Services
Dr Portia offers a range of medical services, including Gender Affirming care, Weight Neutral care, and general whole-person medical care. Scroll down for more information…
Gender Affirming Care
FAQs
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Gender Affirming Care, put simply, is medical care that supports and affirms an individual’s gender identity. This includes the provision of general medical care, as well as the provision of specific treatments to assist a person to medically and/or surgically transition - if that is the right choice for them.
Gender affirmation looks different to everybody, and every individual’s journey takes its own unique path, in its own unique timeframe. There is no “one right way” to be trans.
For some people, hormone therapies are an essential part of their journey - in the short or long term. For others, hormones are not needed, but other treatments can be very helpful. Dr Portia’s approach to gender affirming care is person-centred, and prioritises the autonomy, safety, and wellbeing of you - her patient.
Dr Portia believes that all people should have access to medical care that is inclusive, respectful of their autonomy, and targeted to their unique needs. She aims to provide this care in an environment that feels safe and inclusive for all her patients.
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Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy (or GAHT) refers to the prescribing of specific hormone medications to help a trans or gender diverse person to feel like their body better represents the gender they identify as. Typically, these treatments involve taking either Oestrogen or Testosterone therapy, sometimes along with other medications to help block the body’s innate production of sex hormones.
There are some other treatments that can come under the banner of “hormone therapies” that may be used in specific circumstances, such as puberty blocking medications, and Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators.
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Outside of hormone therapies, other treatments that some people may choose to access can include certain surgeries (for example, Top surgeries and Bottom surgeries), certain cosmetic procedures (for example, hair removal, hair transplants, cosmetic injections, etc.), and treatments that can help address specific physical or aesthetic concerns (for example, menstruation, body shape, hair growth or loss, etc.).
Many people on a journey of gender transition can also benefit from the support of additional clinicians such as speech therapists, psychologists, dermatologists, endocrinologists, aesthetic clinicians, and more.
Dr Portia can assist you in finding the right supports for you, and in any referrals that you may need.
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Dr Portia prescribes Gender Affirming Hormone Therapies under the Informed Consent Model of Care.
She prescribes oestrogen therapies in a range of different formulations (oral, transdermal, and sub-cutaneous implants), anti-androgen medications, and testosterone therapy in a range of different formulations (transdermal and injectable).
If you require a more specialised type of hormone therapy, Dr Portia can assist you to link in with an endocrinologist or another appropriate non-GP specialist to support you with this, and typically she can manage your ongoing prescription and treatment needs after you have had input from the specialist.
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Yes.
Dr Portia prescribes hormone therapy under the Informed Consent model of care.
This means that she does not require supportive letters from psychologists, psychiatrists or other mental health professionals before prescribing treatment, as long as the person she is treating understands the information she has given regarding treatment options, and has capacity to consent to their care.
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Yes, Dr Portia offers hormone implant therapies to patients for whom this is the preferred option.
You can discuss this treatment option in your consultation with Dr Portia, where she will give you more information about hormone implants to help you decide if this is the right treatment approach for you.
If you decide to use hormone implants, Dr Portia can prescribe, insert, and monitor them for you.
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Your first consultation with Dr Portia will be a long consultation (Dr Portia allows up to 90 minutes for new patient initial consults!). During the consultation, Dr Portia will gather a wide range of important information from you, such as your past medical and family medical history, your current wellbeing, your gender transition needs and goals, and your knowledge and understanding about different treatments (Dr Portia knows that some patients come to appointments having done a lot of research beforehand, and wants to make sure she tailors information to you and your needs). She will talk you through the different treatment options, as well as important information you need to know about any short, medium and long terms effects of treatments, as well as any irreversible effects. Dr Portia will also explore any other medical needs you might have, so that she can support you in these as well.
Typically you will leave this first consultation with some information to read, some referrals for bloods tests and any other necessary investigations, and instructions for follow-up and further care.
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Transhub is a fantastic online resource, put together by trans and gender diverse people working with ACON. It has a wide range of information about being trans, and can be found here.
Weight-Neutral Care
FAQs
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Weight-Neutral care, sometimes referred to as “HAES” (Health At Every Size), is health care that is size inclusive. This means that the type, quality and standard of medical care that a person receives is not dependent upon that person’s size, shape, or weight.
There are a lot of myths about food, bodies, weight, and health that are prevalent throughout society. These myths typically promote the idea that it is possible to determine a person’s health based on a measure of their weight or BMI, that thinness is equal to healthiness, and that certain foods are inherently “good” or “bad” for you. We can refer to these myths as “diet culture”.
Diet culture’s influence often extends into health care. Doctors, nurses, researchers, and other people who work in health are subject to the same cultural dialogues around weight, food, and health as everyone else, and this can impact on how disease and illness is understood, and treated. Oftentimes, when a patient is larger-bodied, a lot of the healthcare advice they are given (regardless of their illness) centers around weight loss, even though we have lots of evidence that tells us that sustainable weight loss is rarely achievable.
For most people, being given advice to lose weight is, at best, not helpful - particularly when it is given at the expense of other treatment options, or the provision of helpful, actionable advice.
For many people, being given advice to lose weight can be actively harmful, and trigger unhealthy behaviours including eating disorders.
Dr Portia is a Weight-Neutral clinician. She recognises that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and she celebrates that diversity. When you see Dr Portia for medical care, she will work with you to meet your health goals and needs, with specific advice tailored to your personal situation. Dr Portia routinely gives her patients evidence-based health advice around their nutrition, their physical activity, and other lifestyle interventions, but she will never encourage you or any of her patients to engage in weight loss as a health intervention.
