Adult mental health
For capable, busy adults whose distress sits beneath how well they seem to be coping.
Therapy for adults →Adult & maternal mental health
Therapy for adults, and for the seasons of motherhood.
CBT-informed support for adults facing anxiety, burnout and change, with specialist care for women from pregnancy through the early years of parenting.
Online & in person, Dubai
English · Hindi · Urdu
MSc Psychology (Distinction)
CBT & perinatal trainedBeck Institute · Seleni Institute
Areas of practice
Two specialisms, one careful way of working.
Whether you come with a single worry or a season of life that has turned everything over, sessions are structured, collaborative and built around you.
Maternal mental health
Specialist perinatal support from trying to conceive through pregnancy, postpartum and the early years.
Maternal support →
For organisations
Workplace wellbeing →
Workplace wellbeing
Psychologically informed wellbeing sessions for teams in high-pressure environments, one-to-one support for staff, and support for working parents.
Adult mental health
For the parts of life that don't show from the outside.
Many of the people I see are capable and dependable, and their distress sits underneath all that competence. Therapy is a place to put it down for a while.
Anxiety & stress
Racing thoughts, constant worry, and a body that never quite switches off.
Burnout & high-functioning distress
Coping well on paper while running on empty inside.
Low mood & depression
Heaviness, flatness, or losing interest in the things that used to matter.
Identity & life transitions
Relocation, career change, separation and other moments that ask who you are now.
Relationships & family
Shifting roles with a partner, parents, in-laws and extended family.
Grief & loss
Bereavement, and the losses that don't always get named.
Perfectionism & self-criticism
High standards that have turned into a harsh inner voice.
Work stress
Pressure, overload and performance in demanding jobs.
Maternal mental health
Support that follows you from hoping to holding.
Becoming a mother changes your body, your sleep, your relationships and your sense of who you are. You don't need to be in crisis to deserve support at any point along the way.
- Before
Trying to conceive
The waiting, the hoping, fertility treatment and the strain it puts on you and your relationship.
- During
Pregnancy
Anxiety about the birth or the baby, low mood, and feelings you didn't expect to have.
- 0–3 months
The fourth trimester
Birth recovery, sleep loss, intrusive worries, and the gap between how it was meant to feel and how it does.
- The early years
Finding your feet
Identity shifts, parental burnout, relationship changes and the pressure to get it all right.
- Returning
Back to work
Guilt, divided attention, and rebuilding a career alongside a family.
When the journey includes loss
Miscarriage, stillbirth, a difficult diagnosis or a birth that didn't go as planned. Perinatal grief is often hidden and rarely talked about. I have specialist training in perinatal grief and loss, and there is room here for all of it, at whatever pace you need.
Research-led practice
Much of the pressure to be a perfect mother comes from outside us.
My MSc research looked at perfectionism and parental burnout among mothers in Dubai. Of the factors studied, socially prescribed perfectionism, the sense that others expect you to be flawless, was the strongest predictor of burnout.
That finding shapes how I work. Early support and CBT-based psychoeducation can help mothers notice these expectations and loosen their grip.
Workplace wellbeing
Support for the people behind the work.
I spent more than 15 years in senior roles in Dubai's marketing industry before psychology, so I know high-pressure workplaces from the inside. I bring that understanding to teams.
- Wellbeing workshops on stress, burnout and perfectionism
- One-to-one support for employees
- Support for working parents and staff returning from leave
- Talks for leaders on psychologically healthy teams
About Sabina
Structured, warm and practical.
I'm a psychologist supporting adults through anxiety, burnout, low mood and the big transitions of life, with a particular focus on women and mothers.
My approach is CBT-informed. Together we make sense of what's happening (a formulation), learn how it works, and build practical tools you can use between sessions. I pay close attention to culture, family and the relationships around you, because none of us struggle in a vacuum.
Before psychology, I spent more than 15 years in senior client-facing and leadership roles in Dubai's marketing industry. I understand workplace pressure, performance and the identity that gets tied up in a career, and that experience still informs my work with professionals today.
EnglishHindiUrdu
How it works
Starting is simpler than it feels.
A short, free call
We talk briefly about what's bringing you here and whether I'm the right fit. No pressure to book.
An initial assessment
A longer first session to understand your concerns, your history and what you'd like to change.
Ongoing sessions
Regular sessions built around your goals, with tools to practise in between. We review progress together.
Sessions
Online or offline.
Online
Secure video sessions from wherever you are. Helpful in the early weeks with a newborn, or when a busy week makes travel hard.
- Length
- 45 minutes
- Platform
- Secure video link, sent when you book
Offline
Face-to-face sessions in Dubai, for those who prefer to be in the same room.
- Length
- 45 minutes
- Booking
- Online, in a few clicks
Training & credentials
Qualified, and still learning.
MSc Psychology (Distinction)Northumbria University, UK · BPS-accredited · 2023
Cognitive Behavioural TherapyBeck Institute
CBT for Depression, Grief & LossTransformation Institute
Perinatal Mental Health: Disorders, Grief & LossSeleni Institute
Perinatal Mental HealthCOPE Institute
H.E.A.L. Masterclass on TraumaDr Gabor Maté
Licensing. Psychologist, eligibility approved by the Community Development Authority (CDA), Dubai, April 2026.
Questions
Things people often ask
Do you only work with mothers?
No. Adult mental health and maternal mental health are my two main areas. I work with adults of any background on anxiety, burnout, low mood, grief, relationships and life transitions.
How do I know if I need therapy?
If it's affecting how you feel, sleep, relate or function, it's worth talking about. Many people come in feeling they should be coping better, and that pressure is often part of what we work on.
Can I bring my baby to sessions?
Yes, where it can't be avoided. I'm trained to work with a baby in the session, so feeding, settling and pausing are all fine.
What does CBT-informed therapy involve?
We look at the links between your thoughts, feelings, body and behaviour, and how they keep difficulties going. Sessions are collaborative and structured, and you'll leave with practical things to try. It is also a space to simply be heard.
Do you work with companies?
Yes. I run wellbeing sessions for teams and offer one-to-one support for employees, including working parents. Get in touch to talk about what your organisation needs.
Which languages do you work in?
English, Hindi and Urdu, and a mix of them if that feels more natural.
Are you licensed?
I am a psychologist with eligibility approved by the Community Development Authority (CDA), Dubai, in April 2026.
Is this an emergency service?
No. If you're in immediate danger or worried about your safety or your baby's, call 999 in the UAE or go to your nearest emergency department. I can help you find specialist or psychiatric support when that's what's needed.
Get in touch
Take the first small step.
Book a free 15-minute call, message on WhatsApp, or send an enquiry. WhatsApp messages usually get a reply within the hour.
Book onlineFind an available spot
WhatsAppNeed more info? Drop me a note.
Emailsabinathepsychologist@gmail.com