About
Dr Natasha Bijlani is a general adult psychiatrist, who can treat patients between the ages of 18 to 60 years.
Dr Bijlani has been based at Priory Hospital Roehampton as a self-employed private psychiatrist since 2006. She is able to offer in-person appointments at Priory Hospital Roehampton on Mondays and Thursdays, and online appointments on Tuesdays.
In September 2018, Dr Bijlani was elected to Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (FRCPsych) as a mark of distinction and in recognition of the significant contribution she has made to the core purpose of the Royal College of Psychiatrists throughout her career.
She has over 35 years’ experience in treating adults with mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, addictions such as alcohol and recreational drug dependence, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, relationship issues and stress, as well as stress due to employment issues.
Dr Bijlani has a particular interest in women’s mental health issues and pregnancy-related mood disorders, such as postnatal depression, anxiety and psychosis.
She has an interest in public education and promoting good mental health to help reduce the stigma associated with psychiatric illness. She makes regular contributions in the media and presentations to GPs and other medical colleagues on a range of mental health subjects.
Other relevant information
Dr Bijlani was previously consultant psychiatrist in the NHS for Wandsworth assertive community treatment (ACT) team, St George's Hospital, Tooting, London between 2003 and 2006 and prior to that, was specialist registrar for eating disorders, general adult psychiatry, women's service and mother and baby unit at Springfield University Hospital, Tooting. She was also the editor of the Women in Psychiatry Special Interest Group (WIPSIG) Newsletter of The Royal College of Psychiatrists from 2003 to 2009.
Dr Bijlani obtained her medical qualification at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, University of London in 1987 and continued to train in psychiatry at St Bartholomew’s to obtain membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) in 1993.
Following completion of senior psychiatric training at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, London, Dr Bijlani worked as a consultant psychiatrist for a specialist psychiatric team (in assertive community treatment) from 2003 until 2006.
Further information about Dr Bijlani is available on her website www.drnatashabijlani.co.uk.
Training and NHS roles include:
- ACT
- General adult psychiatry
- Women’s service
- Eating disorders
Administrative and management experience includes:
- Fully registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) - registration number 3254266
- Executive committee member of WIPSIG, Royal College of Psychiatrists (resigned in autumn 2009)
- Editor of WIPSIG newsletter (June 2003 to February 2009)
- Life member of the British Indian Psychiatric Association (BIPA)
- Co-clinical tutor at Priory Hospital Roehampton for medical students from UCL and Royal Free Hospitals from 2007 to 2015
- In the academic year of 2007-8, Dr Bijlani was commended as being “a particularly helpful or inspiring tutor” by medical students
- Member of Independent Doctors Federation (IDF) - 2011 onwards
- Member of Chelsea Clinical Society - 2016 onwards
- Clinical lead for therapy services at Priory Hospital Roehampton, from 2011 to 2015
- Clinical lead for private acute services at Priory Hospital Roehampton, from 2015 to 2017
- Medical scrutiny of Mental Health Act forms for all inpatients admitted to Priory Hospital Roehampton from 2017 to July 2020
Research interests
- M. White, N. Bijlani, R. Bale and T. Burns, (2000) Impact of Counsellors in primary care on referrals to secondary mental health services, Psychiatric Bulletin, 24, 418-420
- Royal College of Psychiatrists, OP66, Mentoring and Coaching, Nov 2008 (co-authored with Drs Rosalind Ramsay and Alan Swann)
- Pulse Clinical “Insomnia” by Dr Julian Spinks, 23 Feb 2011, pg 17-18
- N. Bijlani (2013) Sleep, tiredness, lack of energy: heart sink symptoms, Clinical Focus Primary Care Volume 7, issue 1: 51-60
- I have been a regular contributor to the newsletter published by the WIPSIG of The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Clinical articles and published papers
- Breaking Latest News, 3 July 2023: New Mental Health App Aims to Help Men Overcome Stigma and Seek Help
- World Nation News Desk, 4 July 2023: Mental, The First Mental Health App Made Just For Men
- Holland and Barrett online, 10 October 2023: Why does mental health matter?
