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“Our minds have a huge impact on our health and well-being. Many people are searching for the answers by looking for a physical abnormality, but my philosophy really focuses on the mind and its power to heal.”
Your state of our mind affects your health and it is impossible to have good health without a healthy mind. Whilst there is plenty of evidence for the role emotions play in our physical symptoms, very little is done in the current medical model to address this.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that combines elements of behavioural therapy and mindfulness to help you manage difficult emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations. It’s main focus is increasing psychological flexibility, which means supporting you to fully experience the present moment without being controlled by it.
ACT also aims to guide you towards living in alignment with your values, helping you commit to positive actions that foster well-being, regardless of the challenges you face. Dr. Ayiesha Malik offers Integrative ACT— which means she’ll utilise her expertise in conventional medicine and other therapeutic modalities to tailor her approach to your unique needs, supporting you to take meaningful steps toward the life you want and deserve.
When you're struggling with pain and debilitating physical symptoms, it can feel like you're stuck in a cycle with no way out. Your discomfort impacts your emotional state, and your emotional state intensifies your discomfort.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help you break this cycle by transforming your relationship with emotional and physical pain. Through ACT, you'll learn to accept and experience your discomfort whilst minimising it’s impact on you. This approach can disrupt the feedback loop that amplifies physiological processes—like increased adrenaline, high cortisol, muscle tension and reduced circulation and oxygenation—in turn reducing pain, uncomfortable physical sensations and somatic symptoms.
ACT has been shown to reduce pain and improve quality of life for patients with a range of conditions like Cancer, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Multiple Sclerosis, IBS, Back pain, neuropathic pain and more.
Delivered by Dr Ayiesha Malik — a practicing GP, Integrative Medicine Doctor, Homeopath and ACT Therapist. Dr Malik integrates her expertise to provide responsive individualised care, that aims to reduce the impact of your emotional or physical pain on your day to day life so that you can find joy and meaning again.
Special Interests:
Chronic Pain, Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Migraine, Stress, Trauma, Mental Health, Self Esteem, Mind-Body Medicine for chronic illness.
Dr. Ayiesha Malik is a UK-licensed GP, Nutritionist, Homeopath, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapist working in the NHS and private sector. Throughout her career, she has witnessed first-hand the profound connection between emotional and psychological well-being and the development and management of chronic illness. Dr. Malik empowers her patients to reduce stress, enhance emotional resilience, and alleviate physical symptoms, helping them reclaim their health and live more fulfilling lives. She offers comprehensive Integrative Health Assessments and consultations, with a special focus on pain management and mental health, alongside specialised therapeutic services.
Integrative ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) can be a powerful support for challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, chronic pain, career transitions, and reaching personal or professional goals. It’s especially helpful if you’re looking to align your actions with your values while releasing limiting beliefs or patterns of behaviour. ACT is an evidence-based psychotherapy that has been shown to be effective for both mental health conditions and certain physical conditions, including chronic pain and trauma recovery.
Each session includes a blend of structured exercises, reflective discussions, and guided practices. Techniques from ACT—such as mindfulness, grounding, acceptance, self-compassion, and values-based exploration—are woven in. Dr. Malik tailors each session to your unique needs, helping you develop coping tools and practical steps that enhance both well-being and performance.
Most sessions last 90 minutes, giving enough space for exploration and practical work. The frequency and number of sessions are customised to your goals and progress, ensuring the process feels both supportive and sustainable.
Sessions take place securely over video call, offering you the flexibility to join from the comfort of your own space. You’ll receive joining details for the Zoom call with your booking confirmation email.
It depends on your goals. Dr Malik offers therapeutic interventions as a standalone service. Therapy sessions focus primarily on emotional health, mindset work, and skill-building—supporting you in navigating mental health challenges and fostering resilience. If you are experiencing physical symptoms alongside challenges related to Psycho- emotional-wellbeing, an Integrative Health Assessment might be a good fit. Our IHA’s take a broader view, looking at physical, emotional, and lifestyle factors. This may include exploring gut health, microbiome balance, functional testing, and supplements and exploring the relationship between your physical and emotional symptoms.
Dr. Malik is a fully qualified GP and GMC registered clinician. However, like all of our practitioners, she does not offer diagnosis, medical prescription or treatment in this context. Her focus is on supporting your overall well-being and addressing symptoms holistically. For a formal medical diagnosis, you should continue to consult with your primary care physician. Our Doctor’s will always refer you back to your GP for further investigation if medically indicated.
Dr. Malik’s medical background ensures a safe, evidence-based, and integrative approach. She’s able to consider any physical health factors that might influence your mental well-being, adapt practices accordingly, and bring a holistic perspective that enhances the impact of therapy.
Your mind and body are not separate. Research shows that emotional trauma, stress, and subconscious beliefs directly affect your immune system, gut health, and ability to detoxify. That’s why our Integrative Health Assessments utilise personalised therapeutic recommendations and advanced emotional healing techniques. Book an Integrative Health Assessment today to get a truly holistic personalised plan.
Ye, L., Li, Y., Deng, Q., Zhao, X., Zhong, L. and Yang, L., 2024. Acceptance and commitment therapy for patients with chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis on psychological outcomes and quality of life. PLOS ONE, 19(6), p.e0301226. Available at: Read Article Here [Accessed 13 March 2025].
McCracken, L. and Jones, R., 2012. Treatment for Chronic Pain for Adults in the Seventh and Eighth Decades of Life: A Preliminary Study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Pain Medicine, 13(7), pp.861-867. Available at: Read Article Here [Accessed 13 March 2025].
González-Fernández, S. and Fernández-Rodríguez, C., 2019. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Cancer: Review of Applications and Findings. Behavioral Medicine, 45(3), pp.255-269. Available at: Read Article Here [Accessed 13 March 2025].
A-Tjak, J., Davis, M., Morina, N., Powers, M., Smits, J. and Emmelkamp, P., 2015. A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinically relevant mental and physical health problems. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84(1), pp.30-36. Available at: Read Article Here [Accessed 13 March 2025].
Blackledge, J.T., Ciarrochi, J., Deane, F.P., Hayes, S.C., 2006. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Contemporary Theory, Research, and Practice. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. Available at: All sellers [Accessed 13 March 2025].
Ghorbani, V., Zanjani, Z., Omidi, A. and Sarvizadeh, M., 2021. Efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on depression, pain acceptance, and psychological flexibility in married women with breast cancer: a pre- and post-test clinical trial. Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 43(2), pp.126-133. Available at: Read Article Here [Accessed 14 March 2025].
