Sabbir Ahmed

You may appear capable, successful or in control on the outside while privately feeling anxious, low, overwhelmed or caught in patterns that keep repeating.

Work, relationships, family life, trauma, addiction, mood swings, racing thoughts, ADHD, autism or AuDHD may be taking more from you than other people realise. Perhaps you have spent years masking, pleasing others, staying strong, carrying responsibility or coping alone. Although you may appear to be managing well, inside you might feel exhausted, self-critical, disconnected or close to burnout.

Therapy offers a compassionate space to slow down, understand what lies beneath the difficulty and develop ways to feel calmer, steadier and more connected. You do not need to perform, hide parts of yourself or arrive knowing exactly what to say. We can begin wherever you are.

My name is Sabbir. I am a UKCP-registered psychotherapist and EMCC-accredited coach with more than 20 years of experience across the NHS and private practice.

My approach is warm, collaborative, thoughtful and practical. I offer a therapeutic space in which the parts of you that have been coping, masking or surviving can be met with curiosity, compassion and no blame.

How therapy can help

People often begin therapy because they know something needs to change but are uncertain where to start. You may understand your difficulties intellectually yet continue to experience the same painful emotions, reactions or relationship patterns.

Together, we can explore what has shaped the way you think, feel, relate and cope. We may identify strategies that once helped you feel safe, accepted or in control but now leave you restricted, overwhelmed or disconnected from yourself.

Therapy may help you:

• understand recurring emotional, behavioural and relationship patterns
• manage anxiety, racing thoughts and emotional overwhelm
• strengthen emotional regulation and distress tolerance
• reduce shame, perfectionism and harsh self-criticism
• communicate your needs and establish healthier boundaries
• process trauma, bereavement and difficult life experiences
• develop confidence, self-understanding and self-compassion
• make changes that feel meaningful, realistic and sustainable.

My aim is not simply to help you manage symptoms. It is to help you understand yourself more fully, respond to life with greater awareness and choice, and develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself.

My therapeutic approach

I integrate psychotherapy, psychodynamic and systemic thinking, CBT, DBT-informed skills alongside neuroinclusive coaching.

This allows us to work at more than one level. We can develop practical strategies for managing what is happening now while also exploring the deeper roots of recurring emotional, behavioural and relationship patterns.

I do not apply one fixed model to everyone. Our work will be adapted to your needs, strengths, history, identity and goals.

Some people want focused support with anxiety, emotional regulation, addiction, anger, confidence or work-related pressure. Others want to explore trauma, grief, childhood experiences, identity, relationships or longstanding patterns. Many people benefit from combining practical tools with deeper therapeutic exploration.

Where relevant, we can also consider how culture, faith, identity, discrimination, family expectations, caring responsibilities and professional pressures have shaped your experience. These parts of your life are welcomed and understood as meaningful aspects of the therapeutic work.

Anxiety, OCD and emotional overwhelm

Anxiety can affect both your mind and body. You may experience persistent worry, health anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, perfectionism, avoidance, sleep difficulties or a constant sense that something is about to go wrong.

Your thoughts may race, and you may repeatedly analyse situations, prepare for every possible outcome or seek reassurance from other people. Although these strategies can provide temporary relief, they may gradually make your life feel smaller and more restricted.

OCD can involve intrusive thoughts, repeated checking, compulsions, reassurance-seeking, mental rituals or fears that feel frightening or difficult to explain. You may recognise that a fear is unlikely or excessive while still feeling unable to step away from the ritual or compulsion.

Therapy can help you understand what maintains anxiety and compulsive patterns, gradually reduce avoidance and develop a different relationship with uncertainty, distressing thoughts and uncomfortable physical sensations.

Trauma, loss and difficult experiences

Trauma does not always result from one clearly identifiable event. Emotional abuse, neglect, bereavement, bullying, discrimination, family conflict, unstable relationships or years of feeling unsafe, criticised or misunderstood can also leave a lasting impact.

You may feel numb, hypervigilant, ashamed, angry, easily triggered or unable to relax. You may find it difficult to trust other people or notice that situations in the present activate emotions connected to earlier experiences.

We can gently explore what your mind and nervous system have been trying to protect you from while developing ways to feel more grounded, regulated and secure.

You will not be expected to disclose or revisit difficult experiences before you feel ready. The pace of the work will be guided by what feels safe, manageable and helpful for you.

DBT and intense emotions

A significant part of my work is informed by Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, commonly known as DBT.

DBT-informed therapy can be particularly helpful when emotions feel intense, fast-moving or difficult to manage. You may benefit from this approach if you experience:

• Emotional overwhelm or rapid changes in mood
• Intense anger or difficulty calming yourself
• Impulsive or self-destructive reactions
• Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
• Fear of abandonment or strong sensitivity to rejection
• Unstable, confusing or painful relationships
• Difficulty communicating your needs or setting boundaries
• Emotional dysregulation, or traits associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD).

DBT brings together acceptance, compassion and practical change. It can help you recognise emotional triggers, understand your reactions, tolerate distress without making a difficult situation worse and communicate more effectively.

The broader aim is to support you in making choices that contribute to a more stable, connected and meaningful life.

