Dr Anita Goraya

I have endured and healed from long-standing depression and anxiety. After over twenty years as a medical doctor, I now work as a CBT therapist. At 55, a diagnosis of ADHD helped me make sense of my life.

Through medical treatment, therapy, meditation, and Buddhist teachings, I have learned to heal myself, turning wounds into scars.
My motivation as a therapist is to teach from my scars and help people with ADHD reduce their emotional distress and tackle life's challenges.

I blog about ADHD to share my understanding of its neuroscience, emotional impact, and invaluable skills training.
This is my compassionate contribution to the community, my 'dana' or generosity, as described in Buddhism – because it matters deeply to me.

Dr Anita Goraya ADHD specialist

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Dr Anita Goraya

I have endured and healed from long-standing depression and anxiety. After over twenty years as a medical doctor, I now work as a CBT therapist. At 55, a diagnosis of ADHD helped me make sense of my life.

Through medical treatment, therapy, meditation, and Buddhist teachings, I have learned to heal myself, turning wounds into scars.
My motivation as a therapist is to teach from my scars and help people with ADHD reduce their emotional distress and tackle life's challenges. I blog about ADHD to share my understanding of its neuroscience, emotional impact, and invaluable skills training.
This is my compassionate contribution to the community, my 'dana' or generosity, as described in Buddhism – because it matters deeply to me.

 

Who I Work With

I work with individuals who either suspect they have ADHD or have a confirmed diagnosis. My clients are typically established professionals, businesspeople, or entrepreneurs who experience success in some aspects of their lives but often feel overwhelmed and find life 'too much' in other ways. They may be gradually burning out or currently in crisis. I also work with families of people with ADHD to help them better understand and support their loved ones.

I also work with professionals suffering anxiety or depression without ADHD. In addition, I offer expertise in working with Psychological Trauma.

Who I Don’t Work With

Specialising in certain clinical areas means I have limited experience in others. Therefore, if you are experiencing an active eating disorder, serious substance misuse, psychosis, personality disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, I recommend seeking a CBT therapist with expertise in these issues.

Additionally, please note that I do not work with children.

Who am I?

I’m Dr Anita Goraya, a former GP and now an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and blogger specialising in ADHD, depression, and anxiety for established professionals. I hold a qualification in Enhanced CBT from the University of Oxford, with specialisations in Complex Cases and Psychological Trauma.

My mission is to support people with ADHD and their families in building on their strengths and resilience to better manage their challenges. My personal journey has given me deep insights into the strategies that work, and my professional training equips me to tailor these strategies to your specific needs. My years as a doctor means I understand medications, scientific research and how the body works, as well as the mind.

 

What’s It Like Working with Me?

Combining evidence-based CBT techniques with practical skills training, I offer a comprehensive approach to ADHD management.

Whether you’re looking to improve focus, enhance emotional regulation, or develop better organisational skills, I’m here to help.

What Does ADHD Look Like in established professionals?

ADHD isn’t just about difficulties with concentration and organisation; we are also creative, fun, innovative, and fearless individuals who think outside the box in our professional and social lives! Although ADHD doesn't define who you are, it often impacts on how you are. Here are some ways it can show up.
Even with career achievements, you might feel like you're constantly flying by the seat of your pants, fearing that you'll be exposed as an imposter. Procrastination might plague you, especially with mundane tasks like admin and paperwork. Your workspace could be messy and disorganised, and you might frequently forget or lose things. Time management might be a challenge, with fidgeting and restlessness during meetings, talking over others, and impatience to get things done. Sound familiar?
Your home life might contrast sharply with your work life. If you're expending most of your energy at work, you might feel overwhelmed by repetitive domestic chores like housework, shopping, cooking, and managing personal finances. Self-care and hobbies can fall by the wayside due to a lack of time or energy. Alternatively, you might start numerous projects with enthusiasm, only to abandon them soon after. You might be drawn to hobbies that provide a risk or adrenaline rush. Do you struggle to relax, hate waiting in traffic, or drive fast enough to accumulate speeding fines?
If your ADHD wasn't diagnosed until adulthood, you might have internalised a sense of being different because of your difficulties with tasks that others seem to handle easily. Frequent criticism for being 'lazy,' 'ditsy,' or 'useless' can lead to a harsh inner critic telling you that you're 'not good enough' and that your difficulties are 'your fault.' This might result in unassertive communication, consistently prioritising others' needs over your own, or frequent anger and impulsive actions. Do you get bored in romantic relationships and move on quickly, or avoid them altogether? Does your partner complain that you 'zone out' of conversations or try to multitask during them?
Although it's not a current diagnostic criterion, almost everyone with ADHD experiences heightened emotions in response to triggers. Highs are intensely high, lows are deeply low, making life feel like a rollercoaster. Would you like to feel less at the mercy of your emotions and more in control?