Dr Portia is conscious that, for a lot of people living in larger bodies, seeing doctors and other healthcare workers can be quite challenging. When you are larger-bodied, it is not unusual to have had difficult, unpleasant or even traumatic experiences in health care settings, and this can cause a lot of anxiety about seeking out medical care. Dr Portia strives to make her clinic as welcoming as possible to people of all shapes and sizes, and she hopes you will feel welcome there too.
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Weight-Neutral care is important because everybody deserves to feel safe and welcome in health care settings, and everybody should have access to the full range of medical treatments that are available for their condition. Your body shape or size should not limit your access to care.
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Weight-Neutral care is evidence-based medical care, and as such is appropriate for everybody, and every body!
It is a particularly helpful approach to care for people who are wanting to reject diet culture, and focus on their health, rather than their size.
Many of Dr Portia’s patients are people who have experienced fat-phobia and weight-based discrimination in health care, and it is Dr Portia’s mission to provide a safe space for those people to access health care that meets their needs.
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Dr Portia is a weight-neutral and fat-positive clinician. She does not encourage the pursuit of weight loss as a health intervention, nor does she believe that weight loss is inherently positive or healthy.
Dr Portia will be happy to give you advice around your health, including lifestyle advice such as nutrition and exercise advice to support your health and wellbeing. She will happily refer you on to other clinicians who can further provide this support.
Dr Portia believes that patient autonomy is paramount, and she will not refuse care to anyone purely because they are pursuing weight loss. She will not, however, encourage a patient in that pursuit of weight loss, nor will she prescribe medications for the purpose of weight loss.
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Your first consultation with Dr Portia will be a long consultation (Dr Portia allows up to 90 minutes for new patient initial consults!).
During the consultation, Dr Portia will gather a wide range of important information from you, including your past medical and family medical history, your current wellbeing, your current health concerns, and any health goals that you have.
Depending on your specific health concerns and needs, Dr Portia will work with you to develop a plan to help you meet your goals.
Dr Portia recognises the importance of working with her patients collaboratively - after all, no one is more of an expert on you, than you! To this end, Dr Portia spends a lot of time making sure that her patients have a good understanding of their medical conditions and any treatment she proposes - you are encouraged to ask questions, request clarification, and give your own input on whether or not you think a particular treatment will be the right fit for you.
Of course, this first appointment is also a chance for Dr Portia to get to know you as a person, and for you to get know her a little too! Dr Portia encourages you to view your appointment with her as an opportunity to get a sense of her approach to care, and whether or not she will be a good fit for you in the long term.
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The below links have more information about HAES, Weight-Neutral care, Diet culture, and other relevant topics:
Whole-person Medical Care
FAQs
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“Whole-person” or person-centred care refers to medical care that aims to support people to achieve their health goals in a holistic way, recognising that whole-person health encompasses physical, mental, and emotional aspects of wellbeing. Whole-person care is lifelong medical care, and aims to treat the individual throughout all stages of their life - both by providing support and advice in times of health, and by providing care and treatments in times of illness.
While Dr Portia recognises that health is a privilege, and that, as individuals, we do not get to choose the health conditions that we encounter during our lives, she also believes that good quality healthcare support is a right that everyone should have access to.
“Good health” can look different to different people. While one person might prioritise measures of physical fitness and ability as their marker for good health, another might place the highest value on their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Dr Portia believes in patient autonomy, and is committed to helping her patients to find what “good health” looks like to them, and then supporting them to reach these goals.
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If you are seeking medical care that supports all aspects of your wellbeing, including physical, mental and emotional health, then it is likely that Whole-person care would be a good fit for you. Dr Portia practises Whole-person medical care in an evidence-based way, and will offer treatments that are supported by best practice principles.
Dr Portia believes in empowering her patients to make the best choices for themselves, and as such, places a high priority on health education, and collaborative discussions with her patients around any treatments proposed.
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Your first consultation with Dr Portia will be a long consultation (Dr Portia allows up to 90 minutes for new patient initial consults!).
During the consultation, Dr Portia will gather a wide range of important information from you, including your past medical and family medical history, your current wellbeing, your current health concerns, and any health goals that you have.
Depending on your specific health concerns and needs, Dr Portia will work with you to develop a plan to help you meet your goals.
Dr Portia recognises the importance of working with her patients collaboratively - after all, no one is more of an expert on you, than you! To this end, Dr Portia spends a lot of time making sure that her patients have a good understanding of their medical conditions and any treatment she proposes - you are encouraged to ask questions, request clarification, and give your own input on whether or not you think a particular treatment will be the right fit for you.
Of course, this first appointment is also a chance for Dr Portia to get to know you as a person, and for you to get know her a little too! Dr Portia encourages you to view your appointment with her as an opportunity to get a sense of her approach to care, and whether or not she will be a good fit for you in the long term.
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Dr Portia enjoys looking after all aspects of a person’s health, from birth to late in life. She has particular interest in supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing, and has a lot of experience working with people who have struggled with depression and anxiety, as well as other complex mental health conditions. Dr Portia has always enjoyed working with the LGBTIQ+ community, people who are neurodivergent, and people with complex health needs. She also enjoys supporting people in their fertility journey, as well as throughout their pregnancies, and has a particular interest in managing hormonal health.
Dr Portia welcomes all kinds of diversity in her clinic. Her main priority is creating a safe and welcoming space for her patients - particularly for people who may have struggled to find that sense of safety and welcomeness in previous health care interactions.