Dr Holly Kahya

Professional qualifications, accreditations and memberships

Qualifications

• B.A (Hons) Psychology Manchester University
• Post Graduate Certificate of Education Bath Spa University
• Yoga Therapy and Mindfulness for Mental Health (350 hr) The Minded Institute
• Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology City, University of London
• Advanced certified Schema Therapist Schema Therapy Associates

Memberships

• Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Full member of the International Society of Schema Therapists (ISST)

Professional experience

Holly has over a decade of experience working in mental health, starting her professional career in education, working with children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Since then, she has worked in a wide range of settings, including a variety of NHS and charity mental health services, schools, universities, residential and inpatient services.  In addition to her clinical work, she is a visiting lecturer on the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, at the City University of London, and runs a small independent practice.

Personal statement

As a Counselling Psychologist, Holly draws from a broad range of therapeutic approaches including person-centred counselling, psychodynamic psychotherapy, Gestalt psychology, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and more recent mindfulness-based approaches. Holly sees therapy as a unique and collaborative process. Having a wide tool kit, along with genuine warmth and care for her clients, enables Holly to flexibly tailor her approach for each individual.

Holly has a specialist interest in childhood trauma and complex PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and is accredited as an Advanced Level certified Schema Therapist, working with adults with complex mental health issues.

Additional information about research, publications and interests

Holly is a qualified Yoga Therapist for mental health and has a keen interest in the relationship between mind and body, particularly within the realm of mental health and wellbeing. She has published research into this area:

• Kahya, H. H., & Raspin, C. G. (2017). Yoga Therapy for the Mind Eight-Week Course: Participants׳ Experiences. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 13(2), 116-123.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28131764
• Kahya, H. (2016). One small, quiet act. The Psychologist, 29 (11), 854-855.
• https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-29/november-2016/one-small-quiet-act