Hidden behind a tall red fence, an Edwardian building is nestled in a lush green garden. Once inside the garden, you feel as if you’ve just stepped into an oasis of calm

Calm is also the atmosphere inside the building, and the demeanour of the eople working here. This is the legacy of the late Dr Chris Millar, a GP who looked beyond conventional medicine to find better tools to help his patients – and keep his endless intellectual curiosity satisfied.

A veritable Australian Patch Adams, ‘Dr Chris’ once wrote a prescription to a patient to “Take a long holiday”. Kids were in awe of his juggling skills. His corny jokes, edgy songs and off-key trumpet playing broke the ice and put a smile on patients’ faces.

His life-long quest for the ultimate system of healing, combined with his fascination for ‘gadgets’, took him from exploring micro-current to low level laser therapy to brainwave biofeedback. His interest in mental health began early and ranged from family therapy to Jungian psychology and beyond.

In 2005 he established Menssana Mindbody Medicine with the express purpose of pursuing his dream of healing the whole person. Many patients had followed him for over 20 years through various practices. Soon, word spread and new patients flocked to him for his open mind and dedication to drill down into the cause of their illness. And, of course, they came for pain relief with laser therapy, or stress reduction with brainwave biofeedback.

With his untimely death in 2014 it all seemed suddenly gone, lost forever, and a patient cohort bereft of their doctor and friend, as many called him, was left behind.

But we, his loyal staff, refused to close the practice doors. We rallied together and tried to decipher his methods, with major input from clinical adviser Kevin Harper. Working with locum doctors bought us time to keep the clinic going while recruiting suitable GPs.

It took us 15 months to put things back together, and we are proud to say that the doors of our unique clinic are still open. Laser therapy is experiencing interest from patients across the region, and basic biofeedback supports patients with presentations of depression, anxiety and stress.

With its emphasis on nutritional medicine, preventive health and lifestyle medicine our practice is well placed to service the growing population of our regional city. Two part-time female GPs have joined the clinic, offering a complementary approach, women’s health and palliative care. Our practice nurse is busy keeping track of chronic care plans, while our mental health nurse provides supportive counselling.

So where to from here? The next step in Menssana’s evolution is to add Pain Management Clinic to our letterhead. This is an under-resourced area in Ballarat and will profile a service we are already offering, using non-drug solutions where possible and appropriate.

The infrastructure is all here. The equipment is here. The staff is here. The patients are here. The philosophy is here. This is where you come in. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to lead our clinical team.

We are well aware how difficult it may be to step into someone else’s dream. But could this also be your dream? To work in a clinic where lifestyle medicine is the prevailing paradigm? Could you see
yourself as leader of a multi-disciplinary clinical team that thinks outside the square? Are you ready for a challenge? Are you ready for a tree change?

We, the team at Menssana Mindbody Medicine, are waiting for you.

Head to the website to find out more or to contact Menssana MindBody Medicine