SPECIALTY | Doctor Mabin Psychology

Before you move on to learn how I work with each of the conditions that I am specialised in, there are a few points I’d like to mention here. From the beginning of my clinical experience, I’ve come across presentations across a wide range of cases. Some with a clear, confirmed diagnosis, others where people or families are wondering, trying to make sense of what they are seeing, and then there are cases where the label arrives much later, sometimes almost as an afterthought.

What I found myself valuing over time is not so much the label itself, but the process that sits around it. Because if I only hold onto the diagnostic category, something gets flattened quite quickly. The person in front of me becomes harder to see in full.

So I don’t tend to move straight into whether something “fits” ADHD, ASD, anxiety, depression. It can be helpful to know, yes, but it rarely holds the full picture. What I stay with more often is how the person is functioning, and what that functioning is trying to achieve or protect. How you relate to yourself. How you relate to others. How you are with yourself when alone, and how that shifts in contact with other people. And then how all of that starts to loop back on itself over time.

That is when my psychodynamic thinking gets activated when I listen to your stories, because these patterns do not sit separately. They overlap and interfere with each other, they sometimes even contradict each other. A presentation can look very different depending on context, stress, safety, history. A label on its own can miss that completely.

And yet this way of working is not straightforward. It asks for holding a lot of material at once without rushing to reduce it into something tidy. Sometimes things do not immediately connect, and there is a pressure to make them connect too early.

So when people talk about overdiagnosis or underdiagnosis, I often find the more useful question sits elsewhere. Not whether a diagnosis is correct or incorrect in isolation, but what is being left out of view when we settle on that answer too quickly, and what the person’s wider pattern of experience is actually pointing towards.

I hope that is something you’ve been looking for, either consciously or unconsciously.

Eating Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment

Eating disorders are often spoken about through food, weight, or appearance, but in therapy, it rarely stays at that surface level for very long. Very quickly, we begin to see that the relationship with food has usually become tied into something much wider. Control, shame, self criticism, emotional overwhelm, fear of being seen, fear of losing oneself, sometimes even a way of surviving experiences that once felt unmanageable.

So I do not approach eating disorders as simply a set of behaviours that need correcting. What I am usually trying to understand first is what the eating disorder has come to represent or protect within that person’s life.

For some people, the struggle feels harsh and relentless, with food, body image, and self worth becoming intertwined to the point where everyday life starts shrinking around them. For others, it can look quieter from the outside, while internally there is constant exhaustion, guilt, secrecy, or a feeling of never being “good enough”.

My approach involves building a fuller picture of the person’s emotional world alongside the eating difficulties themselves. This includes looking at patterns in relationships, identity, perfectionism, emotional regulation, trauma, self image, and the pressures the person has learned to carry over time.

Depending on the person’s needs, therapy may draw from CBT E, DBT, psychodynamic thinking, and other evidence based approaches. But I try not to force people into a rigid treatment process. Therapy works best when the work feels connected to the person’s actual experience, rather than becoming another set of rules they feel they are failing at.

Where needed, I also work closely with GPs, dietitians, psychiatrists, and family members so that both the psychological and physical aspects of recovery are supported together.

Recovery is rarely about achieving a perfect relationship with food. More often, it involves helping a person build a different relationship with themselves, one where eating no longer has to carry the weight of everything that could not previously be spoken, processed, or felt.

ADHD

I specialise in offering a thorough approach to managing ADHD, aiming to help both children and adults navigate the challenges it brings. My method isn’t a one-size-fits-all. It’s flexible, crafted to meet the unique needs of each person.

What I focus on most is helping individuals develop strategies that make daily life a bit easier. This includes techniques to sharpen focus, improve time management, and get more organised. These tools are practical, and they form the foundation for a better overall sense of well-being and quality of life.

With my experience in neurodevelopmental disorders, I’m equipped to deal with the complexities of ADHD, helping people not only manage symptoms but truly flourish. The goal is to empower individuals to live fulfilling lives, where they can continue to grow, build self-confidence, and develop the skills needed for long-term success.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

I offer specialised therapy for children and adult diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with a particular focus on helping them develop emotional regulation skills. My approach is designed to meet the unique emotional needs of each individual, and I believe collaboration is key. I work closely with both the individual and their families to understand and support these emotional challenges.

A key part of my work involves helping individuals understand that ASD is not a disorder, but rather a different way of experiencing and interacting with the world. Emotional dysregulation can often be a response to an environment that hasn't been adjusted to the needs of an autistic mind. Together, we build strategies that help the individual express and manage their feelings in healthier ways. I create a safe and nurturing environment, where the individual can explore their emotions with confidence and start learning how to navigate their emotional world.

The goal of my work is simple: to enhance the well-being of these individuals by helping them build a strong sense of self. Through this process, they learn to thrive and embrace their unique way of being. By equipping them with emotional tools, they can not only improve their quality of life but also forge more meaningful social connections, leading to richer interactions and a greater sense of fulfilment as they reach their fullest potential.

Trauma

I offer trauma-focused therapy, where I support people in their healing from past experiences that have caused them deep pain. My focus is on using well-researched methods to guide clients through the complex process of recovery. I am a believer that trauma treatment should not be limited to symptoms management, and my psychodynamic background will help the client make sense of the often unconscious links between the past and the present.

By working together, I help individuals regain control, rebuild their resilience, and emerge from their trauma with a renewed sense of strength. I believe that, with the right guidance and support, anyone can move past their trauma and come out the other side more empowered and ready to face life’s next chapter.

Sense of Self

Therapy isn’t just about fixing problems . Often it’s about finding and embracing your true self. Through self-reflection and guided exploration, therapy helps individuals connect with their core beliefs, values, and identity.

This journey fosters self-awareness, boosts self-esteem, and helps people build a deep, authentic connection with who they are. It’s a way to build confidence and live a life that feels aligned with your deepest truths. In the end, therapy helps individuals feel more grounded in who they are, allowing them to move forward with greater authenticity and fulfilment.

Anxiety

If you’re struggling with anxiety, therapy offers a safe space where we can work together to find the root causes, and explore ways to cope. The goal is to help you feel more in control and restore some balance to your life.

Using evidence-based techniques, we focus on building tools to manage the stress and uncertainty that anxiety brings. Therapy equips you with strategies to improve your overall well-being, so you can regain a sense of peace and stability, no matter what life throws your way.

Depression

For those dealing with depression, therapy offers a supportive environment to begin the journey of healing. It’s a space to safely explore what’s causing your low mood, and work through those tough emotions with the help of proven therapeutic approaches.

Together, we’ll find effective coping strategies that allow you to move towards a brighter future. Therapy can help you rediscover hope, improve your mood, and find purpose and joy again in life, because you deserve to feel better, and you don’t have to face it alone.