Dr Sonia Ahmed
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hi I am Dr Sonia Ahmed, a chartered counselling psychologist with over 12 years of clinical experience, who is registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
I am the founder of Serene Psychology, a therapeutic practice dedicated to providing compassionate and evidence-based support. Alongside my work, I collaborate with a team of experienced associate therapists who offer a range of services to meet diverse client needs.
Our associates are qualified professionals who bring expertise in various therapeutic modalities, ensuring that clients receive tailored support. Together, we are committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all individuals seeking therapy.
I believe that each persons experience is individual and unique, and that there is not a ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to therapy. Therefore my therapeutic approach takes on an integrative stance, in which I will often draw upon a number of therapeutic models and techniques, tailored to each individuals needs. Regardless of your treatment plan, developing a strong therapeutic relationship, will be the core of therapy. This means that sessions will be based on empathy, trust, warmth, non judgmental and compassion, whilst being adaptive to each of your needs.
I take a trauma-informed approach to your psychological care. A trauma informed approach to therapy is a set of guiding principles that identifies that trauma has substantial effects on individuals and tends not be recognised or reported as often as it should. It shifts from asking ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’This means that we take into account all of your traumas (past and present) in order to get a complete picture of your life situation, thus, allowing us to be able to provide you with the most effective support.
We have all experienced some form of mental distress or trauma in our lives. Whether it be something that we are aware of (or have consciously thought about), or not. For example, Adverse Childhood Experiences, witnessing or being a part of some form of abuse. Often these traumatic experiences can be the underlying cause (or at least a contributing factor), to various mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and addiction, amongst others. Sometimes we can be oblivious to how past traumas can be affecting our current lives, but by processing and resolving these past issues, deep and long-lasting change is possible.
Training, qualifications & experience
Here at Serene Psychology, myself and our associates have a wide range of skills and work with various mental health issues across all age ranges. We work with individuals, couples and families.
I have been practising as a qualified psychological therapist since 2012 and went on to qualify and practice as a counselling psychologist in 2021. I am also an EMDR trained therapist, which is a well-known therapy for trauma.
I specialise in working with trauma and PTSD presentations. These can include post-traumatic stress disorder from single-event traumas, complex trauma, and developmental trauma. This also includes issues such as depression, anxiety, and relationship issues, which are often a result of unprocessed trauma. Furthermore, I have wide experience of working with the kind of complex trauma that can result from neglect and abuse in childhood or adulthood. Nightmares can be a common cause of unprocessed trauma. As well as EMDR, I am trained in the dream completion technique which has been clinically proven to combat nightmares as part of your trauma therapy.
I have significant experience of working with a range of issues and difficulties, varying from day to day stress to severe mental health issues. These include, but are not limited to, anxiety, depression, stress, grief and loss, relationship issues, amongst others.
Qualifications:
- PsychD Counselling Psychology - 2021
- BSc Psychology - 2011
Additional Training:
- EMDR - 2023
- Flash technique for trauma - 2022
- Dream completion technique for nightmares - 2022
- Person-centered Counselling for Depression – 2021
- Couples Counselling – 2019
- CBT for Major Depression – 2018
- Working with childhood sexual abuse – 2018
- PTSD & Complex Trauma – 2018
- Mindfulness, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy – 2018
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£120.00 - £150.00
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£120 for individual therapy & EMDR Therapy (50 minutes per session)
£135 for couples therapy
£150 for family therapy
Individual therapy and couples therapy can be held online via video call or face to face
Face to face sessions are provided in Sunderland SR6 with free parking and a 5 minute walk from the nearest metro station.
When I work
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I work Wednesday-Friday 9.30am-2pm, however, our associates are available to work evenings and weekends.
Further information
Once you have reached out to us, we will contact you within 24 hours and arrange a free 10-minute telephone consultation. Once I have an understanding of your needs and answered any questions you have, I will arrange your first appointment with either me or an associate who I believe will meet your needs.
