Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre

Assya Bouayad is a multilingual psychotherapist with extensive experience supporting clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Fluent in French, Arabic, and English, Assya brings a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to her practice, utilising modalities such as psychodynamic, existential, and humanistic therapies. She specialises in helping individuals navigate complex challenges, including PTSD, sexual and domestic abuse, war trauma, FGM, OCD, low self-esteem, and depression.

Gizem Köksal holds a BA(Hons) degree in Psychology from Bogaziçi University and MA(Hons) degree in Clinical Psychology from İstanbul Bilgi University. She is a registered member of BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy). She has specialized in adult psychotherapy with a psychodynamic approach. She continues to deepen her knowledge and experience in psychoanalytic theory and techniques with an intercultural aspect through the psychoanalysis formation training at PSIKE Istanbul.

Ja'far completed his training on the MSc in Intercultural Therapy programme at University College London in conjunction with Nafsiyat, leading to UKCP registration as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. After qualifying, he lived and worked for many years in Saudi Arabia as an English language lecturer and student counsellor. 

Pinar Cakir is a BPC (British Psychoanalytic Council)-accredited psychodynamic psychotherapist specialising in adult therapy. She runs a private practice in London and works at Nafsiyat. Pinar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Counselling Psychology from Boğaziçi University and an MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology from Bangor University. She completed an intensive four-year postgraduate diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy at the Enfield Counselling and Psychotherapy Service (ECPS).