Dania Akondo has spent time to fully understand me. I came to Dania Akondo helped me feel like I was myself. with so much trauma including race trauma, rejection, fear. I used to feel like I did not fit. Dania has helped and guided me to myself. In these sessions, for the first time, I was safe. In the past I have been scared of judgement or misunderstanding between me and therapists. Dania made me feel safe, free of judgement and most of all, she takes her time to understand her clients. I have never felt fully understood or able to speak freely up until my sessions with Dania. Dania listened to what I had to say, she took the time to understand where I was coming from, she helped me to understand myself. In the past, I felt scared of being judged by other therapists, which is a worry especially apparent in the UK mental health system as there is a lack of diverse professionals. Going into therapy sessions with Dania, I was allowed to be open, without the fear of miss judgment. Dania is a breath of fresh air. Due to this being a safe space I opened up about my problems reading/studying and getting through school, work and life. As I'm currently studying for a Masters and struggling, after talking this through, I wondered if I should get tested for learning differences, Dania worked through my fears and gave me the confidence I needed to make this step. This is something Dania helped me to realise. I had fears around approaching the Wellbeing and disability team at my University, we addressed and worked through my fears. I took this guidance onboard and was tested for learning differences. I have now been given a life changing diagnosis of ADHD and Dyslexia at the age of 27. I'm now able to help myself learn and get through life. Understanding how my brain works and how I think differently has changed my life. Dania gave me the tools to take ownership of my life. To understand who I am, and who I want to be, most importantly, she has enabled me to live in my authenticity and given me the confidence to take on my dreams. She never judged or imposed anything on me. Dania always kept up with my ADHD brain, the ramblings and the millions of trails of thoughts and experiences I was sharing with her, all at once. I never felt the need to change myself to fit these sessions and was allowed to speak freely, which really helped me. I'm a British Indian-Caribbean woman living in London. With Dania Akondo I have felt heard, listened to and understood. I came to Dania with so much trauma. Dania Akondo has guided me to the point where I have been able to address my trauma and blockages. I have been able to understand my trauma, heal through my trauma, and come out on the other side so much stronger, authentic and at peace with myself. Through these sessions I have gained tools that will last a lifetime. I started sessions feeling very closed in, scared and fearful of society and everything around me. I lacked confidence and had low self-worth. Dania has helped me to work through this, as well as working through trauma I had been carrying with me including family trauma, social anxiety, trauma about race and much more. Dania has helped me to gain a sense of self-worth and confidence. Before my sessions, I felt unable to speak in social situations. Through these sessions I have been able to find my voice. Dania has also given me resources that I can continuously go back to and refer to, when I need a little help. Sessions with Dania have led to two life changing diagnoses of ADHD and Dyslexia that has completely changed the trajectory of my life and what I think I'm able to accomplish (all my dreams!!)  

 My experience with Dania has been amazing. She has been kind and patient, really made me feel like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Our sessions really helped and after struggling with mental health issues for so long it was nice to feel in control again in a way.She offers personalised advices and counselling and has been a great guide to me, helping me navigate through difficult situations and challenges for quite some time. I always advise her to friends and family and could not think of anyone better as a therapist. 

 Dania helped me to identify the main issues that were contributing the the negative feelings I had been experiencing. She provided me with tools and suggestions to work on these issue. Dania has a friendly approach and is a good listener.  

 During my sessions with Dania, I sensed her genuine desire to help me get to the bottom of my worries. They were always helpful, and left me feeling positive and confident to face my anxieties with useful tools. Being a black woman, it was great to speak to someone freely who understands the black experience 

 I would just like to say thank you so much for enlightening me about myself and making me understand parts of myself I didn’t notice. That mother role thing we mentioned has really been the bedrock of my life and now that I know better (thanks to you) my life has literally changed. I no longer feel bad for having boundaries and have noticed a huge shift especially with the people I keep in my life. I know see the importance of not playing the mother and being around mature likeminded people has worked wonders!  

 Dania is an empathetic listener and a kind soul. Besides ticking boxes in the type of therapist I wanted. I chose her over others because I loved her energy and friendly vibe even just from our initial phone conversation. She helped me better understand my childhood traumas and how they've manifested in me today; I'm a lot more aware of my behaviours, the way I function and the patterns in situations I find myself in since our sessions. 

 Dania is very validating and non-judgemental. I feel comfortable talking to her about my life, and she listens attentively. I feel relieved and more in control of my life when I see Dania regularly. 

 Imagine a world where the distant sun shines but you're unable to fully bask in its majesty because your eyes cannot comprehend it's light...yet. Now imagine your eyes slowly begin to open but are only strong enough to enjoy the lush green grass around you; and the beautiful trees dancing as if listening to someone singing sweet songs. Then one day you finally have the strength to partially open your eyes, you get a glimpse of the sun and feel it growing something healthy in you, like it's gifting you the very thing that makes the flowers flourish in the fields. Where it's growing inside of you, you don't know yet but you're excited about it. This is what therapy with Dania is like 

 After nearly 10 years together, the bumps and niggles acquired along the way were taking their toll on our relationship. We needed a review of the traumas inside our union, and some dedicated time to understand ourselves better, whilst listening to what each other needed and wanted. Dania is a consummate psychologist and professional, who helped us resolve some of the important grievances that we had, and supported us to realise that a lot of our clashes, arguments and flashpoints were to do with unsolved childhood trauma and a projection of childish behaviours and thought processes; detrimental in adult life. With better understanding, thought and behaviour techniques, implemented and taught by Dania, we felt that we were able to redefine our relationship and work better together in maintaining a loving and peaceful environment. We couldn't recommend Dania highly enough - especially, for those that are in a biracial relationship.  

