Dr. Shamarel O. E. Odusanya DClinPsy (UK)
Clinical Psychologist
Individual short and long-term psychotherapy for Adults. Clinical supervision for therapists and other health professionals.
Specialized services: Emotional Wellbeing Check.
Services offered in English.
My therapeutic approach
In my clinical practice I work integratively using various therapeutic models. This allows me to provide a service that is centered around your needs. This is important as your life experiences are unique to you, and thus you will need an approach that is tailored to your individual circumstances.
My aim is to provide a safe, non-judgmental space for you to be able to grow, heal and develop as the person that you wish to be. I see you as the expert in your life experiences; and so I value us working together, sharing our respective expertise to help you reach your goals.
I am trained in a number of evidence based approaches. These approaches help me to help you develop an understanding of what brought you to this point in your life. From that point, we are then able to begin the process of increasing your awareness of yourself, your emotions and your experiences. This part of the therapeutic process is one that can feel extremely empowering and insightful. I will support you to understand some of the processes at play in your life that may be a little more difficult to understand and make sense of. We will then work together to learn some practical tools to help you live a life that feels more fulfilling and less overwhelming.
My areas of interest include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic
- Anger
- Low self esteem and confidence issues
- Stress
- Unusual Experiences (Hearing Voices)
- Personal growth and self awareness
- Adjustment difficulties
- Interpersonal difficulties
- Corporate Consultation
- Emotional dysregulation
- Self-harm
I am trained in the use of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), a therapeutic model that can support you to understand your emotions that feel difficult. It provides you with an opportunity to learn skills to manage your emotions more effectively. This approach has been shown to be helpful for a wide range of difficulties including: suicidal ideation, mood swings, self harm, depression, amongst other presenting problems. It utilizes mindfulness as a key tool for self-development and improvement and also focuses on how to:
• regulate your emotions
• cope with distressing feelings
• get on with people better
Some approaches that have proved beneficial for clients in my practice include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
ACT will allow us to identify your core values and focus on the various things in life that are making it difficult for you to live accordingly. This approach offers acceptance as an alternative way of relating to your feelings. Instead of running away from difficult feelings you will be supported to learn how to sit with them and not be distressed at their presence.
CBT meanwhile is an evidence based approach that will help you to change unhelpful ways of thinking. We will also focus on behaviors that fuel vicious cycles of anxiety and/or depression.
If you experience difficulties with anger, anxiety, depression, panic, phobias and stress, there is good evidence to suggest that you may benefit from a course of CBT.
Whilst these various approaches may seem overwhelming to understand, my role is to ensure that the chosen approach is right for you and will help you to reach the goals that you identify at the outset of therapy.
My Qualifications and Experience
I am a British national and hold a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. My undergraduate Bachelors degree and Masters were both obtained in the UK from the University of Sussex. And I hold a Postgraduate diploma in Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural interventions from University College London (UCL).
In the UK, I worked in the NHS as a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist across inpatient and outpatient settings. I have experience of cognitive, personality and attitudinal assessments, utilizing these to develop specialized formulations of clients’ difficulties. Further to my experience in clinical settings, I worked in the legal arena as an expert witness in court proceedings. In this role I would complete psychological assessments as directed by the courts. I also have experience of working with teams delivering reflective practice and a space to understand complex work dynamics that impact on the efficiency and productivity of the team. I have worked in Dubai since 2020 in private practice offering services to the Emirati and Expat communities.
I am licensed by:
- Dubai Health Authority
- Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) UK
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