About Me

I am Ayca Demiran, a Dubai-based, CDA-licensed Social Therapist-Psychologist with 15+ years of experience supporting working professionals across the Gulf region and Türkiye. I work with adult clients (18+) who feel overwhelmed by work-related stress, burnout, anxiety, and emotional overload, and who are looking for structured, practical support to feel calmer, clearer, and more in control.

Alongside my clinical practice, I have worked as an organisational psychologist in both consulting and HR roles within multinational companies and government institutions.

As an academic, I work as a lecturer and researcher at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and as a contributing author for Harvard Business Review Türkiye.

Therapeutic Approach

My therapeutic style is warm, structured, and goal-oriented, combining evidence-based psychological methods with a grounded understanding of how modern work environments can shape emotions, thoughts, and daily functioning.

In my work, I integrate approaches grounded in CBT, solution-focused brief therapy, positive psychology, and industrial/organisational psychology models. This allows us to reduce burnout, anger, stress and anxiety, gently challenge unhelpful thinking patterns such as perfectionism and self-criticism, strengthen boundaries and communication at work, and rebuild energy and motivation after burnout. I also support clients in reconnecting with their values and sense of meaning, so they can create a more sustainable way of working and living.

I also work extensively with expatriates in the UAE, supporting challenges related to adjustment stress, homesickness, family–work balance, identity shifts, and the emotional impact of building a life away from home. When needed, I provide short-term, structured support for critical workplace situations through EAP-style interventions, helping individuals regain stability and guiding next steps through appropriate referrals.

Educational and Professional Background

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Business Psychology at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, with research focused on workplace well-being and the factors that shape employee well-being. I hold an MSc in Industrial and Organisational Psychology and a BSc in Psychology from Middle East Technical University.

I also hold the prestigious FCIPD (Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) qualification, a mark of excellence in the field of people development and human resources.

Specialties & Expertise

• Anxiety and mood disorders
• Work-related stress, burnout, anxiety, and emotional overload
• Expatriate stress, adjustment, and homesickness
• Family–work balance in the UAE
• High-achieving professionals: perfectionism, pressure, impostor feelings, and over-responsibility
• Workplace challenges: difficult teams, conflict, communication, anger management and boundary setting
• Career development and transition: career uncertainty, job change, redundancy, promotion, and return-to-work
• EAP / crisis support: short-term psychological support, guidance, and referrals following critical incidents (for example, accidents, layoffs, sudden organisational changes), and advising HR and leadership on psychologically safe crisis management practices