UKCP Psychotherapist · Therapeutic Coach
DBT-informed therapy for bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia. We work on mood stability, distress tolerance and the early warning signs, so the swings have less say over your day.
Planned support, not crisis care
Years of experience
Some weeks everything speeds up. Ideas come fast, sleep feels optional, and you say yes to things that later cost you money, sleep or the trust of people you love. Then the floor drops out, and getting through an ordinary day takes everything you have.
In between, you brace for the next swing and try to hold down work, relationships and a version of yourself that other people can rely on. It is exhausting, and most of it happens where no one can see it.
You are not unreliable, and you are not the problem. You are managing a real condition, and it is one you do not have to manage alone.
Fast, wired, capable, then further out than you meant to go.
Flat and heavy, where small tasks feel enormous and hope feels far off.
Watching yourself for signs, never quite sure the ground will hold.
Client examples are anonymised or composite.
Bipolar is a serious, long-term condition. Who you trust with it should be regulated, experienced, and honest about the limits of the work. You can see the full range of what I work with on the bipolar treatment guide.
| What matters | A UKCP-registered psychotherapist | Generic or unregulated support |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation and accountability | UKCP-registered, bound by an ethical framework and a formal complaints process. | Often unregulated, with no register and no route for complaints. |
| Clinical training | Trained at the Tavistock and Portman, studied CBT at King's College London. | Short courses, or no clinical training required. |
| Experience with bipolar | 20+ years across NHS, private and community mental health settings. | General wellbeing focus, with limited clinical depth. |
| Alongside your medical care | Coordinates with your GP or psychiatrist, with your consent. | Usually works in isolation from your medical team. |
| Honest boundaries | Clear about what therapy can and cannot do. Planned support, not crisis care. | May over-promise, or blur the limits of what it offers. |
| Continuity of care | One named clinician from your first call to your last session. | Rotating, or anonymous, practitioners. |
The clinical picture, translated into the things we actually do in the room. Your plan is built from what applies to you, not a template.
Bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia differ in how high the highs go and how long they last. This is repeated, severe mood change, not everyday ups and downs.
Racing thoughts, less need for sleep, elevated or irritable mood, fast speech and risk-taking that can carry a real cost. Hypomania is the milder, shorter form.
Low mood, loss of interest, heavy fatigue, changes in sleep and appetite, trouble concentrating, and a hopelessness that can feel bottomless.
Sometimes the high and the low arrive together, or episodes alternate quickly. These are harder to read, and worth naming carefully rather than riding out alone.
Bipolar develops from a mix of biological, genetic and environmental factors. Neurochemistry, family history and major life stress can all play a part.
Medication from your psychiatrist stabilises mood; therapy builds the skills around it. I do not prescribe, and I coordinate with whoever does.
Sleep, routine, triggers and early warning signs are where a lot of the real work happens, so an episode is caught earlier and lands more softly.
Part of the work is recognising when a swing needs medical input, and having a plan you and the people close to you can act on.
You do not need the right words, or a diagnosis, to get in touch. Tell me roughly what is going on, and we will find a first step that fits.
No single technique fixes bipolar. We build a small, repeatable set of things that steady the ground under you, and we keep reviewing them together. The skills draw on DBT, adapted to how bipolar moves.
Track mood, protect sleep and routine, and learn your early warning signs, so an episode is spotted before it builds.
Distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal skills from DBT, for the moments that used to derail everything.
Make sense of your triggers, patterns and history, so the swings feel less random and less frightening over time.
A relapse-prevention plan you can actually use, reviewed regularly, and shared with the people you choose.
No packages to decode and no insurance panels. The first step is always a free call.
Starting from
£195
Studied CBT at King's College London
My name is Sabbir. I am a London-based, UKCP-registered psychotherapist, and for more than two decades I have worked with people living with complex mental health conditions across the NHS, private practice and community services. I trained at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and studied CBT at King’s College London.
With bipolar, that experience matters. You get one named clinician who understands how the condition moves, works calmly alongside your medical care, and stays honest about what therapy can and cannot do.
Questions people ask about bipolar therapy
Yes, alongside the right medical care. Therapy does not replace medication for bipolar, but it builds the skills medication cannot: reading your early warning signs, steadying sleep and routine, tolerating distress without acting on it, and repairing what an episode leaves behind. Most people do best with therapy and psychiatric care working together.
No. I am a UKCP-registered psychotherapist, not a psychiatrist, so I do not diagnose or prescribe. I work with you whether you have a formal diagnosis, are waiting for one, or are questioning it, and if a psychiatric assessment or medication review would help, I will say so and point you to the right route.
Yes, and it often works best that way. Many clients living with bipolar already have a GP, psychiatrist or community team involved. With your consent I coordinate with them, so the therapy supports your medical care rather than duplicating or contradicting it.
A DBT-informed approach, tailored to you. That means practical work on emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal skills, combined with mood monitoring and relapse prevention. The aim is steadier ground day to day, not a single technique applied to everyone.
Often it is the best time to start. Working between episodes lets us map your triggers and early warning signs while things are calm, build a plan you can reach for when they appear, and soften how hard the swings land. Prevention is easier to build from a stable base.
Both. You can meet me in person at 96 Harley Street or at 335 City Road in Angel, or online by secure video anywhere in the UK. Many clients mix the two around work and travel, and you see the same clinician either way.
No. I work privately rather than through insurance panels. You pay directly for each session or block, which keeps the work confidential and free of diagnosis-led restrictions.
My practice is planned support, not an emergency service. If you are in crisis right now, call the Samaritans free, 24/7, on 116 123, or call 999 in an emergency. Once you are safe, I am here for the medium and longer-term therapeutic work.
In person at 96 Harley Street, in London’s medical district, a few minutes from Oxford Circus and Bond Street, or at 335 City Road in Angel, a short walk from Angel station. Or online, wherever you are in the UK, with the same clinician either way.
Harley Street: 96 Harley Street, London W1G 7HY
London City Road: 335 City Rd, London EC1V 1LJ (Angel)
Online: Secure video sessions UK-wide and globally