- The Daily Telegraph, 10 December 2022: Cost of living crisis morphs into a health emergency
- The Hippocratic Post, 23 November 2022: Tsunami of people seeking stress and addiction help
- Priory website, 14 January 2022: Mental Health: Depression and Suicide
- Pick me up (magazine), 13 January 2022: 'Winter blues' - pages 34-35
- The Independent, 2 December 2021: How to Deal With COVID Anxiety Amid New Omicron Variant
- Patient.info, 23 November 2021: What is serotonin syndrome and what causes it?
- Patient.info, 12 November 2021: How to switch antidepressants safely
- Patient.info, 11 November 2021: Should I switch antidepressants?
- GoodtoKnow, 10 February 2021: Why do I keep having nightmares?
- Hippocratic Post, 18 August 2020: Job loss and anxiety
- City Matters, 13 August 2020: Faltering economy causing escalation in anxiety levels by Ben Brown
- Woman and Home, 7 July 2020: Post-lockdown anxiety: why it's completely normal and how to tackle it" by Amy Hunt
- Priory Vimeo channel, 5 July 2020: Insomnia advice and support during the COVID-19 outbreak
- Priory blog, July 2020: Sleep anxiety - how to manage your symptoms at night
- The Independent newspaper, 4 May 2020: Is it Monday or Wednesday? Why lockdown reduces our sense of time by Olivia Petter
- The Independent newspaper, 28 April 2020: Why are people experiencing particularly vivid dreams during lockdown? by Sabrina Barr
- The Independent newspaper, 6 April 2020: Coronavirus: Why do people seem to feel groggy and tired during lockdown? by Sabrina Barr
- Harper’s Bazaar, 2 April 2020: Mental health checklist: 6 daily habits to boost your mood instantly by Rhalou Allerhand
- Woman and Home, 17 March 2020: What to do if news of the coronavirus outbreak is causing your anxiety to spiral by Amy Hunt
- Candis, 1 January 2020: 'All the lonely people' by Leah Hardy, page 36
- Happiful, 1 January 2020: Let's get physical by Katie Connibear
- Best Monthly, 1 January 2020: Free yourself from anxiety
- Priory blog, December 2019: Coping with grief at Christmas
- Stylist, 13 November 2019: How to cope with your first Christmas after the death of a parent by Lucy Miller
- amedpost, 10 October, 2019: The 8 warning signs your mental health is at risk – and how to tackle it
- Cosmopolitan, 10 October 2019: How my tattoo saved me from suicide by Katie Connibear
- 50 Connect, 21 August 2019: The health benefits of retiring by the sea by Jamie Turnbull
- Lushtums, August 2019: How to manage your anxiety through pregnancy and motherhood by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- Suffolk babies, 17 August 2019: Guest post: Managing anxiety in pregnancy by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- The Guardian, 15 July 2019: Mid-year burnout: does it exist or are we all just permanently tired? by Elle Hunt
- netdoctor, 5 July 2019: How to mend a broken heart: the 6 stages of heartbreak recovery by Anna Bonet
- Men's Health UK, 20 May 2019: Stress: spotting the signs and symptoms and ways to treat it by Annie Hayes
- Sunday Telegraph, Stella magazine, 5 May 2019: Are you a midlife Instagram addict?
