Gulya Diyarova

I am fully qualified Relationship and Psychosexual therapist trained as a Medical Doctor in my 1st career. I help people change their habitual distressing negative patterns of ‘blame-distance’ or ‘attack-withdraw’ into safe emotional connection and functioning, working predominantly in Emotionally Focused Therapy approach and bringing in other modalities when necessary.

Scope of My Work

I specialise in working with distressed couples on a wide range of emotional, relational and sexual concerns:

• relationship and marital difficulties,
• pre-divorce and separation or highly ambivalent couples (Discernment Counseling- in Training),
• sexual problems in couples and individuals,
• anxieties and difficulties around sexual performance,
• problems with desire and arousal,
• trauma and loss,
• low self-esteem,
• difficulties in developing relationships and chronic loneliness,
• anger issues,
• parenting related problems,
• depression,
• pre-nuptial counseling

I work in many approaches integrated within Emotionally Focused Therapy model, with different and challenging life stage transitions and kinds of relationship, if you are married or not, long-term partners or more recent, separated or together, heterosexual, gay or lesbian – and most importantly the relationship with yourself.

My first career in Moscow was as a medical doctor, paediatrician and clinical neurologist, for 16 years, with PostGraduate qualifications in child development and neuropathology. I moved to the UK in 1993 and later on retrained in Systemic therapy, Psychodynamic approach, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Early Attachment and Psychopathology, and as a Psychosexual therapist.

Education and Major Qualifications

• Medical doctor, State Medical University, Kazan, Russia
• 2-year Post-qualifying Clinical ordinature/residency, State Medical University, Kazan, Russia,
• Post-qualifying training in Paediatrics, Child Development and Neuropathology, Moscow, Russia,
• Certificate in Couple counselling, Relate Institute, London,
• Externship and Core Skills modules 1-4 full training in Emotionally Focused Therapy
• PostGrad Diploma in Relationship and Psychosexual therapy, Relate Institute, London
• MSc in Psychosexual Therapy and Relationship, Tavistock Centre, London
• ICEEFT Certified Emotionally Focused couple therapist (EFT) and supervisor, ICEEFT, Canada

Selected Additional Post-qualifying Training

• Attachment Theory and Couple Work (Chris Clulow, PhD, Tavistock)
• Couples and Affairs (Relate Institute, Doncaster)
• Healing Affairs using Emotionally Focused Therapy (Prof Scott Woolley, PhD)
• Integrative Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy (Metanoia Institute, London)
• Fundamentals of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (Institute of Psychiatry, London)
• Attachment and Neuroscience (Glyn Hudson, PhD, London)
• Advanced Training in Person-Centered Counselling Practice: Emotion-Focused
• Psychotherapy, Level 1 (University of Strathclyde, Prof Robert Elliott)
• Emotion-Focused Therapy for Individuals (Prof Robert Elliott, PhD)
• Core Supervision Course (Centre for Supervision and Team Development, London)
• Supervising Systemically (Institute of Family Therapy, London)
• Neuroplasticity and Emotional Processes of the Brain (Alan Schore, PhD, London)
• Advanced Skills in Couple Work, 4-Day Summer School (Tavistock Centre, London)
• Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Core Clinical Competencies (Christine Padesky, PhD, London)
• Attachment and Psychopathology (Patricia Critenden, PhD, Tavistock)
• Sexual Addiction, Men and women (ATSAC, London)
• AEDP full 5-day Immersion course (Dr Diana Fosha, Rome)
• Attachment and Trauma Congress, ISC, London

I was the first UK therapist trained and certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
EFT is the attachment-based warm and collaborative approach, developed by Drs Sue Jonson and Lesley Greenberg, where couples learn to recognise their habitual negative patterns of ‘blame-distance’ or ‘attack-withdraw’, and are able to change them into a safe and loving way of relating.

I pioneered Emotionally Focused Therapy in the UK and have been organising EFT training in London since 2009 with Gail Palmer (co-founder of the approach) and Dr. Scott Woolley, ICEEFT international trainers and close associates of Sue Johnson, actively participating in all stages of EFT training.

I am initiator and founding member of British EFT Community (now Center), BEFT.

I am Director and Organising Committee of EFT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL staging Annual International EFT Summer Schools in London, UK. I have also been presenting to the School EFT Newcomers cohort since 2016.

I am founder and director of Re-Connect, EFT Clinic in London.

EFT Consultations/ Supervision/ CPD

• As an ICEEFT certified EFT therapist and supervisor and in addition to my clinical work, I supervise EFT therapists and graduate/postgraduate trainees in person, groups and via Skype.
  I am the first and one of only a few certified EFT supervisor/consultants in the UK for the time being.
• I offer guidance and coaching through the formal EFT application and certification process to advanced EFT students and can provide specific examples of successful submissions, feedback on your work and support.
• I lead EFT Continuous Professional Development groups and EFT workshops, regular EFT Supervision groups, EFT Movie Club and Skills Lab.I am a former tutor on MSc programme at Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationship (TCCR)Professional Memberships
  I am UKCP registered, an Accredited member of COSRT (British Association-College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists), a registered member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and ICEEFT (International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Canada).
  I follow and abide by their Code of Practice and Ethics.My work is regularly supervised and the supervision is bound by the the same Code of Practice and Ethics.Gulya, Director and a regular presenter at the EFT INTERNATIONAL Summer SCHOOL, is a proud recipient of ICEEFT John Douglas Reward for Service 2017.