Dr Anita Goraya - Cognitive Behaviour Therapist

Professional qualifications

I obtained my core CBT qualifications from the Universities of Hertfordshire and Oxford. I have additional specialist training in psychological trauma from the world renowned Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, which is part of the University of Oxford.

I am accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). This signals the 'gold standard' expertise of a CBT therapist and the quality of therapy being offered. This is important because psychotherapy is an unregulated profession, meaning that anyone can identify themself and advertise as a CBT therapist, without any sort of training or qualification at all!

In addition, I remain a GMC registered doctor. This means that my professional values, knowledge, skills and behaviours are held to the high standards set for doctors by the General Medical Council. 

I am also a Fellow of the Royal College of GPs. This is awarded as an honour and a mark of achievement, in recognition of a significant contribution to General Practice. This was awarded for my work in long-term physical conditions and in professional leadership.

Particular interests

I work with people who are experiencing depression, low self-esteem or any kind of anxiety e.g. generalised anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, health anxiety and agoraphobia. I also work with people who have ADHD and with people who have experienced persistent repeated traumas or a significant single event trauma.

In addition, I also work with people who suffer with long term physical health conditions (such as diabetes and lung problems) or persistent physical symptoms alongside their emotional distress. This includes chronic pain or fatigue, insomnia, irritable bowel or bladder, symptons, tinnitus and headaches. Feeling physically unwell can take an immense psychological toll, particularly if the condition progresses or does not improve as expected -  it can be very helpful to work specifically on the emotional distress as well.

I have a particular interest in working with medical and other health professionals who are suffering from 'burnout', depression, anxiety and occupational trauma. Having also worked in a corporate environment for some years, I am also attuned to the occupational stresses that business people commonly experience.