- The Guardian, 26 February 2019: Say goodbye to sad - simple steps to reverse winter woes by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- Patient.info, 18 February 2019: Why anxiety at night can feel so intense by Lydia Smith
- Huffington Post The Blog, 13 February 2019: Six things to know about supporting a loved one with an eating disorder by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- Metro, 10 January 2019: What’s it like to live with chronic fatigue syndrome and depression by Eleanor Segall
- Huffington Post, 19 December 2019: What Christmas is like with depression: 'I just want to stay home and sleep', Tips for surviving the festive season from those who've been there by Natasha Hinde
- BBC Radio Oxford, 18 December 2018, interviewed by David Prever, re: How to cope with stress around Christmas
- The Independent, 18 December 2019: How to help someone suffering from a mental health issue this Christmas by Sabrina Barr
- Huffington Post, 27 November 2018: Looking after your mental health over the Christmas period by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- netdoctor, 10 October 2018: Mental health checklist: 6 things to make you feel better instantly by Rhalou Allerhand
- Yahoo Style UK, 17 October 2018: The psychology behind our obsession with house plants by Lydia Smith
- Yahoo Style UK, 21 August 2018: The rise of the 50-plus motherhood club” by Marie Claire Dorking
- The Mirror, 2 August 2018: Love Island's Megan shockingly claims plastic surgery is 'just like getting your hair done' by Amanda Killelea and Kelly Allen
- The Sleep Council, 26 July 2018: The relationship between alcohol and sleep by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- Click.booking.com, 12 June 2018: Prioritising staff welfare in hospitality by Lottie Goss
- Bustle, 6 June 2018: You should never ask a woman when she’s having kids including Meghan Markle by Charlotte Pasha
- Bustle, 2 June 2018: When you see a doctor about depression, here’s what to expect by Charlotte Pasha
- The Ambient, 25 April 2018: How to build the ultimate night time routine with smart home tech; The tech that could help you get a better night’s sleep by Becca Caddy
- The Times, 18 April 2018: Rich, hooked: Matthew Mellon’s world by Helen Rumbelow
- Shevolution UK, 13 April 2018: How To Know If You Have Bipolar Disorder And How To Handle It by Sharn Rayment
- Huffington Post, 29 March 2018: Is Your Sleep Tracker Ruining Your Sleep? What To Do About 'Orthosomnia by Natasha Hinde
- Families Penines: Issue 43, March/April 2018: Postnatal depression and anxiety in new parents
- Xpose.ie, 26 February 2018: Eating Disorders Awareness Week: 7 tips from a psychiatrist for those in recovery Press Association, and https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/lifestyle/eating-disorders-awareness-week-7-tips-from-a-psychiatrist-for-those-in-recovery-829909.html
- London Evening Standard, 25 February 2018: How to help someone who is suffering from an eating disorder by Alice Howarth, and https://uk.news.yahoo.com/help-someone-suffering-eating-disorder-112624022.html
- Metro, 23 January 2018: Having trouble sleeping? Dry January could be giving you insomnia by Sirena Bergman
- Prima, 23 January 2018: 4 reasons why living by the sea is the best for your mental health by Katie Avis-Riordan
- Metro Lifestyle, 20 January 2018: Why living by the sea is good for your mental health
- International Business Times, 15 December 2017: Know somebody with a mental health illness? Here's what not to say to them over Christmas by Ruchira Sharma
- Netdoctor, 5 September 2017: What it’s like to have anxiety when you’re pregnant by Sarah Graham, and Cosmopolitan, and Yahoo News, 6 September 2017
- Huffington Post, 20 July 2017: Time for a reality check on reality TV shows by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- Yahoo Style UK, 19 January 2017: The rise of the sixty-plus birth club by Marie Claire Dorking
- Daily Mail Online, 11 January 2017: Awkward menopause side-effect that no one talks about: One in five women see their cup size increase - often dramatically. And it can be so painful they resort to surgery by Eimer O’hagan
- Stylist magazine, 5 December 2016: How to keep the peace and avoid a family bust-up this Christmas by Amy Lewis
- The Daily Express and Sunday Express, 20 November 2016: Perfect peace: The top tips to avoid a stressful Christmas by Sarah Ewing
- Yahoo Style, 13 October 2016: Are you ever too old to become a mum? by Claire Dorking
- The Telegraph, 1 August 2016: Advice for managing menopause in the workplace (Advertisement feature Vichy Neovadiol)
- The Telegraph, 25 July 2016: Advice to help clear the menopause fog (Advertisement feature Vichy Neovadiol) by Claire Fox
- The Telegraph, 25 July 2016: Three common menopause myths debunked by Claire Fox
