About

Dr Shyam K Bhat MD is a Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist, Integrative Medicine Specialist, and writer.

Dr Bhat has a rare combination of postgraduate training and American Board certifications in two specialities – Psychiatry (American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology) and Internal Medicine (American Board of Internal Medicine). He is also board certified in the subspecialty Psychosomatic Medicine (ABPN subspecialty), the study of conditions at the interface of body and mind.  Dr Bhat combines these qualifications with a deep study and understanding of eastern philosophy and healing practices and has been called a pioneer of Integrative Medicine and holistic psychiatry in India.

He founded the Mind-Body Clinic, Bangalore in 2010. In 2016, Dr Bhat founded the online psychotherapy platform Seraniti.com offering online counseling, psychotherapy and integrated mind-body wellness solutions. Seraniti was acquired by Cure.fit in 2018.

In February 2022, Dr Bhat founded Nirvikalpa: The Mind-Body Centre , a centre for Holistic Psychiatry, Integrative Medicine and Self-Realization. Here, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and approaches from contemporary science is integrated with Ayurveda, Bodywork,Yoga, and Meditation.

Dr Bhat has developed the evidenced based psychotherapeutic method,  Integral Self Therapy, a transpersonal psychotherapy that combines the practice of meditation, the philosophy of Vedanta, along with insights from gestalt therapy, and existential therapies.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr Bhat consults with organizations and addresses audiences in the United States, and India, on work-life balance, stress management, leadership development, and other topics on mind-body wellness.

He is a recipient of the Norris Brookens award, and member of Alpha Omega Alpha that recognizes excellence in scholarship and the highest ideals in the profession of medicine.

Dr Bhat is a trustee at the Live Love Laugh Foundation, founded by Deepika Padukone, to increase awareness and decrease stigma around depression.

Dr Bhat is the author of the best-selling book “How to heal your broken heart: A psychiatrist’s guide to dealing with heartbreak”, published by Juggernaut.

His essays have been published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, Annals of Internal Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, as well as in magazines such as Time Out, and Outlook Business, and newspapers such as the Times of India, and The Telegraph.

Dr Shyam Bhat hosted India’s first live call-in radio show about emotional wellness, Heartline on Indigo 91.9, Bangalore, from February 2012 to October 2013.

An interview and article on Dr Bhat’s work can be found here

Education, Post Graduation, and Work

Dr Bhat graduated with an MBBS, from Bangalore Medical College in 1996. During internship, he also worked as a RJ for a year at Radio Mid-Day, Bangalore.

He began his postgraduate training in the United Kingdom(1997) with the All Birmingham Psychiatry Training Scheme.

Dr Bhat moved to the United States in 1999, where he completed a 5 year combined residency program in Internal medicine and Psychiatry at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU), Springfield, Illinois, USA.

While at SIU, Dr Bhat was awarded the best postgraduate (resident) psychiatrist award in his graduating year.

In 2004, Dr Bhat joined the faculty at SIU as Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry.

In 2007, Dr Bhat founded and became medical director of the Integrative Medicine services at the Center for Living at St John’s Hospital, Springfield, Illinois, one of only 2 of its kind in Illinois.

Dr Bhat returned to India in 2009, with the vision of practicing a holistic form of psychiatry and medicine, that integrate the best of India’s ancient therapies, of mind and body, along with the latest evidence based treatments from western medicine and psychiatry.  Dr Bhat headed the Stress Management Services at Manipal Hospital Bangalore from 2009 – 2014.