If you are looking for a female psychiatrist in Sheikh Zayed, you aren’t alone; many women feel more comfortable when they talk about their feelings and their bodies with a woman. At Riviera Life a female psychiatrist is available who receives patients from Sheikh Zayed, 6th of October and West Giza, with the option of an online psychiatric consultation for those who find attending difficult. This article explains why some women prefer a female doctor, which topics are easier to open with her, what the first visit looks like, and how your privacy is kept.
Why do some women prefer a female psychiatrist?
It isn’t about competence, but about comfort. A woman brought up to believe some talk is “shameful” may sit in front of a male doctor and only say “I’m upset”, then leave without mentioning the real reason. With a female doctor she may find the words easier. And there are other practical reasons: a husband or father who is more reassured when the doctor is a woman, a veiled patient who wants to be at ease while talking, or a previous painful experience with a man that makes sitting in front of a strange man a source of tension in itself.
Respecting this preference is part of good treatment; a comfortable relationship between the patient and the doctor makes the patient speak honestly and commit to follow-up.
Topics that are easier to open with a female doctor
- After childbirth: sadness that won’t leave you, frightening thoughts about the baby you are ashamed to say, or a feeling that you aren’t a good mother. The details of this condition are in postpartum depression.
- Mood swings with the menstrual cycle: irritability, crying or severe sadness that recurs on specific days each month.
- The menopause stage: insomnia, anxiety and mood changes that confuse the woman and those around her, as the article on mental health and menopause explains.
- Sexual and marital problems: loss of desire, pain, or disagreements that affect the mind, topics that are often linked to anxiety and depression.
- The relationship with the body and food: worry about weight or shape that may develop into an eating disorder.
- Medicines or substances that have started to control you: a sedative or painkiller that turned into a secret daily habit, which the article on addiction in women covers.
The signs of depression specific to women are explained in depression symptoms in women, and anxiety and irritability in excessive irritability in women.
Painful experiences: a safe space to talk
Some women carry experiences of abuse or violence in childhood or within marriage, and haven’t told anyone. Their effects may appear as nightmares, constant fear, difficulty trusting, or sadness without a clear reason. The psychiatrist doesn’t pressure you to tell what you don’t want to, and doesn’t ask for details before you are ready. Her role is to listen, to help you understand what you feel, and to set a treatment plan with you. And if you are in danger now from anyone, your safety comes first: ask for help from the ambulance on 123 or from someone you trust.
Does a female doctor’s competence differ from a male doctor’s?
No. The training and specialization are the same, and the criterion is experience and the ability to listen. Choosing a female doctor is a decision about your own comfort, not because she necessarily “understands better”. And if you find your comfort with a male doctor, there is nothing wrong with that either. What matters is that embarrassment doesn’t stop you from asking for help in the first place.
What happens at the first visit?
The first visit usually takes longer than later follow-ups. The doctor asks you what is bothering you and when it started, about sleep, appetite and energy, about pregnancy, breastfeeding and your cycle, and about any medicines or other illnesses. She may ask for simple tests to rule out physical causes such as a thyroid disorder or anemia. At the end she explains to you what she understands of your condition and the available options: talking therapy, medicine, or both together. To know when you need a psychiatrist in the first place and how to prepare for the visit, see when you need a psychiatrist.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and medicines
Among the things that most worry women: can I take a psychiatric medicine while I’m pregnant or breastfeeding? The answer differs from case to case and from medicine to medicine. The doctor compares the risk of untreated illness with the risk of the medicine, and may choose psychotherapy without medicine in some cases. And the fixed rule: don’t start a medicine, stop it or change its dose except with the treating doctor.
Privacy and confidentiality
What you say in the session stays between you and the treating team, and isn’t given to your husband or family without your consent, except in cases of severe danger to your life or someone else’s. You can ask to attend the session alone even if someone came with you. And if you are afraid someone will find out about your visit, ask the team about the way of booking and contact that suits you.
Who does the clinic serve?
The hospital is in Sheikh Zayed, close to residents of 6th of October, Hadayek October and West Giza. The team explains the doctor’s appointments and how to book with her when you get in touch. And if the case needs more follow-up than the clinic, the hospital also provides half-residency and full residence in a separate psychiatric wing with private rooms.
If attending is difficult: online consultation
A mother with a baby, a woman living in another governorate or outside Egypt, or someone who doesn’t want anyone to see her entering a psychiatric clinic: for these, the psychiatric consultation can start remotely, and the team explains when booking whether the female doctor’s own appointment is available online. What works in it and what doesn’t is explained in online psychiatrist consultation.
When shouldn’t you wait for an appointment?
If thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life come to you, or hallucinations or confused speech appear in a woman after childbirth, this is an emergency. Call an ambulance on 123 or the mental health hotline 08008880700, or go to the nearest emergency department. Help is available, and these conditions improve with treatment.
Book your first consultation
The first consultation at Riviera Life is free and completely confidential, you can ask for it to be with the female doctor, and the team will explain the available appointments to you. Riviera Life is a hospital for psychiatry and addiction treatment, licensed by the Ministry of Health, with fourteen years of experience, located in Sheikh Zayed, Giza. Contact the team on +201507999722 to find out the appointments available in person or online.
More from the mental health guide
- When you need a psychiatrist
- Depression symptoms in women
- Postpartum depression
- Online psychiatrist consultation
Questions many people ask
Yes, a female psychiatrist is available who receives patients from Sheikh Zayed, 6th of October and West Giza, and the team explains her appointments when you get in touch.
Yes, you have the right to talk with the doctor privately, and your information isn't given to anyone without your consent, except when there is a severe danger to your life or someone else's.
The decision is individual, in which the doctor compares the risk of the illness with the risk of the medicine, and psychotherapy without medicine may be enough in some cases.
The specialization and training are the same, and choosing a female doctor is a decision about your own comfort that helps you speak frankly.
Yes, the first consultation at Riviera Life is free and confidential, and you can ask for it to be with the female doctor.
