Dr Rachel Humeniuk Professional Background

I am a Registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS); the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and Drugs (APSAD); and the South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services (SANDAS).  I have been treating clients in a private practice setting since 2015.

I am also a research scientist and have a PhD in Psychopharmacology, specialising in alcohol and substance use problems, which complements my psychological practice.  I’ve been very privileged to have had a diverse research career spanning a few decades and a several disciplines including pharmacology, psychology, addiction medicine, psychiatry, public health and policy development.  To date, my research publications have been cited over 2000 times by other researchers, clinicians and policy-makers (h-index of 14). ResearchGate

My PhD involved working with inpatients from a detoxification facility, who were going through withdrawal from alcohol.  My PhD experience was immensely rewarding and informative, and it also provided me with invaluable insight of alcohol dependency and relapse from a client’s perspective.

I have worked for the University of Adelaide (and hold Affiliate Senior Lecturer status) and for several years for the South Australian government at DASSA (Drug and Alcohol Services of South Australia).  These were largely research roles, where I had the opportunity to be involved in diverse research projects resulting in multiple publications.

I worked for the World Health Organisation for several years as the International Coordinator of a large, multi-country, multi-phase trial developing the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and linked Brief Intervention.  This was a seminal piece of research which resulted in practical improvements in health care in the drug and alcohol space globally, and the resources have been translated into multiple languages. I developed an electronic self-training version of the ASSIST and a learning program for health workers which I have delivered on a regular basis.

Currently I am mostly involved in providing treatment for people with alcohol and substance use issues in private settings; at my own private practice AOD Psychology, and for Ramsay Health (The Adelaide Clinic).

Who I work with

Adults who are using alcohol, cannabis, benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (Z compounds), opioids, GHB and nicotine.

Please include the following in the referral:

• the substance(s) of concern.
• any associated mental health/psychiatric conditions, including past and current suicidality
• relevant physical conditions that may be associated with the substance of concern
• any condition that may effect treatment (eg. limited/changed cognitive function)
• Any prescribed medication with dosing to assist with withdrawal and/or benzodiazepine tapering and/or MATOD and/or anti-craving medication and/or disulfiram etc. Alternatively, I am happy to communicate with you once therapy has started to discuss best treatment options for the patient.

Please note, I do not work with the following presentations:

• Moderate to severe stimulant use disorder (cocaine or methamphetamine)
• Moderate to high suicide risk
• Severe/complex mental health issues
• Personality Disorders
• Trauma (eg. CPTSD, PTSD).

Further AOD Support for referrers:

South Australian health professionals seeking clinical information and clarification around clinical procedures, referral, guidelines and evidence-based practice can contact the Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service (DACAS) 24/7 including public holidays.

Telephone: (08) 7087 1742

Email: HealthDACASEnquiries@sa.gov.au