Serene Psychology - Sunderland

asmaa al-allak

I reached out to Sonia at a time in my life where I needed a lot of support emotionally. Having her there for me in the last 12 months has transformed my life to the better and the future is now bright.

She has in-depth knowledge of the type of emotional abuse I suffered and how to deal with and overcome it. Thank you so much!!

Joe

I found Sonia to be incredibly helpful, empathetic and professional.

I felt like my problems were understood, and her integrative approach allowed me to deal with several things that had been bothering me for years. It has been a few months since my last session but I continue to benefit greatly from what we discussed.

I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a psychologist.

Relentless Pressure

Accepting I could have a problem was the first and most difficult step, then a friend recommended that I gave Dr Ahmed (Sonia) a call as she had helped his son through a difficult patch in his life, so he therefore had first hand experience of why he thought it would be beneficial for me to talk to her.

At my first meeting with Sonia I knew immediately he was right!

I felt at ease throughout our meeting, with no embarrassment or feeling the need to hold anything back. Sonia listened carefully when I spoke and asked questions only when she thought was appropriate. Its amazing how much knowledge she picks up from simply listening to what you have to say.

I surprised myself at how much I obviously needed to just let flow and being in a different environment with Sonia made this feel so normal. Our meeting enabled me to see things more clearly as we discussed issues I had possibly bottled up or had not even realised were there. The ability to talk freely without the worry of upsetting anyone else was exactly what I needed. I suppose I had been concerned that if I had spoken to anybody close I could maybe not have been so open, direct and honest. There’s also the factor that they could have given back their biased opinions, which you don’t get with Sonia.
Speaking with Sonia enabled me to realise that something was actually happening that I needed to address and Sonia hit the nail on the head when she identified that I could have burnout. I didn’t know that was even a medical condition in its own right and just thought it to be terminology.
Sonia was totally right in my opinion as I researched the symptoms when I got home and could relate to what I was reading, so I know that is what the problem has been- if it was depression I couldn’t understand it, or why I would have it, so I couldn’t get my head around it. Since Sonia identified potential burnout I can now start to deal with it because I understand the symptoms and why they are happening. With Sonia's help I have managed to implemented step to make the changes I need to overcome this.
I sincerely could not recommend Sonia highly enough to anyone who may be in a similar position to me. She really does help – you’ve just got to realise that you could possibly need to talk to her first, no matter how small of an issue you may think it is.

Fricka

Firstly, I cannot recommend Serene Psychology enough but mostly Dr Sonia Ahmed. After several attempts at CBT with other therapists I finally found the right person for me. We did some EMDR with CBT sprinkled throughout. Dr Ahmed showed me compassion, insight, patience and a great knowledge on processing thoughts and working through stressful situations.

The rooms were always bright, calming and clean. It felt safe and very private. If you are looking at seeking help please give Serene Psychology a message. They truly care.

Vicky

I felt very comfortable with dr Sonia & felt like I could let my guard down almost straight away. It's great that Dr sonia is so understanding and flexible with me too, regards to appointments, this was a big weight lifted as sometimes I can't attend appointments face to face so the offer of online was also available at times when appropriate.
I would highly recommend Dr Sonia, she's literally helping me deal with life and helping me understand myself more than I could of hope. After years of unresolved feelings and emotions I feel I can trust dr sonia to help me over come anything. (I thought I was past saving!) Dr Sonia also gives valuable help & perspective to enable me to see things from often a more 'real' / positive perspective and she's very honest with it, there's no beating around the bush which is exactly what I need. Thank you again, so much.

Ju W

I recently completed EMDR therapy with Sonia, I found this really effective for processing trauma. Sonia was really knowledgeable and incredibly supportive. I would definitely recommend.

eileen

I have had treatment with Dr Sonia and I can say that she has helped me accept my illness and manage everyday life,I would highly recommend Dr sonia,she listens let’s you talk then helps you understand what is happening every session was a great help,her words were soothing and reassuring,Thank you so much for all your help.

Phil Griffin