Angela Demeter

Answers to patient questions

• Psychoanalysis

  Hello, Who do I approach to find out if I have ADHD, a psychologist or a psychoanalyst? I am 29 years old.
  • Hello! To explore whether you have ADHD, it’s best to start with a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist experienced in diagnosing neurodevelopmental disorders. Psychologists use structured assessments and interviews to understand your symptoms, while psychiatrists can also evaluate if medication might help. Psychoanalysts focus more on unconscious processes and emotional conflicts, so they’re not typically the go-to for ADHD diagnosis.

    Angela Demeter
• Clinical Psychology

  I recently relocated to Belgium with my family. My wife and my son follow me to relocate from Malaysia to Belgium. The concern is on my son's adaptation to the new environment in school and also his personal development. He is between 4 to 5 years old. The school recently reported to us that my son has trouble controlling his emotional outbursts and challenges to join peers' activities, follow time schedule and being physically aggressive with other kids. The school then recommended us to bring our son to see a psychologist to perform an assessment and propose a plan to identify the root cause of my son's behavior and plan to help him. Do I go for a general practitioner or specialist for psychology if I intended to have this psychology assessment / treatment to be covered by my insurance company policy. What are the processes here to go through?
  • You can go directly to a recognized (conventioned) child psychologist without needing a referral from a general practitioner, especially if the psychologist is part of Belgium’s public mental health network.
    These sessions are partially reimbursed by public health insurance (mutuelle), usually for a limited number of sessions per year (10-20).
    However, if you’re using private health insurance, they might require a referral or diagnosis from a GP or pediatrician. So it’s best to check directly with your insurance provider.

    Angela Demeter