- Counsel and Heal Mental Health, 18 May 2016: Relationships Key to Your Sanity: How People Around You Affect Your Mental Wellbeing by Brian McNeill
- NHVoice, 17 May 2016: Nurture relationships as they are vital for our wellbeing by Emma Tiller
- The Independent, 17 May 2016: Why relationships are important to your wellbeing by Kashmira Gander
- The Sunday Times, 13 March 2016: “Keeping up with the Kollapsing Kardashians” by Leaf Arbuthnot, page 22
- ES magazine (Evening Standard), 21 January 2016: 'Where the rich go to dry out' by Charlotte Edwardes
- Natural Health Magazine, 1 January 2016: The talking cure
- The Daily Mail, 9 November 2015: Why are so many young women taking heart pills to calm their nerves? Beta blockers can reduce anxiety for extreme worriers by Antonia Hoyle
- Channel 5 News, 11 May 2015: Interview by Matt Spencer on 'Possible mental health effects of sexting and bullying'
- The Daily Mail, 11 May 2015: 'Sexting and online bullying is fuelling teenage depression' by Sophie Borland
- BBC News website, 11 May 2015: Depression risk to sexting children, warns psychiatrist
- The Times, 11 May 2015: 'Teenage sexting could lead to depression in later life' by Rosemary Bennett
- Capital Radio news bulletin, 11 May 2015: Dr Bijlani commenting on the potential dangers of sexting and cyber bullying
- The Express, 10 May 2015: 'Older and wiser? A personal insight into 'new later motherhood'' by Kate Baily
- The Guardian, 13 February 2015: Teetotaller numbers rise in UK with one in five adults not drinking by Amelia Hill
- The Independent (Saturday magazine), 14 February 2015: 'The Conversation”' by Oscar Quinne - an interview about Dr Bijlani and her work
- Radio interview, BBC Midlands, Sunny and Shay Grewal show, 7 January 2015: How to cope with a new relationship following bereavement
- The Times, 20 December 2014: 'How to cope when Christmas isn’t so perfect' by Anna Maxted
- BBC Focus Science and Technology magazine, issue 275, pages 57-60, December 2014: 'How to beat the winter blues by Lilian Anekwe
- Mother and Baby magazine, page 36, October 2014: 'Bump and Birth Antenatal Care by Becky Howard
- Daily Mirror, page 34, 19 August 2014: 'Why the bikini is not just for the itsy-bitsy' by Siobhan McNally
- Tesco Living, How to beat insomnia
- The National Student, 9 May 2014: How dangerous are study drugs, really? We ask the experts by Lucy Miller
- Sky News Sunrise, 26 March 2013: guest appearance for interview with Eammon Holmes on seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Evening Standard, 25 March 2013: Beat the NEW* Blues....( that’s our never ending winter) by Susannah Butter
- Community Channel TV interview on 'Eating disorders and body image issues in men, broadcast on 30 January 2012
- BBC News Website, 12 November 2011: 'Does too little sunlight give us all the winter blues? by Philippa Roxby
- Best (magazine), pages 26-27, 27 September 2011: Young, gorgeous and plastic….
- easy living (magazine), page 75, October 2009: 'Therapists on the couch – the depression doctor' (a profile of Dr Bijlani's work as a psychiatrist)
- The Mail on Sunday, You magazine, page 23, 30 March 2008: 'Things you don’t know about...rehab', by Judith Woods
- Men’s Health (magazine), pages 66-67, March 2008: Joy Provision
- Zest (magazine), pages 50-51, February 2008: Five early warning signs
- Edge – From the Institute of Leadership and Management (magazine), pages 20-25, December/January 2007-8: 'All work and no play', by Steve Coomber
- Glamour (magazine), pages 111-120, January 2008: 'What every woman should know about antidepressants' by Hannah Ebelthite
- Closer (magazine), pages 22-23, 29 September 2007: 'I hope my darling wife, Joanne, is at peace with Natasha' (Natasha Coombs' suicide)
- First (magazine), pages 33-34, 24 September 2007: 'Cocaine is my secret pleasure – fact file' by Dr Natasha Bijlani
- Daily Mail, page 49, 25 September 2007: 'The SAD truth about those winter blues', by Rachel Ellis
- The Daily Telegraph, Features section, page 24, 21 September 2007: 'A sinister web of sex and perfection', by Judith Woods
- Daily Mail, page 24, 18 Septrmber 2007: 'After that soggiest of summers, the winter of discontent', by David Derbyshire
- The Independent, page 21, 17 September 2007: 'Winter may herald SAD epidemic for millions', by Emily Dugan
- Daily Mirror, page 34, 4 September 2007: 'Beating addiction – why we get hooked on drugs', by Judy Yorke
- ‘Update’ (Journal for GPs), pages 9-11, August 2007: Depression and bipolar disorder – expert answers to burning questions
- LBC News Radio, Nick Ferrari Breakfast Show, September 2007: Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Women’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, June 2003: Stigma of depression (Jenni Murray)
Languages
- English
- Fluent Hindi
- Basic Urdu
- Basic Sindhi