Tayyab Murtaza — Clinical Psychologist & HypnotherapistTayyab MurtazaClinical Psychologist & Hypnotherapist

Areas of support

110 concerns people have brought to therapy

Anonymised, composite examples of the difficulties clients have worked through — and the kinds of progress they reported. Names and identifying details are never shared.

Please read first: these are anonymised composite examples, written to show the range of concerns this practice works with. They do not describe any individual client, and they are not a promise of a particular result — outcomes differ from person to person, and therapy is always planned around your own situation.

Anxiety & worry

The concern

Constant worry about work and family

How therapy helped

Learned to recognise worry loops and set them aside with structured techniques

The concern

Physical anxiety — racing heart, tight chest

How therapy helped

Understood the body's alarm system and reduced panic sensations with breathing and grounding

The concern

Fear of judgement in social situations

How therapy helped

Built confidence gradually through behavioural experiments

The concern

Health-related worry and repeated checking

How therapy helped

Reduced reassurance-seeking and checking routines

The concern

Exam and study anxiety

How therapy helped

Improved focus and calmer preparation before exams

The concern

Anticipatory anxiety before meetings

How therapy helped

Prepared with rehearsal and relaxation before speaking

The concern

Generalised unease without a clear cause

How therapy helped

Identified underlying triggers and built daily regulation habits

The concern

Anxiety after a life change

How therapy helped

Adjusted to the new situation with a structured support plan

The concern

Night-time anxiety and restless mind

How therapy helped

Established wind-down routines that quietened the mind before sleep

The concern

Avoidance of anxiety-provoking places

How therapy helped

Graded exposure restored normal daily movement

Low mood & depression

The concern

Persistent low mood and loss of interest

How therapy helped

Rebuilt routine and pleasurable activity step by step

The concern

Withdrawal from friends and family

How therapy helped

Gradually reconnected with a supportive social circle

The concern

Harsh self-critical thinking

How therapy helped

Developed a fairer, more balanced inner dialogue

The concern

Low energy and difficulty starting the day

How therapy helped

Behavioural activation restored morning structure

The concern

Feeling of hopelessness about the future

How therapy helped

Set small achievable goals that rebuilt momentum

The concern

Low mood after bereavement

How therapy helped

Processed grief at a personal, unhurried pace

The concern

Seasonal dip in motivation

How therapy helped

Planned activity and light routines for difficult months

The concern

Loss of purpose after retirement

How therapy helped

Explored new roles and meaningful daily structure

The concern

Guilt and rumination about the past

How therapy helped

Worked through regret and refocused on the present

The concern

Low mood alongside chronic stress

How therapy helped

Addressed both pressure and mood in a combined plan

Stress & burnout

The concern

Work overload and exhaustion

How therapy helped

Set boundaries and recovery routines that restored energy

The concern

Caregiver burnout while looking after a parent

How therapy helped

Built sustainable caring arrangements and self-care

The concern

Academic pressure and burnout

How therapy helped

Restructured study habits and realistic expectations

The concern

Irritability under pressure

How therapy helped

Learned early-warning signs and de-escalation skills

The concern

Difficulty switching off after work

How therapy helped

Created clear transitions between work and home

The concern

Financial stress affecting sleep

How therapy helped

Separated problem-solving time from rest time

The concern

Business-owner stress and isolation

How therapy helped

Found structured support and decision clarity

The concern

Perfectionism driving overwork

How therapy helped

Adopted healthier standards without losing quality

The concern

Stress-related headaches and tension

How therapy helped

Relaxation training reduced physical tension

The concern

Returning to work after burnout

How therapy helped

Planned a gradual, supported return

Overthinking & rumination

The concern

Replaying conversations for hours

How therapy helped

Attention training reduced mental replaying

The concern

Endless 'what if' thinking

How therapy helped