Where appropriate, DBT-informed therapy works alongside rather than replacing psychiatric, medical or crisis care.

ADHD, autism and AuDHD

Many of the adults I work with are neurodivergent, including people with ADHD, autism or AuDHD. I also support people who have recently received a diagnosis or are beginning to question whether they may be neurodivergent.

Receiving or exploring a diagnosis later in life can bring relief, recognition and clarity. It can also bring grief, uncertainty or a need to understand your past from a different perspective.

You may have spent years masking, overworking, procrastinating, people-pleasing or feeling different without fully understanding why. Your difficulties may involve:

• Focus, organisation and time management
• Motivation, procrastination and beginning tasks
• Sensory or emotional overwhelm
• Rejection sensitivity and self-criticism
• Relationships and communication
• Inconsistent energy and productivity
• Perfectionism and overcompensation
• Masking, exhaustion and burnout.

My understanding of neurodivergence is both professional and personal. As the parent of a neurodivergent child, I bring lived understanding of some of the strengths, pressures and misunderstandings that neurodivergent people and their families may experience.

My work is not about teaching you to appear more “typical” or encouraging you to mask more effectively. Instead, we explore how your mind, emotions and nervous system work, what is creating unnecessary strain and what adjustments or strategies may help.

The aim is to support greater confidence, authenticity and self-understanding while finding practical ways to navigate the demands of everyday life.

Addiction, shame and coping patterns

I work with people affected by alcohol or drug use, gambling, internet addiction, compulsive sexual behaviour and other coping patterns that have become difficult to control.

Addiction is rarely only about the behaviour itself. It may be connected to trauma, loneliness, shame, stress, emotional pain, low self-worth, neurodivergence or an attempt to escape feelings that have become difficult to tolerate.

You may feel caught between wanting to stop and relying on the behaviour to cope. Shame and secrecy can make it harder to seek support, particularly if you fear being judged or misunderstood.

Therapy can help you understand what the behaviour provides or protects you from, recognise triggers and develop more sustainable ways of managing emotions and meeting your underlying needs.

You will be met with curiosity, compassion and honesty rather than judgement.

Relationships and couples therapy

I also offer couples therapy and relationship counselling.

You may be experiencing repeated arguments, communication difficulties, emotional distance, resentment, jealousy, betrayal, affairs, difficulties with trust, intimacy concerns or uncertainty about the future of your relationship.

Couples can become caught in recurring cycles in which both people feel unheard, criticised, rejected or alone. The more each partner tries to protect themselves or get their needs met, the more entrenched the pattern can become.

The purpose of couples therapy is not to decide who is right or place all responsibility on one person. We slow down the interaction, identify the emotions and unmet needs beneath the conflict, and understand how both partners may be contributing to the recurring cycle.

Therapy may help you:

• Communicate with greater clarity and openness
• Understand each other’s experiences and perspectives
• Recognise and interrupt unhelpful relationship patterns
• Establish healthier boundaries
• Rebuild emotional and physical connection
• Address betrayal and repair trust where possible
• Make thoughtful decisions about the future of the relationship.

Where ADHD, autism or other forms of neurodivergence affect the relationship, I offer a neuroinclusive perspective. This can help both partners understand differences in communication, emotional processing, sensory needs and executive functioning with greater clarity and compassion.

Parents, families and carers
I work with parents, partners, carers and family members affected by emotional intensity, self-harm, addiction, neurodivergence, trauma or complex mental health difficulties.

Supporting someone you care about can leave you feeling frightened, exhausted, guilty, helpless or uncertain about how to respond. You may feel responsible for holding everything together while gradually neglecting your own emotional needs.

Therapy can help you understand the emotional and relational patterns within the family, communicate more effectively and establish boundaries that are compassionate and sustainable.

We can consider how to support the person you care about without taking responsibility for everything, losing sight of your own wellbeing or becoming overwhelmed by guilt.

I am particularly interested in supporting people who carry significant responsibility for others, including parents, partners, carers, healthcare professionals, leaders and those who have learned that they must always remain strong.

Taking the next step

Reaching out can feel daunting, particularly after years of coping alone, masking or hoping that things will eventually improve.

You do not need to have the right words or know exactly what you need from therapy. We can begin with a brief consultation to explore what you are facing, the challenges you would like help with and whether working together feels right for you.

I welcome enquiries from people experiencing anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, addiction, intense emotions, ADHD, autism, AuDHD, bereavement, loneliness, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, work-related stress or burnout.

Meaningful change does not need to happen all at once. It can begin with feeling understood, making sense of your experience and taking one manageable step forward.

Crisis support

Please note that I do not provide a specialised crisis service.

If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, call 999 or attend your nearest A&E. You may also contact NHS 111, your GP, your local NHS mental health crisis service or Samaritans free of charge on 116 123.

• Muslim marriage counselling

I offer a free 15 minute initial phone consultation prior to a first session.

My fees are:

• £195 for one individual session
• £250 for one couple session

Monday Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, in addition to weekends

In upholding ethical responsibilities, including confidentiality, within my practice I maintain adherence to UKCP, EMCC and Professional Standards Authority guidelines, including fully GDPR-compliant record-keeping and secure data handling.