Dr. Sadaf Khattak

Where Mind, Body, Trauma and Story Are Heard and held with Compassion

Dr Sadaf Khattak is a compassionate and highly experienced Consultant Psychiatrist with a strong commitment to holistic, person-centred care. Her clinical practice focuses on complex psychiatric presentations where mental health, physical health, trauma, culture, relationships and life circumstances intersect.

Dr Sadaf has a special interest in complex comorbidities, chronic medical and psychiatric conditions, chronic pain, trauma-related presentations, complex PTSD, bipolar affective disorder, domestic violence and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder across the lifespan, with a particular focus on ADHD in women. She is the founder of WIMIN Health, a collaborative initiative developed to support women with complex, treatment-resistant mental health conditions through an integrated model of care addressing both psychological and physical health needs.

Her approach is warm, thoughtful and clinically grounded. Drawing on psychodynamic principles, trauma-informed care and evidence-based psychiatry, Dr Sadaf works collaboratively with patients, families, general practitioners and other specialists to develop care plans that reflect the whole person — not just a diagnosis. She is particularly interested in understanding how early experiences, trauma, attachment patterns, emotional regulation, physical illness and cultural context can shape a person’s mental health journey.

Dr Sadaf completed her medical training in Pakistan before relocating to Australia in 2008, where she undertook specialist psychiatry training through Monash Health. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and holds a Master of Psychiatric Medicine from the University of Melbourne. Her experience spans inpatient psychiatry, community mental health, youth mental health, women’s mental health, psychological medicine and culturally diverse clinical settings.

Alongside her clinical work, Dr Sadaf is deeply committed to teaching, supervision and mentorship. She has been actively involved in supporting junior doctors, international medical graduates, nurse practitioners and students as they develop confidence in complex psychiatric care and transition into tertiary health settings. She is passionate about creating spaces where emerging clinicians feel guided, supported and able to grow into thoughtful, reflective and compassionate practitioners.

Beyond medicine, Dr Sadaf has a deep appreciation for creativity, interiors, hospitality and cooking. She believes that the environments we inhabit can influence how safe, settled and connected we feel. This sensitivity to atmosphere, warmth and welcome also informs her clinical work, where she strives to create a therapeutic space that feels respectful, emotionally safe and attentive to the whole person.

Fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Hindko and Pushto, Dr Sadaf brings cultural sensitivity, warmth and clinical depth to her work, creating a safe and respectful space where patients and families feel heard, understood and supported.