Testimonials

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I cannot recommend Anita highly enough. She is compassionate, personable and kind…. I found it very easy to build a rapport with her and I think this is why the therapy was successful…
I am a surgeon and was reluctant to engage with therapy as I had a negative perception of what talking therapy involved and also how the therapist would respond to me. These fears and misconceptions proved totally unfounded and I am now happily back in work and feeling very well. Thank you for your help, Anita. 'Dr C'

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Adrian Chiles - TV presenter and broadcaster – writes about Anita’s expertise in helping with his ADHD diagnosis and management

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Anita helped me following my diagnosis of burnout, depression and anxiety which occurred following a number of successive major life events. She is a knowledgeable, experienced and astute professional with a supportive and flexible approach. Her insightful input improved my awareness and understanding of the difficult and unhelpful thoughts and feelings I can have and provided me with a variety of different tools and techniques to use when they occur. Before meeting Anita I was feeling overwhelmed with life and having difficulty coping. The sessions have definitely contributed to an improvement in my overall wellbeing and functioning. If you are considering a CBT therapist you are in very safe hands with Anita! 'Dr D'

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CBT and my experience working with Anita, in short, has given me control over my life for the very first time. My entire life I thought worrying myself sick, having semi-regular panic attacks and hating myself was simply who I was, and the notion of changing was an unrealistic fantasy. I had been to three therapists before I came to Anita and I honestly have only noticed a real change in my life ever since beginning our sessions… Knowing that I tended to see the world in black and white and could only be convinced by objective evidence, Anita and I constantly tailored behavioural experiments to challenge my maladaptive behaviours, and to test the waters - if only to see if taking 15 minute breaks at work to have a cup of tea would make my entire word come crashing down. As Anita may have predicted, it simply did not… I have read many of these types of testimonials in the past, and in all honesty, they seemed as helpful as a motivational fridge magnet, and completely inapplicable to my life. However, as a sceptic in almost all aspects of life, I can only claim that as a result of CBT, I have seen concrete, real changes to my mindset, behaviours, relationships, work ethic, and overall quality of life. ‘Jack’

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Anita helped me to look constructively at my unhelpful and debilitating patterns of thinking. She did this with compassion, empathy and a welcome practicality. As a result of our sessions, I now have a constructive psychological ‘toolkit’ to return to when I need this and I have experienced a positive and consistent pattern of change in thought since we met. The colour is coming back into a world that’s been grey for a while. I’m sure that this change would not have happened without her wisdom and support. I highly recommend her CBT services. 'Em',

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Anita is a very gifted Therapist and clearly very dedicated and hard working. Through defining my anxiety condition clinically and breaking it down in a simple way, I feel less overwhelmed, more able to deal with it and less guilty for having it. The sessions have given me a more objective, manageable perspective and viewpoint of my issues. ‘Mo’

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What next?

If you’re ready to take control of your ADHD and achieve your life goals, I invite you to explore my website, read my blog, and reach out to schedule a consultation. Together, we can develop a personalised plan that empowers you to flourish.

Contact me

Read my ADHD Wellness & Wisdom blog

Please visit my Substack for the free full version of these blogs. It's where you'll find my take on the three pillars of ADHD - the neuroscience of your brain, the emotional impact of having ADHD, and skills training so you can become better at organisation, communication and self-regulation.

https://anitagoraya.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search

 



 

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Dr Anita Goraya CBT Therapist

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