Amanda R. Cooklin is a Psychiatrist based in Melbourne, working from Level 3, 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. Her role is mainly about supporting people when their mind and mood start to feel like too much to carry day to day. Mental health can shift quietly at first, and then suddenly it’s taking up a lot of space in everyday life.
In practice, Amanda looks after people dealing with postpartum depression. This can happen after having a baby, even when things look “okay” on the outside. It may feel like you can’t switch off worries, you’re low and flat, or you just can’t cope the way you used to. Alongside that, she also helps with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), where worry and tension can stick around for weeks or months, often making sleep and focus harder.
Some patients also come with bowel incontinence concerns, plus issues like hemorrhoids. These are topics many people feel embarrassed about. But they’re more common than people think, and they can affect confidence, comfort, and daily routines. Amanda’s approach is to take these concerns seriously and help people find a plan that makes things feel more manageable. At times, the emotional load from ongoing symptoms can be just as important to address as the physical side.
She understands that mental health and stress can connect in real ways to the body. For example, anxiety can raise your stress levels and make it easier for uncomfortable symptoms to feel worse. In many cases, getting support helps people feel more steady, even if the problems don’t disappear overnight.
Sessions are about listening and working things through at a pace that suits the person in front of her. There’s no need to have the “right words” for what you’re feeling. Amanda helps people make sense of what’s going on and then talk about practical next steps, whether that’s learning strategies to reduce anxiety, supporting recovery after childbirth, or looking at how stress and symptoms affect each other.
If you’re not sure where to start, that’s okay. You can start with what’s bothering you most right now—sleep, mood, worry, or physical discomfort. Over time, the goal is to help you feel more in control, more comfortable, and better able to get on with life.