actively pursuing a graduate diploma in psychology at Swinburne University. Her objective is to provide reliable and compassionate administrative support, creating a welcoming atmosphere for clients while efficiently overseeing clinic operations.