Dunya Griffith-Aramesh

CBT & EMDR Therapist

Pronouns - She/Her

Looking to get support for your mental health can be really difficult, and lots of things may be interfering or acting as barriers. Emotional problems often require solutions which are psychological and practical, as well as emotional. As a therapist, I hope to work with you to provide a safe space for compassion, curiosity and change. 

I have over 10 years experience of working with individual’s with mental health difficulties, within the NHS, voluntary and private sector. I specialise in providing high quality CBT and EMDR therapies, and can support you to work through a range of issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Anxiety (General Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety), Anger, Adjustment difficulties or Parental Difficulties (perinatal-depression, perinatal-anxiety or birth trauma).

Additionally, I am trained to support those with long term health conditions which may be impacting upon their mental health, such as chronic pain, IBS/IBD and diabetes. Such diagnoses can be understandably upsetting, so mental health support can be an important tool in guiding you through living with your condition.

I previously also worked as Psychotherapist within the Perinatal Mental Health Team; this has given me significant experience working with perinatal clients too. My work has involved providing specialized and adaptive perinatal interventions using CBT, CFT and DBT for a range of difficulties. In my role within IAPT I have particularly supported clients with Birth Trauma (including birth trauma that has led to perinatal loss), Maternal OCD, Tokophobia, Emetophobia in the context of Hyperemesis, as well as post-natal Depression and Anxiety.

In addition to the above, as a BIPOC and Anti-Racist therapist, I will ensure that I consider all aspects of your identity throughout our sessions. The therapy I deliver can be culturally adapted and will consider all of your intersections in life. 

I am highly experienced in the treatment of:

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • General Anxiety

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Social Anxiety

  • Health Anxiety

  • Anger

  • Adjustment difficulties

  • Parental Difficulties

  • Perinatal-depression

  • Perinatal-anxiety

  • Birth trauma). Additionally

  • Maternal OCD

  • Tokophobia

  • Emetophobia in the context of Hyperemesis

    LGBTQI+ Inclusive - In my clinical practice, I've had the honour of working with several LGBTQI+ clients, addressing concerns related to mood, anxiety, and trauma that are unique to their experiences.

In our first session I will support you in understanding how you reached the current part of your life and journey, then discuss where you want to be and what direction you want to take. We will discuss what steps you will need to take to get there and achieve these goals, whether these be the processing of past events, learning about yourself, therapy strategies or a different outlook.

I am happy to provide an initial consultation call, to outline your difficulties and see if I will be the most suitable therapist for you. I promise to provide a kind and approachable space, where your experiences are normalised, and I will ask questions that are gentle and helpful. If suitable for you, following on from this I will work with you to see if CBT and/or EMDR is going to be most beneficial. The easiest way to get in touch with me is via email, and I aim to respond within 48 hours.

Therapy approaches & models Dunya uses in her practice

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  • BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist

  • Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)

  • Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

  • Coaching (Career / Life)

  • Integrative Therapy

  • Mindfulness

  • Schema

Feedback from Duya’s Clients

“I am exceptionally grateful to have had access to an amazing course of therapy with Dunya in a matter of only a few weeks since I self-referred. I feel as though potentially months of dejection were turned around by a structured approach to working through the trauma and emotion associated with my birth. Instead of fearing that I will be revisited in the future by unprocessed negative emotion, I feel enormously empowered to understand and accept the experience as it was and find in it positive dimensions which I can relate and apply to other aspects of my life. Dunya is a gifted therapist and I can only wish that other women in similar circumstances are able to benefit from her wisdom and expertise in perinatal mental health specifically. Thank you, too, for continuing the therapy uninterrupted the through the pandemic...it was a lifeline” Anonymous

“I always thought therapy was not for me or people who looked like me. Dunya provided a space of compassion to enable me to work through my depression and trauma. She enabled me to take value in my whole identity. Within a matter of weeks, I was able to overcome things that had been with me for over 40 years. I am grateful, and those who know me are glad I had her support” Anonymous

Qualifications & Credientials

  • IAPT Long Term Conditions – King’s College London | 2021-2022

  • EMDR Training parts 1-4 – EMDR Academy | 2020-2021

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapist accredited with BABCP - 1800477

  • King’s College London
    PG Diploma Cognitive Behavioural Therapy | 2017-2018, University College London

  • PG Certificate Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy | 2014-2015

  • University College London 
    MSc Research Methods in Psychology | 2013-2014

  • University of Manchester 
    BSc (Hons) Psychology: 2:1 | 2009-2012

  • Training on supporting LGBTQI+ clients and provided treatment affirming care to support them alongside their mental heal problems.

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidenced based & well researched talking therapy. It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for many mental health problems.

It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for many other mental and physical health problems.

CBT focuses upon how your thoughts and behaviours impact upon your emotions and physical symptoms.

CBT is collaborative treatment and typically involves doing homework tasks between appointments.

It aims to teach you to become your own therapist, teaching you tools so you can keep using the strategies and techniques you have learned after you have finished therapy.

What is EMDR?

EMDR Stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing

When a person experiences psychological trauma or highly stressful events, they are not always able to process the relevant information (i.e. thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations). As a result, they can end up getting “stuck” inside of them and can resurface later on, as if the person was still reliving the traumatic or stressful event.

EMDR aims to ‘process’ negative experiences or events which can subsequently improve emotional well-being and help to significantly reduce, but more often eliminate distressing symptoms and bodily sensations associated with the trauma.

In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also acknowledged EMDR as being an effective treatment approach to psychological trauma and trauma-related disorders.

 

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