As a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Akan is regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) — the highest regulatory standard for psychological therapists in the UK. This means her training, practice, and conduct are held to rigorous professional and ethical standards.
• HCPC Registered Practitioner Clinical Psychologist (UK)
• Registered European Psychologist (EuroPsy) — European Federation of Psychologists' Associations
• BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-II ) Certified — with certificate of reliability
• EMDR Standard Training — EMDR Europe Certificate
• Systemic Therapy Training — Foundation Level (Association for Family Therapy, UK)
• ACT Training — Russ Harris (Contextual Consulting)
• DBT Training
• Motivational Interviewing Training
• Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Training
• CBT Specialist Certificates in Trauma, Social Anxiety, OCD, Emetophobia, Insomnia, Physical Health Problems, and working with Neurodivergent Children
• Tavistock Lecture Series in Psychoanalytic Theory
Dr. Akan's therapeutic approaches are grounded in EMDR and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), including Parent-Led CBT and an integrative CBT approach that draws on ACT, DBT, CFT, systemic, and psychodynamic frameworks. She also practiced Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET).
Her clinical training and NHS experience cover a broad range of presentations, including depression, anxiety, panic, social anxiety, health anxiety, specific phobias, OCD (including Religious OCD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), PTSD, Complex PTSD, trauma, birth trauma, postnatal depression and anxiety, intrusive thoughts, emotion regulation difficulties, chronic pain, low self-esteem, insomnia, autism-related challenges, and ADHD-related challenges.
Dr. Akan has years of NHS experience, working across specialist services in England with children, young people, adults, and older adults. Her posts spanned inpatient and community settings across several NHS Trusts, including North East London NHS Foundation Trust, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
She has conducted mental health, risk, neuropsychological, and autism (ADOS-II) assessments, delivered individual and group interventions, provided consultation to schools and other agencies, and supervised trainee and junior psychologists throughout her nearly 10 year career.