Dr. Dhruva Ithal

Dr. Dhruva Ithal is Founder and Director of 'Sthira-Space for Mental Health'. He specializes in Treatment resistant schizophrenia, brain stimulation in psychiatry. Dr. Dhruva has been associated with National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Institute of National Importance) for last 10 years where he completed his MD in psychiatry and was a consultant for last 3 years. After completing his specialist training with attention to all subspecialities of Psychiatry, he undertook advanced training and research in the brain stimulation (Electroconvulsive therapy – ECT and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation- TMS) among treatment refractory schizophrenia patients and holds a prestigious Research Training Fellowship from Wellcome DBT India Alliance and Ph. D. for ‘the effect of ECT on brain networks associated with social cognition among schizophrenia patients’ from NIMHANS. He was a visiting research scholar at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Boston affiliated to Harvard Medical college and trained specifically in neuroimaging and application to psychiatry. He has also been associated with research related to genetic basis of psychiatry for 3 years. Dr. Dhruva along with his extensive experience in research, has also worked under various sub specialties of psychiatry like addiction medicine, perinatal psychiatry, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, geriatric psychiatry (including dementia) and rehabilitation. He is also skilled in psychological interventions such as individual psycho-therapy and using Yoga as an additional treatment modality for common mental illness. He provides comprehensive assessments, tailor made treatment plans for the patient based on the evidence, and also taking into account their comfort and preferences. He aims at maximizing the potential of each of his patients by understanding their cognitive patterns, gently modifying mal-adaptive thoughts and behaviours along with working in close liaison with their care-givers. He was heading the substance mis-use disorders vertical at Maarga, Yelahanka, Bengaluru last year. He was also senior consultant at Amaha Mental Health Centre, Indiranagar, Bangalore