Learned to park hypotheticals and act on the present

The concern

Decision paralysis over small choices

How therapy helped

Built decision rules that cut deliberation time

The concern

Mental checking of past mistakes

How therapy helped

Defusion techniques loosened the grip of old memories

The concern

Overthinking before sleep

How therapy helped

Scheduled worry time kept nights clear

The concern

Catastrophic predictions about the future

How therapy helped

Tested predictions against reality and reduced dread

The concern

Rumination after conflict

How therapy helped

Developed closure habits after disagreements

The concern

Over-analysis of relationships

How therapy helped

Balanced reflection with direct communication

The concern

Perfectionist re-checking of work

How therapy helped

Set time limits that ended re-checking cycles

The concern

Intrusive self-doubt

How therapy helped

Strengthened self-trust through structured practice

Panic, fear & phobias

The concern

Panic attacks in crowded places

How therapy helped

Exposure work made public spaces manageable again

The concern

Fear of flying

How therapy helped

Graded preparation enabled air travel

The concern

Fear of injections and medical visits

How therapy helped

Completed needed medical care with coping skills

The concern

Driving anxiety after an accident

How therapy helped

Returned to driving through stepwise practice

The concern

Fear of lifts and enclosed spaces

How therapy helped

Reduced avoidance with gradual exposure

The concern

Fear of public speaking

How therapy helped

Delivered presentations with rehearsal and relaxation

The concern

Panic sensations at night

How therapy helped

Learned to ride out sensations without escalation

The concern

Fear of animals after a bad experience

How therapy helped

Rebuilt comfort through paced contact

The concern

Fear of heights limiting travel

How therapy helped

Managed height exposure with coping techniques

The concern

Fear of losing control in public

How therapy helped

Understanding panic physiology removed the fear of fear

The concern

Repetitive checking of locks and appliances

How therapy helped

Response-prevention work shortened daily routines

The concern

Contamination worries and repeated washing

How therapy helped

Reduced washing rituals through guided exposure

The concern

Intrusive distressing thoughts

How therapy helped

Learned the thoughts were symptoms, not intentions

The concern

Reassurance-seeking from family

How therapy helped

Family guidance reduced the reassurance cycle

The concern

Ordering and symmetry rituals

How therapy helped

Tolerated 'good enough' arrangements

The concern

Mental rituals and silent counting

How therapy helped

Weakened rituals with structured practice

The concern

Doubt after sending messages

How therapy helped

Built tolerance for uncertainty

The concern

Fear of harming others by accident

How therapy helped

Exposure reduced avoidance of normal activities

The concern

Time-consuming bedtime rituals

How therapy helped

Night routines shortened to a normal duration

The concern

Repeated confessing of minor mistakes

How therapy helped

Reduced compulsive confessing and self-forgiveness improved

Trauma & post-traumatic stress

The concern

Intrusive memories after an accident

How therapy helped

Stabilisation and paced processing reduced intrusions

The concern

Nightmares following a distressing event

How therapy helped

Sleep improved with trauma-informed night strategies

The concern

Hypervigilance in public places

How therapy helped

Grounding skills restored a sense of safety

The concern

Emotional numbing after loss

How therapy helped

Gradually reconnected with feelings at a safe pace

The concern

Avoidance of reminders of the event

How therapy helped

Paced work reduced avoidance and restored routine

The concern

Startle responses and poor concentration

How therapy helped

Regulation skills steadied daily functioning

The concern

Childhood experiences affecting adult relationships

How therapy helped

Longer-term work softened old patterns

The concern

Guilt after surviving a difficult event

How therapy helped

Processed survival guilt with compassion-focused work

The concern

Fear triggered by specific sounds

How therapy helped

Desensitisation reduced startle and fear

The concern

Difficulty trusting after betrayal

How therapy helped

Rebuilt the capacity for safe connection

Relationships, couples & intimacy

The concern

Repeated arguments over small issues

How therapy helped

Identified the conflict cycle and learned repair skills

