Dr. Farhad Farnaghi
Psychiatrist and psychotherapist
پزشک متخصص روانپزشکی
I am Dr. Farhad Farnaghi, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychoanalyst with more than 30 years of medical experience and around 20 years of specialised experience in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Alongside my psychiatric practice and clinical work, I have undertaken extensive and continuing training in psychotherapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis. My approach is thoughtful, individualised, and attentive not only to presenting symptoms, but also to the person’s inner experience, relationships, recurring patterns, and the deeper roots of psychological distress. My areas of clinical work include anxiety and depressive disorders, OCD, personality disorders, relationship and marital difficulties, sleep disorders, emotion regulation, as well as psychiatric assessment, treatment, and medication management. I aim to provide a safe and respectful therapeutic environment in which people can speak openly about their difficulties, develop a deeper understanding of themselves, and work towards meaningful and lasting change. Online services are also available for Persian-speaking clients living outside Iran.
Specialties and approaches
Therapeutic Approaches
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)
An intensive psychodynamic approach that works with feelings as they arise in the session to reach avoided emotions and defensive patterns; usually shorter than traditional psychodynamic therapy.
Who may it suit?
- Long-standing anxiety, depression or unexplained physical symptoms
- People who hold feelings back or feel "numb"
- Those ready for direct, in-depth emotional work
Dynamic Psychotherapy
Therapy that helps you see how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape your feelings and relationships today.
Who may it suit?
- Repeating patterns in relationships
- Wanting to understand yourself more deeply
- A vague, lasting sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction
Analytic Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy rooted in psychoanalysis that uses open conversation and attends to dreams, feelings and the relationship with the therapist; usually long-term.
Who may it suit?
- Seeking deep, lasting change rather than symptom relief alone
- Identity questions and big life questions
- Time and willingness for longer therapy
Contemporary Psychoanalysis
A modern form of psychoanalysis that treats the real relationship between you and the therapist as the main tool for insight and change.
Who may it suit?
- Difficulty with closeness and trust
- Wanting to understand where your feelings come from
- Interest in talk-based, longer-term therapy
Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP)
A structured psychodynamic therapy that examines relationship patterns as they show up with the therapist; developed especially for personality difficulties.
Who may it suit?
- Unstable relationships and fear of abandonment
- Anger or impulsivity that harms relationships
- An unstable sense of who you are
Humanistic–Experiential Therapy
A warm, non-judgemental approach focused on your present experience, meaning and capacity for growth.
Who may it suit?
- Wanting to be heard and accepted
- Questions about meaning and direction
- Low self-worth or feeling cut off from your emotions
Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT)
Therapy that strengthens the ability to understand your own and others' minds: the feelings and intentions behind behaviour, especially under strong emotion.
Who may it suit?
- Stormy relationships and frequent misunderstandings
- Intense emotional swings
- Borderline personality traits
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Instead of fighting difficult thoughts and feelings, you learn to make room for them and act on what matters to you.
Who may it suit?
- Anxiety and overthinking
- Chronic pain or illness
- Feeling stuck or far from your values
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Therapy that replaces shame and self-blame with self-compassion and helps calm the mind's threat system.
Who may it suit?
- Shame and feeling "not good enough"
- Self-criticism and perfectionism
- Depression or anxiety with a lot of self-blame
Type of Therapy
Individual Therapy (Adults)
Private one-to-one sessions for adults, about whatever matters to you.
Who may it suit?
- Anxiety, depression, stress or grief
- The strain of migration and a new country
- Wanting to understand yourself better
Individual Therapy (Adolescents)
One-to-one sessions for teenagers, in age-appropriate language and with suitable involvement of parents.
Who may it suit?
- Anxiety, school difficulties or withdrawal
- Conflict with parents
- Teens adjusting to the family's move abroad
Couples Therapy
Joint sessions for partners who want to improve communication, trust and closeness.
Who may it suit?
- Repeating arguments that go nowhere
- Emotional distance or less intimacy
- Big decisions such as moving, children or separating
Individual Counseling
Focused, usually shorter-term conversations to work through a specific problem or decision.
Who may it suit?
- Important career, study or personal decisions
- Stress during a particular period
- Trying professional support for the first time
Family Therapy
Sessions with several family members to improve communication and resolve conflict across the family.
Who may it suit?
- Tension between parents and children
- Big family changes (migration, separation, illness)
- Generational and cultural gaps in the family
Child & Adolescent Therapy
Therapy for children and teens using developmentally suited methods (play, conversation) and close work with parents.
Who may it suit?
- A child's fears, separation anxiety or sleep problems
- Behavioural difficulties or anger
- Adjusting to a new school or country
Issues & Conditions
Depression
Help with lasting low mood, lack of motivation, fatigue and loss of enjoyment, aiming to bring back energy and hope.
Who may it suit?
- Feeling down for weeks
- Everyday tasks feel heavy
- No longer enjoying what you used to
Anxiety & Panic Attacks
Working on constant worry, fears and panic attacks, learning skills to calm both mind and body.
