About
Dr Ivana Pristicova is a consultant adult and perinatal psychiatrist and has over 20 years of comprehensive experience in the NHS in psychiatry.
Dr Pristicova takes a holistic approach to psychiatry, integrating biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors into her assessments and treatment plans. She places strong emphasis on lifestyle measures - such as good-quality sleep, regular exercise, and balanced nutrition -alongside evidence-based treatments, including medication and psychological therapies.
Dr Pristicova supports individuals across a broad spectrum of mental health conditions, including mood and anxiety disorders, PTSD, phobias, OCD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, personality disorders, as well as trauma, grief, and loss. She draws on a range of therapeutic approaches, tailoring care to each individual’s needs.
Alongside her general psychiatric practice, Dr Pristicova specialises in perinatal psychiatry. She provides comprehensive support to women planning pregnancy, pregnant women, and new parents. Her work focuses on promoting wellbeing and preventing relapse during pregnancy and the postnatal period, with careful consideration of the interaction between mental health, physical health, social and cultural factors. She works collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to ensure co-ordinated, high-quality care for her patients.
Position at Priory
Dr Pristicova joined Priory Wellbeing Centre Canterbury in October 2019 as a visiting consultant psychiatrist.
She also works as a substantive consultant psychiatrist for the perinatal mental health community service in Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust. She has clinical expertise spanning more than 11 years as a consultant in general adult psychiatry, liaison and perinatal psychiatry.
She is strongly committed to medical education and postgraduate training of doctors and has been appointed as a Royal College of Psychiatrists Examiner. In her NHS role, she has served as clinical tutor, guardian of safe working, champion for less than full-time and supported return to training, and chair of the local negotiating committee.
Training
Dr Pristicova completed her undergraduate training at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia in 2004. During her training, she was awarded Erasmus Scholarship and spent her fifth year of medical school at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
She undertook psychiatry training with Nottingham University Mid Trent Training Scheme where she completed her Master in Medical Science degree and achieved membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. She trained as a specialist registrar with Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London Psychiatry Training Scheme and spent her final two years of training at South London and Maudsley training scheme. She obtained her completion certificate in training (CCT) in general adult and liaison psychiatry in 2015.