Specialised Clinical Practice

Areas of Clinical Specialism

Celestine Orajiaka brings 10+ years of psychological treatment and clinical risk management to a wide array of psychological and somatic difficulties. Browse through the conditions treated below.

Anxiety & Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Persistent worrying about everyday issues, feeling constantly on edge, restlessness, and catastrophic future-thinking.

Excessive, uncontrollable worry

Muscle tension & restlessness

Anticipatory dread

Clinical CBT Approach:CBT thought evaluation, worry postponement, intolerance of uncertainty experiments, and autonomic calming.

Depression & Low Mood

Feelings of emptiness, persistent low energy, loss of interest in once-enjoyed activities, and harsh self-criticism.

Loss of motivation & withdrawal

Pervasive hopelessness

Chronic fatigue

Clinical CBT Approach:Behavioural Activation (BA) to reintroduce mastery and pleasure, coupled with cognitive reappraisal.

Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Distressing memories, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness following traumatic life events or prolonged distress.

Intrusive flashbacks & nightmares

Hyperarousal & startle response

Avoidance of trauma cues

Clinical CBT Approach:Trauma-focused CBT, narrative exposure, memory updating, and grounding techniques to restore emotional safety.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Distressing intrusive thoughts, images, or urges accompanied by repetitive mental or physical rituals to neutralise anxiety.

Intrusive taboo or catastrophic thoughts

Compulsive checking, washing, or repeating

Reassurance seeking

Clinical CBT Approach:Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to disconfirm catastrophic fears and eliminate disabling compulsions.

Chronic Pain & Somatic Distress

Navigating the psychological toll, exhaustion, and fear-avoidance cycles of living with ongoing physical pain or health conditions.

Pain catastrophising

Activity avoidance or boom-and-bust cycles

Secondary depression and anxiety

Clinical CBT Approach:Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and CBT pacing to retrain nervous system sensitivity and rebuild valued living.

Specific Phobias & Agoraphobia

Intense, irrational fear of specific objects, animals, enclosed spaces, medical procedures, or public environments.

Panic attacks when confronted with triggers

Extensive avoidance behaviours

Anticipatory dread

Clinical CBT Approach:Systematic graded exposure hierarchies, physiological deconditioning, and cognitive restructuring.

Social & Health Anxiety

Intense fear of negative judgement, scrutiny, blushing in public, or persistent hyper-fixation on physical sensations as fatal illness.

Fear of humiliation or rejection

Compulsive Googling of symptoms & body checking

Post-event rumination

Clinical CBT Approach:Clark & Wells Social Anxiety protocol, shifting internal self-focus to external tasks, and behavioural testing.

Low Self-Esteem & The Inner Critic

Deep-seated beliefs of being "not good enough", defectiveness, imposter syndrome, and unrelenting harsh standards.

Excessive self-criticism

Difficulty setting healthy boundaries

People-pleasing

Clinical CBT Approach:Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Fennell’s CBT model for identifying core beliefs and fostering self-worth.

Sleep Disorders & Insomnia

Chronic difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, early morning awakening, and daytime fatigue and brain fog.

Tossing and turning with racing thoughts

Clock-watching during the night

Dread of bedtime

Clinical CBT Approach:CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I), sleep hygiene restructuring, stimulus control, and sleep restriction protocols.

Workplace Stress & Professional Burnout

Exhaustion, cynicism, reduced professional efficacy, and inability to switch off outside of working hours.

Emotional exhaustion

Irritability and cynicism

Cognitive overload and indecision

Clinical CBT Approach:Cognitive boundary-setting, executive stress audits, somatic nervous system resets, and values realignment.

Suicidal Ideation & Risk Management Support

Experienced, non-judgemental assessment and safety planning for individuals experiencing overwhelming emotional pain or existential despair.

Feelings of being a burden

Overwhelming emotional pain

Thoughts of wanting to disappear

Clinical CBT Approach:Drawing upon 10+ years in clinical risk assessment: collaborative safety planning, crisis de-escalation, and identifying protective anchors.

Don't See Your Specific Difficulty Listed?

Many psychological challenges present in unique or overlapping ways. Reach out for an initial consultation to discuss your situation confidentially and explore whether cognitive behavioural psychotherapy can help.

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