Athelas Psychiatry

Dr Megan Richardson is a qualified Consultant Psychiatrist and Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) who holds subspecialist qualifications in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr Richardson graduated from the University of Queensland in 2010 and has worked exclusively in private psychiatric practice since 2019.

 

She provides specialist care for children, adolescents, and adults, and is experienced in treating patients across the lifespan.

Her clinical focus includes autism, ADHD, anxiety disorders, OCD, adjustment-related conditions, and complex trauma. She is particularly interested in late-recognised neurodivergence, where identity formation, relational trauma, and masking are often central themes. While she is experienced in treating ADHD, she primarily focuses on complex presentations.

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She offers psychiatric assessment, diagnostic clarification, collaborative care planning, and therapeutic support where clinically indicated. Her approach is affirming, strengths-based, and centred on patient autonomy, with a strong commitment to understanding the person beyond their diagnosis.

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Clinical Approach

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Dr Richardson takes a biopsychosocial and developmentally informed approach to care. She is experienced in the multi-dimensional assessment of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, and tailors her treatment plans to suit each individual’s stage of life and goals.

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Treatment may include:

• Medication initiation, adjustment, or deprescribing

• Therapeutic approaches such as IFS, Schema Therapy, and ACT

• Parent-involved or family-based support

• Collaboration with schools, allied health, and community services

While prescribing is within her scope, Dr Richardson’s focus is on multi-modal care that integrates medical, psychological, and social supports.

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Training & Professional Development

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Dr Richardson has completed extensive training to support her work with neurodivergent individuals and those with complex developmental or trauma-related histories:

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) – Level 1 completed; ongoing training and supervision

• Schema Therapy – for both adolescents and adults

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Circle of Security – Facilitator training

• Autism Assessment – trained in ADOS-2 and MIGDAS-2 (with a preference for the collaborative MIGDAS-2 approach)

She receives regular psychotherapy supervision and provides clinical supervision to medical colleagues working with complex and neurodivergent presentations.

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Scope of Practice

Dr Richardson’s practice is outpatient and non-admitting, and she does not provide medico-legal assessments. When inpatient care or higher-intensity services are required, she supports coordinated transitions to appropriate providers and facilities and is able to arrange inpatient admissions when needed.

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She values continuity and collaboration and works closely with GPs, allied health clinicians, schools, and inpatient teams to ensure consistent and comprehensive care across settings.