depression, depression london, depression therapy, therapy london, meaning of life, purpose and meaning, existential psychotherapy, psychotherapy london, emotional awareness, emotional wellbeing Sara Allahverdi depression, depression london, depression therapy, therapy london, meaning of life, purpose and meaning, existential psychotherapy, psychotherapy london, emotional awareness, emotional wellbeing Sara Allahverdi

Depression and the Search for Meaning: An Existential Perspective

Depression can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves and the world. An existential perspective explores meaning, identity and how psychotherapy may help us find new ways forward.

Read More
ADHD and anxiety, anxiety, anxiety therapy, anxiety attack, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety and relationships, overthinking, understanding anxiety, emotional wellbeing, mental health, anxiety therapy london Sara Allahverdi ADHD and anxiety, anxiety, anxiety therapy, anxiety attack, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety and relationships, overthinking, understanding anxiety, emotional wellbeing, mental health, anxiety therapy london Sara Allahverdi

Understanding Anxiety: When Worry Becomes Overwhelming

Understand anxiety, explore what may lie beneath persistent worry and discover how psychotherapy can help you develop a different relationship with anxious feelings.

Read More
postnatal depression, depression, baby blues, parenthood, couples therapy, couples therapist, online couples therapist, online therapy, womens mental health, mental health, anxiety, intrusive thoughts Sara Allahverdi postnatal depression, depression, baby blues, parenthood, couples therapy, couples therapist, online couples therapist, online therapy, womens mental health, mental health, anxiety, intrusive thoughts Sara Allahverdi

Postnatal Depression: Understanding the Emotional Impact

Explore the emotional challenges of postnatal depression, its impact on relationships and how to find appropriate support.

Read More
anxious attachment, anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety attack, abandonment issues, emotional trauma, trauma therapy, couples therapy, relationship therapy, relationship issues, attachment style, avoidant attachment Sara Allahverdi anxious attachment, anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety attack, abandonment issues, emotional trauma, trauma therapy, couples therapy, relationship therapy, relationship issues, attachment style, avoidant attachment Sara Allahverdi

Anxiety in relationships

Anxiety is a common emotion amongst humans, because at its core, its function is to detect threats and danger and therefore protect us. Anxiety keeps us alert. There is a very natural level of anxiety that we need - to be cautious. But then there is another level of anxiety that can debilitate us, as it becomes a disproportionate response to our environment and reality.

In a relationship, anxiety can manifest in a way that challenges the dynamics between two people, leading to many things such as communication breakdown, distance/withdrawal, sexual difficulties and more.

Read More
Polyvagal theory, trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, trauma therapy, EMDR, anxiety attack, anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, depression, panic attack, somatic therapy Sara Allahverdi Polyvagal theory, trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, trauma therapy, EMDR, anxiety attack, anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, depression, panic attack, somatic therapy Sara Allahverdi

Nervous System healing: Polyvagal Therapy

Polyvagal theory helps people understand and work with their nervous system’s responses to stress, trauma, and connection — especially the way we shift between states of safety, shutdown, or hyperarousal. Polyvagal-informed therapy can also help you track and regulate your nervous system.

This insight can reduce shame and increase self-compassion. You learn to recognize when you're shifting into fight/flight or shutdown, and practice tools to move back into a regulated state. These can include breathwork to calm sympathetic arousal, movement or touch to emerge from dorsal shutdown, voice tone, music, or eye contact to activate safety cues

Read More
anxious attachment, enmeshment, enmeshment trauma, childhood trauma, trauma therapy, trauma, emotional trauma, relationship issues, relationship therapy, family issues, family therapy, couples therapy, narcissism, parentification Sara Allahverdi anxious attachment, enmeshment, enmeshment trauma, childhood trauma, trauma therapy, trauma, emotional trauma, relationship issues, relationship therapy, family issues, family therapy, couples therapy, narcissism, parentification Sara Allahverdi

Family issues - enmeshment trauma: family won't respect my boundaries

Enmeshment trauma (also seen as over-intimacy or excessive closeness) is a type of emotional trauma that is caused by a lack of clear and healthy boundaries in the family environment and dynamics. Over-intimacy/enmeshment can happen when boundaries (typically between a parent and child) are blurred, overly diffused or even nonexistent. This leads to the child being emotionally fused with the parent's needs, wants, feelings or identity.

Read More
anxious attachment, anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety attack, panic attack, stress, worry Sara Allahverdi anxious attachment, anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety attack, panic attack, stress, worry Sara Allahverdi

Anxiety attack - what to do?

What is an anxiety attack? You have an anxiety attack when you experience a fear or worry that comes very intensely. An anxiety attack is often building up before you experience it as an attack. People also interchangeably use panic attacks and anxiety attacks. The main difference is that certain stressors can trigger the anxiety attack, whilst a panic attack is typically sudden and unexpected. Anxiety attacks are often less intense and last longer than a panic attack.

Read More
anxious attachment, dependent personality disorder, self esteem, self confidence, anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, trauma, personality disorder, people pleaser, family issues Sara Allahverdi anxious attachment, dependent personality disorder, self esteem, self confidence, anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, trauma, personality disorder, people pleaser, family issues Sara Allahverdi

People pleasing - why do it?

People pleasing is constantly meeting the needs of others at the expense of one’s own needs.

Read More