Expert online therapy

Tailored to your needs

About

About image
Seeking professional help can make all the difference.

I have worked with many clients who have begun to feel better quickly and have gone on to tackle issues leading to positive, lasting change in their lives.

In an initial conversation I will listen carefully, share my thoughts, and suggest some next steps. I bring a warm, non-judgemental attitude and insightful mind to guide my clients through the process of defining the problem, deciding how best to approach it, and agreeing a focus for treatment. 

I can work in longer-term, exploratory therapy or brief time-limited therapy to work towards smaller and more specific goals.

I tailor my approach to your needs, drawing on my training and experience in a variety of therapeutic methods.

Who am I?

My name is Dr Galya Smith and I am a Clinical Psychologist with specialist training and over twenty years of experience in the public and private sector in the UK before moving abroad and working exclusively online. I completed my doctoral training at University College London in 2002 and specialist training in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Tavistock Centre in London. I worked as a senior specialist practitioner in adult mental health in the NHS using psychodynamic psychotherapy, CBT and other therapeutic methods, before setting up in private practice in Harley Street, London, and now I am based in Puglia, Italy, offering online therapy to clients across the globe. I am a registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health & Care Professionals Council in the UK and a registered provider with private health insurers Aviva, Cigna and Geoblue.

Services

THERAPY

THERAPY

I offer individual therapy to adults with a wide range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship problems, self-sabotaging behaviours, and issues around work, family and moving country. I have training in a variety of therapeutic modalities so I will tailor my approach to your needs.

COACHING

COACHING

I am an accredited Body-Oriented Coach using the most up-to-date somatic coaching to help you make lasting change. Somatic coaching draws on the latest research to create and embed meaningful change at the level of the nervous system, attending to both body and mind. This approach can be directed to any problem, dilemma, life decision, relationship or boundaries issue, or any other specific questions you would like to answer to improve your life.

SYMPTOM-FOCUSED WORK

SYMPTOM-FOCUSED WORK

I use effective, evidence-based therapy approaches to target specific problems such as anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma recovery and ADHD. This work can be time-limited, with an emphasis on empowering you wiht the tools to get well and stay well.

Testimonials

     

 "Dr Galya has helped me tremendously and transformed my life for the better. I have found her sessions to be extremely useful and insightful. She is a brilliant listener and is wonderful at creating a safe space for her clients. She is very adept at guiding conversations to help you arrive at insights about yourself and your relationships that you might never have realised without her help. She combines a high level of expertise with a very practical wisdom about life. She has helped me particularly at creating effective strategies in managing intrusive thoughts. Her therapy has helped me build relationships and be more happy and fulfilled. I find her to be very non-judgemental and accepting, as well as very respectful towards a person's beliefs and perspectives. As a person of faith, I appreciated her ability to welcome this part of a client's life and incorporate it into her approach. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is interested in seeking therapy online." 

Nick J
25 years
     

 "My course of therapy with Dr Galya was incredibly impactful during a particularly difficult period of poor mental health for me. Dr Galya has a warm and compassionate approach, creating a safe space for you to be emotionally open and vulnerable without feeling any judgement. This is felt even in a virtual setting. What makes Dr Galya's sessions unique are the blend of talking therapy practices/techniques she has expertise in, meaning that each session can be tailored with the most effective support in line with your individual needs. The stand-out session with Dr Galya was experiencing her bringing together all that we had explored over the course of our sessions, and articulating all the emotions I was feeling and life experiences I'd had, tying it all up in a way I could never express myself. It was like having a mirror held up to myself, providing with a greater sense of self-awareness, deeper insight into who I am and a growing self-compassion for myself. It was really powerful to feel seen and understood in that moment. Thank you Dr Galya!" 

N
26 years
     

 "I started seeing Dr. Galya over a decade ago when I was going through an acutely stressful situation with psychosomatic symptoms. Within six months of regular sessions with Dr. Galya, my symptoms had largely disappeared, and I was much better equipped to handle some of the trauma symptoms I was experiencing-including debilitating anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Over the years, Dr. Galya has been a steadfast support system, creating a safe and caring environment to work through challenging emotions and thought patterns both during and beyond crisis times. Her expertise and knowledge mean she offers tailor-made strategies and insights that feel both practical and deeply attuned to my personal needs. Thanks to her compassionate guidance, I've developed tools for navigating difficult periods with more resilience and clarity. I couldn't recommend Dr. Galya more highly to anyone seeking meaningful, effective support in their mental health journey." 

DM
28 years
     

 "Galya has been an incredible therapist. Over the year and a half I have been seeing her she has helped me immensely. I always found her open, kind, and understanding, and I always left a session feeling more hopeful than when I went in. She really listened to what I wanted to get out of my sessions, and she helped me achieve this through a range of different techniques that felt tailored to my needs." 

EK
37 years
  

Contact

  • Bari, Apulia, Italy
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