About
Dr Venkatachalam is a consultant psychiatrist specialising in child and adolescent mental health. She has over 20 years’ worth of experience in psychiatry and over 15 years working with children and their families. Her areas of expertise include mood and anxiety disorders, attachment and behavioural disorders, emerging personality disorders, tic disorder, psychosomatic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep and eating disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.
Dr Venkatachalam has extensive experience working in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). She has both clinical and management experience in areas of community-based CAMHS, specialist schools and Tier 4 CAMHS inpatient services. Dr Venkatachalam has had training in a range of psychological approaches, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), systemic family therapy, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), psychodynamic interpersonal therapy and solution focused therapy (SFT).
Dr Venkatachalam works with healthcare professionals from various disciplines, including psychologists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, family therapists, paediatricians, GPs, nutritionists and primary mental health teams. She also jointly works with education and social care. This allows for personalised treatment, which is responsive to the client’s formulation and needs.
In her previous leadership role as the named safeguarding doctor, Dr Venkatachalam has played a pivotal part working with multiagency, fulfilling the responsibilities of safeguarding children and young people.
Dr Venkatachalam is a NHS consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Midlands and works with a range of multiagency professionals in the area to provide co-ordinated care and treatment.
Dr Venkatachalam graduated from the Madras Medical College in 1999 with her degree in medicine and obtained her membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) in 2008. In addition to her specialist training in child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr Venkatachalam holds a diploma in psychological medicine, Cardiff University (2007) and a diploma in psychiatry from Madras Medical College (2004). Dr Venkatachalam is a trained systemic family therapy practitioner. She is also trained in 3Di and ADOS autism assessments and ADHD assessments.
Dr Venkatachalam is an approved clinician under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act.
Mental health problems affect around one in six children. Dr Venkatachalam is passionate in helping children overcome mental health difficulties. Dr Venkatachalam emphasises working as a team with parents in providing targeted support and treatment to children and young people, developing their resilience and preparing for adulthood.
Position at Priory
Visiting Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Training
On Specialist Register-CCT in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Consultant since 2012
3di accredited in autism
Trained in being an RCPsych mentor