Dr Natascha Van Zyl

Tasch is a health psychologist and lifestyle medicine specialist who combines her skills in a person-centred and goal-focussed approach to support clients in achieving their goals.

Time For Me

You have goals, expectations, and dreams for the life you want – ‘success, loving relationships, good health, positive body image, and vitality’. At times, you feel in control, motivated and on top of the world. But then, things seem to slip as life gets in the way! Societal pressure to conform to some unattainable ideal becomes overwhelming. It is very difficult to navigate mental well-being when you experience challenges and face health problems. You try to stay on track, follow another diet, or even try the latest lifestyle hack, only to face more disappointment or weight-cycling and feel worse than before, when you can’t achieve your goals! It is frustrating and feels like you are literally ‘fighting your biology’, and your mental health pays the price!

If this is you, and you feel ‘STUCK’ and want to get your life back on track, then I can help you.  You are not alone!

An empathic healthcare professional, passionate about supporting people with their health optimisation and psychological well-being.

A Warm Hello to You

I’m a Health Psychologist and Lifestyle Medicine Specialist. I am passionate about helping you regain control and getting your life back on track. I offer support with mental health problems and complex chronic health conditions, like for example, anxiety, depression, obesity, addiction, diabetes, hormonal imbalances (e.g., menopausal changes), degenerative conditions and the impact of trauma, stress or chronic pain.

Integrative, person-centred care that is personalised, accessible, achievable and sustainable.

My Treatment Ethos

My personal health journey has been instrumental in developing my unique integration of Eastern, Western and African therapeutic approaches. I share my insights and deliver a therapeutic experience as unique as you are. We work together collaboratively to achieve your physical and mental health goals.

You are in the driving set – let’s work together to find the best route for you!

I look forward to meeting you and working with you.

• Counselling
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy & Mindfulness
• CBT
• Creative therapy (e.g., art, colouring, vision boards)
• Coaching and NLP
• Solution-focused-brief-therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Guided visualisations
• Progressive relaxation with breath work
• Psychodynamic approaches
• Lifestyle Medicine (e.g., nutrition, botanical medicine, physical therapies)

• Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology
• CBT | ACT | Mindfulness | Hypnotherapy qualifications | Motivational Interviewing
• MSc Health Psychology
• Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology | MSc Applied Psychology
• BA Honours (Psychology)
• BA Social Science with Science (3 majors) – Psychology (with Counselling at Level 6), Sociology and Human Biology
• Post Graduate Certificate in Education
• Safeguarding Children and Young people
• Award in Mental Health Awareness

• Herbalism and Nutrition Diploma
• Massage Certification

• Fortnightly British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society Educational Webinars (various topics related to Bariatric Surgery)
• UoP weekly Staff Seminars (various topics related to psychological interventions & current trends/new developments in research)
• Psychological Professions Network annual conference (various topics related to interventions)
• Health Matters CPD Events (e.g., Health behaviour change, improving engagement with physical activity, weight loss medications, complex case management, eating disorders and disordered eating)
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine monthly educational webinars (various topics including sleep hygiene, hormonal dysregulation, cold exposure therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, immunotherapy, biohacking, etc.)

• The British Psychological Society
• Health and Care Professions Council
• The Complementary Natural Healthcare Council
• The Complementary Therapists Association
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
• Public Health Collaboration
• Health Psychology Exchange
• Association for the Study of Obesity
• British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society
• Obesity Empowerment Network
• Association for Contextual and Behavioural Science
• Nutritional Medicine Institute
• Behavioural Science and Public Health Network
• Psychological Professions Network
• The Society for Integrative Healthcare

• 2024
• A qualitative exploration of postoperative bariatric surgery patients’ psychosocial support for long-term weight loss and psychological wellbeing
• 2022
• An exploratory qualitative study with post-operative bariatric patients around the psychosocial support required for sustaining long-term weight loss and psychological well-being (Doctoral Thesis)
• 2018
• Which psychosocial interventions support psychological well-being post bariatric surgery – a systematic review