Aisha Fayad
Psychologist
Bachelor of Criminology and Psychology, Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and Master of Professional Psychology
Pronouns: She/her
Three beliefs that colour the way I work with my clients:
I believe…
That our strengths are our superpowers – a reason that I love using a strength-based approach with my clients.
I believe…
That our relationship with our inner child is essential.
I believe…
That connection in therapy is the most important tool we have!
Get to know me
What’s it like to be in a room with me?
One of my most important qualities, both in my professional and personal life, is that I am a warm and compassionate person. This ensures I am able to facilitate a safe space for you, where you are able to feel seen, heard and understood. I love working collaboratively with my clients, so this means that I take guidance from you about your goals for treatment and how we work together.
What’s my non-negotiable when it comes to taking care of my own mental health?
Self-compassion! This includes showing myself some kindness, love and support when I need it. We are often our worst critics, and it is exacerbated when our mental health is impacted. Self-compassion can look different moment to moment – it could include challenging your unhelpful beliefs about self, journalling, or doing something nice for yourself.
My life motto:
“What you are to be, you are now becoming” – Carl Rogers
My background and experience
Throughout my psychology career, I have loved connecting with different clients, including children, adolescents and adults. Working across a range of different settings, including community health, schools, and private practice, has allowed me to explore various evidence-based approaches. I have particularly enjoyed facilitating group Dialectical Behaviour Therapy programs for adults and, in individual settings, enjoy understanding the impacts of our unhelpful patterns and behaviours through the lens of our early unmet needs.
Languages other than English: Arabic.
I can help you with:
- Adjusting to a new country and culture
- Anger management
- Anxiety: generalised, health and social
- Burnout
- Childhood trauma
- Communication skills
- Complex trauma
- Depression
- Emotional difficulties
- Family issues
- Life changes/transitions
- Mood difficulties
- Panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- People from immigrant or refugee backgrounds
- Perfectionism
- Personality and identity issues
- Relationship difficulties
- Self-development
- Self-esteem issues
- Sexual assault
- Stress
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress
- Wellbeing and self-care
My therapeutic approaches
Depending on my client’s needs and preferences I use a variety of evidence-based approaches including:
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Attachment theory
- Client centred therapy
- Cognitive behaviour therapy
- Dialectical behaviour therapy
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy
- Mindfulness
- Schema therapy