Who may it suit?
- Worry that won't switch off
- Racing heart, breathlessness or panic attacks
- Avoiding situations for fear of anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Treatment for intrusive, repeating thoughts and the rituals you feel "forced" to do to ease anxiety; often with ERP.
Who may it suit?
- Repeated washing, checking or counting
- Unwanted thoughts that distress you
- When rituals take up much of your day
Personality Disorders
Help with long-standing patterns of feeling, thinking and relating that repeatedly make life and relationships hard.
Who may it suit?
- Intense, repeating relationship problems
- Strong emotions and an unstable self-image
- Already diagnosed and looking for specialised care
Eating Disorders
Help with a difficult relationship with food, weight and body image, such as binge eating, severe restriction or compensating after eating.
Who may it suit?
- Constant thoughts about food or weight
- Out-of-control eating or guilt after meals
- Strong dissatisfaction with your body
Trauma & PTSD
Treatment for the after-effects of overwhelming experiences: nightmares, flashbacks, being on edge and avoiding reminders.
Who may it suit?
- A memory that keeps coming back
- Experiences of violence, war, accidents or forced migration
- Feeling unsafe all the time
Grief & Loss
Support through grief for a loved one, a relationship or a former life, so you don't carry the pain alone.
Who may it suit?
- Losing someone, especially far from family
- Grief that isn't easing with time
- Grieving the home you left
Bipolar Disorder
Psychotherapy alongside medical treatment to spot early signs, build daily stability and manage mood episodes.
Who may it suit?
- Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and on medication
- Strong swings between highs and lows
- Families who want to support better
ADHD
Help with focus, disorganisation, forgetfulness and impulsivity, with practical strategies for work, study and daily life.
Who may it suit?
- Starting things but not finishing them
- Frequent forgetting and running late
- Adults who think they may have ADHD
Sleep Disorders
Help with insomnia, waking at night and poor-quality sleep, often with drug-free methods such as CBT-I.
Who may it suit?
- Taking hours to fall asleep
- Waking at night and not getting back to sleep
- Tired by day despite enough time in bed
Interpersonal Difficulties
Working on how you relate to others: boundaries, expressing needs, handling conflict and building healthier relationships.
Who may it suit?
- Finding it hard to say "no"
- Conflict with colleagues, friends or family
- Loneliness and difficulty making new connections abroad
Marital Issues
Help with problems in a marriage or long-term partnership, together or on your own.
Who may it suit?
- Arguments, long silences or mistrust
- Strain from migration, children or money
- Deciding whether to stay or separate
Infidelity Issues
Support after an affair or hidden relationship: understanding what happened and deciding whether to rebuild or part.
Who may it suit?
- The partner who was betrayed
- The partner who strayed and wants to understand why
- Couples wanting to rebuild trust
Sexual Issues
A confidential, non-judgemental space for sexual difficulties, desire, satisfaction and intimacy.
Who may it suit?
- Low or mismatched desire
- Anxiety or pain around sex
- Strict beliefs or shame about sex
Substance Use
Help cutting down or stopping alcohol, drugs or medication misuse, and addressing what lies behind it.
Who may it suit?
- Use that has got out of control
- Using to calm down or escape feelings
- Family worried about a loved one's use
Coaching & Skills
Life Skills Coaching
Building practical life skills such as stress and time management, decision-making and problem-solving.
Who may it suit?
- Feeling overwhelmed by daily life
- Starting over in a new country
- Wanting practical tools rather than deep therapy
Life Coaching
Forward-looking support to clarify goals, make a plan and move ahead personally or professionally.
Who may it suit?
- At a career or study crossroads
- Looking for motivation and direction
- Personal growth without a specific problem
Nonviolent Communication Coaching
Learning Nonviolent Communication: expressing feelings and needs without blame, and listening to others with empathy.
Who may it suit?
- Conversations that quickly turn into fights
- Couples and families
- Managers and teams
Parenting Support
Guidance for parents on discipline without punishment, handling defiance and getting on the same page.
Who may it suit?
- Parents feeling exhausted or ineffective
- Raising children between two cultures
- Parents who disagree on parenting
Professional Credentials
Board-Certified Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor specialised in mental health who can make a medical diagnosis and prescribe medication when needed.
Who may it suit?
- When medication may be needed
- Severe or long-lasting symptoms
- Reviewing or adjusting current medication
Introduction video
Book your session
Monthly plans
Billed monthly and renewed automatically; sessions repeat on the day and time you choose.
2 sessions a month
One session every two weeks
a month
less per session than a single session
4 sessions a month
One session every week
a month
less per session than a single session
You can cancel a monthly plan whenever you like. Sessions you have paid for stay yours until the end of the period.
Single session
One 45-minute session, no auto-renewal
Not sure yet?
Intro session with the therapist | 15 minutes
A short chance to meet the therapist, see how they work and decide about starting therapy sessions.
- Meet the therapist
- Ask questions about how therapy works
- Decide whether to start therapy