Dr Zarina Prayag, Chartered Clinical Psychologist

In private practice, I work with both adults and children. I offer face to face sessions in Banstead (Surrey), and can also offer online/Skype sessions.

Recent client testimonials:

June 2020: "Zarina has helped me a lot during my anxiety which started 8 months ago. Since having sessions with Zarina my symptoms have improved a lot and although not completely gone, are much more manageable. Zarina has helped with mindfulness exercises and explained why they are so key to help with anxiety. I have had just under 20 sessions with Zarina and feel that I am ok now to tackle anxiety on my own with the advice I have been given and have also been assured that Zarina’s door is always open if I ever feel a need for more sessions or a catch up in the future. Thank you very much Zarina for all of your help and helping me cope better with anxiety. Zarina feels more like talking to a friend than a “therapist” which really helps".

May 2020: "Since January, Zarina has been working with my son to help him understand and overcome his OCD. When we started I really didn’t think it would make much difference, but Zarina has worked absolute wonders. She has a wonderfully warm manner, which put my son at ease and he happily opened up to her.... not something he does easily. She worked at his pace, never rushing him and really helping him understand what OCD is and more importantly got to the crux of why and when it started to affect him. 4 months on and our home life has changed immensely. My son is a different child now.... his OCD is no longer an issue that overwhelms him. He’s in control of it now.... he’s more relaxed, happier and my family and I can’t speak highly enough of Zarina and her wonderful treatment. We will be forever grateful".

February 2020: "When you’re at one of the most difficult and most confusing points in your life as a parent and most frightening as a child, putting your trust in a stranger is tough. Zarina could not have made us feel more at ease. It’s a daunting process but Zarina made it all feel ok. I would absolutely recommend the services to anyone. As a family we have seen a huge difference in our son and we now feel more able to help him when it’s needed. We all have a better understanding of anxiety and the strategies we can implement to help".

January 2020: E-mail received from former client three months after finishing therapy "Hi Zarina- just wanted to say I had an interview this morning. It was the first real big test of being able to perform without falling apart and as such I was incredibly nervous about it. However, I managed to compose myself and use all the techniques you mentioned and it worked an absolute treat. It feels like such a massive step in getting back to my best and I just thought I would share that with you, so thank you so much!"

January 2020: "My therapist was very helpful in helping me understand where my anxiety had come from and most importantly how to deal with it now. She helped me understand how the brain works, which made a lot of things make sense. She was always very kind, and I could talk to her about anything. She always knew how to help me in situations. She gave me lots of helpful tools and advice on how to overcome my anxiety. I now hope, thanks to her, that I will be able to control my anxiety!"

November 2019: "Not having had therapy before I didn’t know what to expect. Zarina is extremely professional and made me feel comfortable to talk about anything. I have found the sessions very helpful. I would totally recommend her".

October 2019: "Zarina- did a great job in a limited space of sessions, diagnosing my needs quickly and setting out a plan for the coming future. The effects were much quicker than expected and I'm looking forward to seeing how the future goes. Thanks Zarina-!"

About me:

I am a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years’ experience working with adults, children and adolescents, couples and families across different services in the NHS. I have experience of working with clients with a range of difficulties, from mild to severe, including depression, low mood, self-esteem issues, worry, anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, phobias, relationship issues, trauma, psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar affective disorder. I am able to work with individuals, couples and families. I also have experience and skills working with clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome, and I am able to adapt the therapy approach to meet any particular needs a client may have.

As a Clinical Psychologist, I am trained in using a variety of therapeutic models. I often use an integrative approach to ensure therapy is best suited to my clients’ individual needs and tailored to them as a person. I primarily use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), as well as Narrative and Systemic approaches, and Behavioural Family Therapy.

I understand that attending therapy can be daunting and I therefore aim to create a relaxed and safe space for my clients by being warm, empathic and non-judgmental. It is important that my clients feel comfortable to explore and work on things they might be finding difficult, or feel are holding them back in life. Equally important is helping my clients to identify their strengths and values, to help you achieve your personal goals and move forwards.

Prior to private practice, I worked as a Senior Clinical Psychologist specialising in working with clients who have experienced a first episode of psychosis, in an Early Intervention in Psychosis service at the Maudsley Hospital. Before this, I worked in both adult and child and adolescent mental health services in the NHS, including managing a specialist mental health team in South East London for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Learning Disabilities.