 I have worked with Dania for roughly 3 years regarding my anxiety and low self esteem. I initially contacted Dania regarding the anxiety I had regarding psychosexual issues. Dania was really helpful in providing me with techniques I could use to help ease my anxiety around this issue. We also discussed my underlying anxiety with work and family and used talk therapy combined with CBT to identify my triggers and how best to limit the physical and emotional reactions I have to these. When my father passed away unexpectedly, Dania really helped me to come to terms with my loss and helped me to develop strategies to help me grieve and navigate the new normal. During this time, I also experience the breakdown of my relationship with a close family member which was very difficult. Talking with Dania really helped me to see where the breaks in our relationship were and how I could rectify this when the time came. I found working Dania over the past few years has really helped me to pulled a repertoire of strategies I can use to help deal with my triggers and anxiety. She is a great listener, who uses a combination of talk therapy and CBT to understand the core issue and how best to handle this. I would highly recommend Dania.  

 I was trying to find out who I was, overcome my anxiety and gain confidence in myself after escaping years of indoctrination in a religious cult. I was really lost when I decided to take care of myself and seek professional assistance. Dania really helped me by being a good listener and teaching me how to control my mind and defeat thoughts that caused my fears and low self-esteem. Session were packed with actionable advice and readings that help me gain more confidence. I left the final session with a sense of light-heartedness that I hadn't felt in a looooong time. I believe in myself and can't wait to see what the future holds right now. Thank you Dania! 

 All my sessions with Dania has been great. I feel welcomed when I come in and I am able to communicate my feelings without the fear of being heard. She is a good communicator, very patient and accommodating. She is also a wonderful therapist. 

 Dania provided a safe environment for the internal work I needed to do to better myself as a person. I was able to tackle issues and past experiences in an effective way and would say that I have benefitted a lot from my counseling sessions with Dania.  

 I contacted Dania because I was in a season of my life where I wanted to identify the roots of my emotional triggers and her profile and her approach was exactly what I was looking for. She is professional, patient, empathetic, insightful and she created a trusted and safe environment for me to share my thoughts, emotions and experiences. Working with her has been extremely revealing. I managed to identify some of the roots of those triggers but also to use practical solutions to not let them overtake me that I still use today. Indeed I had to deconstruct some of my negative core beliefs, biased expectations, unhelpful behaviours and emotions, all thanks to Dania.  

 Dania, has helped me tremendously over the past few years, and continues to do so. The approach was just the correct balance of empathy and education, utilising a number of techniques from ‘inner child’ analysis and strategies to ‘cognitive behavioural therapy’. From my description you can probably tell I have had therapy before. However as a male of African, Carribean origin, until Dania I had never really got to the crux of what was going on in my head. I am truly grateful of real the techniques and support from Dania and would absolutely recommend her for her skills, knowledge and manner. Thank you Dania. 

 I submitted my query to Dania at the beginning of 2022 expressing that I needed help with betrayal, anxiety and child trauma. Our first session was on the 1st of April 2022 and from the moment I started with Dania she made me feel that I had a safe space to dive deep into my problems. She only encouraged me to speak about what I was comfortable with, which I found incredibly helpful considering it was my first time in therapy. One of our first discussions surrounded a situation of betrayal that I had experienced. I was able to work on self-perception and I now have a more positive opinion on myself. Dania also provided me with ways to decrease my anxiety during difficult situations, specifically teaching me how to rationalise my thoughts and emotions. I was able to discuss childhood trauma and how effects my life today as an adult. What really helped me was the advice about listening to my child-self and doing activities that would help me reconnect back to myself. My feelings were validated and I got the answers to questions that I always had. Overall, I am grateful that I took the leap to start therapy with Dania as it had such a positive effect on my day-to-day life.  

 Working with Dania was a positive and refreshing experience. I'm a talker and I've had a lot of counselling in the past: nonetheless, Dania understood all this and came at our sessions with freshness. She really took herself out of the picture and mentalized my situation very well which made me feel she wanted the best for me. When needed, she challenged me to consider the necessary steps for growth which was beneficial to my journey. She gave me an honest outlook to my situations and even when I was really hard on myself she provided areas of progress in each situation. She provided resources to help me with my journey by letting me read helpful material and reflecting in my sessions. She had her own approach to counselling but she was also flexible and adaptable to the clients way in the session for the best outcome. Our sessions felt more like a partnership. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a counsellor with a gentle touch who’s not afraid to explore all areas with you with wisdom, experience and tact! 

 I have worked with Dania for about a year and would 100% recommend her. I initially contacted her as I had some relationships anxiety and wanted to understand it. Not only did Dania helped me understand the causes of it, but she also helped me found ways for me to overcome it on my own. During our sessions, I felt listened, heard and understood. I felt like we were digging into my past together and my present also as she helped me understand why I would react/feel a certain way in specific situations. This was an eye-opening process and now that I have ended therapy few weeks ago, I feel confident saying that Dania has given me the tools to continue healing on my own. 

 I came out of my comfort zone at the end of the pandemic by taking the decision to seek therapy. I was in a lonely place with some deep anxieties and trauma that I needed to explore. It was critical for me that I find a therapist I can relate to and that's exactly how I felt with Dania. She created that safe place where I felt comfortable to show her my vulnerability and learn more about myself. Dania has equipped me with what I need to fight daily my anxieties and trauma as a woman who grew up in an African household. Thank you so much Dania; I am forever grateful for our sessions!