Doctors In Practice

We have a number of qualified specialists in our clinic. Who provide detailed assessment, diagnosis, expert opinion and management of a wide variety of psychiatric conditions. We have neurologists who conducts nerve conduction and EMG studies.

Our Specialty Doctors

Dr Manoj Kumar
MBBS, MD, FRANZCP



Director, Empathy Health Care.
Dr Manoj Kumar is a highly qualified consultant psychiatrist, with extensive experience in the field of psychiatry. He is guided by the mission to provide high quality health care and established Empathy Health Care in 2011. He graduated MBBS in 1996, completed post graduate specialist training in psychiatry in 2001.He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and has advanced training in cognitive behavioural therapy. He has worked in a number of different mental health services in Victoria and overseas. Currently, he holds the position of lead consultant psychiatrist in the emergency department and consultation liaison services of Werribee Mercy Hospital. He is also an adjunct lecturer at the University of Notre Dame, involved in medical student teaching. He is also an accredited supervisor for the Royal College of Psychiatrists,supervising psychiatric trainees. He has strong interest in academic psychiatry and research, constantly updating his knowledge and skill in psychiatry. Dr Kumar is highly experienced in assessment and management of general adult psychiatric patients with a range of psychiatric conditions , including depression, bipolar affective disorder, various anxiety disorders, panic disorder, PTSD, social phobia, personality disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia and psychiatric conditions with coexisting medical conditions. He is very well experienced in managing patients using medications and psychotherapeutic interventions.

Dr. Anindya Banerjee
MBBS, MD, FRANZCP



Consultant Psychiatrist.
Dr Anindya Banerjee is a consultant psychiatrist. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from University of Calcutta (India), MD (psychiatry) from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and research, Chandigarh (India) and Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP). He qualified as a psychiatrist in 2005. Having initially trained and qualified as a psychiatrist in a premier institute in Chandigarh, (India) , Dr Banerjee has been working in the field of mental health since 2003 . He has expertise in clinical psychiatry with interest in general adult psychiatry, and substance use disorders, particularly anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorders and psychiatric disorders associated with medical illness. Apart from his work in clinical psychiatry, Dr Banerjee has a keen interest in academic psychiatry, with several research publications in international journals on depression, psychiatry in medically ill, schizophrenia and substance use disorders. He also has co-authored four book chapters and has presented papers in numerous scientific conferences.

Dr. Indika Jayathilake
MBBS, MD, FRANZCP



Consultant Psychiatrist.
She is a Fellow of the The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and had undergone post graduate psychiatric training from Srilanka and in addition to that from the major hospitals in Melbourne, Australia.
She currently holds the post of Consultant psychiatrist at the inpatient Unit of Werribee Mercy Mental Health. Her interests are in General Adult Psychiatric issues, Depression and Mood disorders, Schizophrenia and psychosis, Personality disorders Work cover. She has special interest in Women’s Mental Health issues and is planning research in the field.
She is actively involved in teaching of psychiatry trainees /medical students at Werribee Mercy Hospital and has published and presented articles related to Antipsychotic medications and Clozapine .

Dr. Arun Palayat
MBBS, MD, FRANZCP



Consultant Psychiatrist.
Dr Palayat is a Fellow of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and has worked in mental health since 2005. He is currently working as a consultant psychiatrist at Mercy Mental Health, Werribee and works at Wyndham clinic Private Hospital in the same role. He has vast experience in the field of psychiatry in India and Australia. He worked as an associate professor in psychiatry in India and has also published research articles in leading journals of psychiatry. His main areas of interests are general adult psychiatry, mood disorders including depression, Bipolar affective disorder, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, women’s mental health, organic mental illness and ADHD. He considers both psychosocial and medical interventions in his management plans with an ethical, recovery-oriented approach to patient care.

Chhavi Khanna
Clinical Psychologist, MAPS, MNZCCP



Chhavi is a registered senior clinical psychologist with over 15 years of clinical experience working with people with a broad range of concerns.
She completed her Post Graduate qualifications in Clinical Psychology from NIMHANS, India in 2007 and practiced at a reputed private hospital in Mumbai for about five years.
She moved to New Zealand in 2013 and was with the Mental Health for Older Persons and Memory Service team, Waikato DHB, for seven years. Chhavi was also running her own private practice in Hamilton, NZ from for about five years, focusing primarily on providing therapy to victims of trauma, primary health care clients (GP referrals) and army veterans.
Her experience allows her to work with range of complex clinical presentations, across all age groups and with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
She is able to provide therapy for a wide range of difficulties, including:

  • Anxiety (panic, generalised anxiety, phobias and Obsessive compulsive disorder)
  • Chronic or treatment resistant Depression
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and complex trauma
  • Low self-esteem, low self-confidence, assertiveness
  • Relationship problems and challenging personality issues
  • Unresolved childhood issues
  • Loss and Grief
  • Adjustment to life stages (retirement, relocation, mid-life)
  • Stress Management (for workplace, financial, caregiving, parenting related stressors)
  • Anger issues
  • Sleep problems

Chhavi uses an integrated approach of intervention drawing upon her training and knowledge of various established and evidence based therapies like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Schema Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and existential approaches.
Chhavi's therapeutic style is respectful, flexible, collaborative, and warm and she is committed to achieving the best outcomes for her clients. She is fluent in Hindi and English.

Dr. Sujith Ayyappan
MBBS, MD, MRCP, FRACP



Consultant Neurolist and Clinical Neurophysiologist.
He is a Consultant Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist at Geelong University Hospital, visiting Clinical
Neurophysiologist at Western Health, Sunshine Hospital and a Senior Clinical Lecturer in the School of Medicine, Deakin University. He is a Fellowof the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Member of the Royal Collegeof Physicians of the United Kingdom.
Dr Ayyappan completed his neurologyadvanced training from the Geelong University Hospital and Monash MedicalCentre, and specialised in Clinical Neurophysiology from the Royal MelbourneHospital. He offers nerve conduction and electromyography (EMG) services at Emapthy health for a wide variety of neurologicaldisorders including carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, focalneuropathies, radiculopathies, motor neurone disease and myopathies, and specialised repetitive nerve stimulation and single fibre EMG studies forneuromuscular junction disorders such as myasthenia gravis.

Dr. Nyan Lynn
MBBS, FRACP



Consultant Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist.
Dr Lynn is a Consultant Neurologist who holds public hospital consultant position at The Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne and is a visiting Consultant Physician at the University Hospital, Geelong. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and member of Australia and New Zealand Association of Neurologists and American Association of Neuromuscular & Electro diagnostic Medicine.
He undertook his neurology training at the University Hospital, Geelong and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, with a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne.
He has a special interest and expertise in neuromuscular conditions, particularly peripheral neuropathies and myasthenia gravis. In addition to his private practice in Essendon and public hospital work, he is offering routine nerve conduction studies and electromyography (EMG) as well as specialized repetitive nerve stimulation and single fiber EMG studies for neuromuscular junction disorders (e.g. myasthenia gravis) at Empathy Health Care in Werribee.

Angela Chalmers
CMHN,MACMHN, Grad Dip Counselling,Dip Hlth Science



Psychiatric Nursing.
Angela is a credential Mental Health Nurse with over 20 years of experience in mental health. Angela is the co-author of a published article on the use of sensory modulation in mental health. She has considerable experience in running groups and has an interest in working with people with anxiety related disorders using CBT approach.