The concern

Communication breakdown between spouses

How therapy helped

Rebuilt structured, respectful conversation

The concern

Trust difficulties after a breach

How therapy helped

Worked through a guided trust-rebuilding process

The concern

Emotional distance in a long marriage

How therapy helped

Reconnected through shared goals and time

The concern

Anxiety about physical intimacy

How therapy helped

Confidential couple work reduced pressure and anxiety

The concern

Mismatched expectations about married life

How therapy helped

Clarified and negotiated expectations together

The concern

Difficulty discussing physical needs

How therapy helped

Learned open, respectful communication about intimacy

The concern

In-law and extended-family pressure

How therapy helped

Set boundaries while preserving family respect

The concern

Jealousy and reassurance demands

How therapy helped

Addressed underlying insecurity individually and jointly

The concern

Considering separation

How therapy helped

Gained clarity about the relationship's direction

Breakup & separation recovery

The concern

Persistent sadness after a breakup

How therapy helped

Processed the loss and rebuilt daily structure

The concern

Intrusive thoughts about an ex-partner

How therapy helped

Rumination techniques quietened the mental loop

The concern

Loss of identity after divorce

How therapy helped

Rediscovered personal goals and direction

The concern

Self-blame after a relationship ended

How therapy helped

Developed a fairer view of shared responsibility

The concern

Fear of future relationships

How therapy helped

Rebuilt readiness at a comfortable pace

The concern

Co-parenting conflict after separation

How therapy helped

Established calm, child-focused communication

The concern

Anger that lingered after a breakup

How therapy helped

Channelled anger into constructive change

The concern

Social withdrawal after separation

How therapy helped

Reconnected with friends and activities

The concern

Checking an ex-partner's social media

How therapy helped

Broke the checking habit and its emotional cost

The concern

Difficulty trusting again

How therapy helped

Worked through attachment fears before dating

Anger, self-esteem & confidence

The concern

Sudden outbursts at home

How therapy helped

Recognised triggers and paused before reacting

The concern

Regret after angry episodes

How therapy helped

Repaired relationships and prevented escalation

The concern

Workplace frustration spilling into family life

How therapy helped

Created boundaries between work stress and home

The concern

Harsh self-criticism and comparison

How therapy helped

Built self-compassion and realistic standards

The concern

Fear of judgement in groups

How therapy helped

Spoke up in meetings with growing confidence

The concern

Difficulty accepting compliments

How therapy helped

Internalised positive feedback without deflecting

The concern

Low confidence after job loss

How therapy helped

Rebuilt professional self-belief step by step

The concern

Social anxiety at family events

How therapy helped

Attended gatherings with coping strategies

The concern

People-pleasing and weak boundaries

How therapy helped

Learned to say no without guilt

The concern

Shame about past failures

How therapy helped

Reframed the past and moved forward

Sleep & mind–body relaxation

The concern

Difficulty falling asleep for months

How therapy helped

Behavioural sleep strategies restored a natural sleep rhythm

The concern

Waking at 3am with a racing mind

How therapy helped

Night-time routines reduced middle-of-night waking

The concern

Unrefreshing sleep despite enough hours

How therapy helped

Sleep-quality changes improved morning energy

The concern

Reliance on scrolling to fall asleep

How therapy helped

Replaced screens with guided relaxation

The concern

Shift-work sleep disruption

How therapy helped

Built a workable sleep plan around shifts

The concern

Teeth-grinding and tension at night

How therapy helped

Relaxation training reduced night-time tension

The concern

Fear of not sleeping

How therapy helped

Removed the anxiety that was maintaining insomnia

The concern

Daytime fatigue and poor focus

How therapy helped

Better sleep restored concentration

The concern

Restlessness before important days

How therapy helped

Learned pre-event relaxation that worked reliably

The concern

Chronic tension held in the body

How therapy helped

Mind–body relaxation released habitual tension

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