Rewire Your Brain, Reclaim Your Life
Abu Dhabi's Leading CBT Psychologist
Dr. Sharyn Kennedy: Neuroscience-based therapy for anxiety, stress, and relationships
Your brilliant mind has mastered professional success, but when it comes to managing anxiety, stress, or relationship challenges, even the smartest strategies fall short. That's because most approaches try to change your mind without first understanding how your unique brain operates.
Dr. Sharyn Kennedy, PhD • NZ Registered Psychologist, UAE Cognitive Behaviour Therapist • Abu Dhabi, UAE
Does This Sound Familiar?
You're successful in so many areas, yet your mind feels like it's working against you...
Relationship Struggles
"We're always fighting about little things that don't matter, and we can't even talk about the big things that do. I don't think we're in love anymore."
Arguments over chores while avoiding affairs, in-laws, or financial stress
Every conversation becomes a power struggle
You've lost the connection you once had
Communication feels impossible without triggering conflict
You wonder if you're compatible or just stuck in patterns
Individual Anxiety & Stress
"I can't stop worrying about everything. There's this constant fear that something's wrong with me that will never change. No one can really help."
Your health, relationships, sleep, and career feel out of control
Fear and lack of self-worth consume your thoughts
You're exhausted from feeling anxious about things that shouldn't matter
Every strategy you've tried provides only temporary relief
You're starting to believe this is just how your brain works
"I've tried therapy before, but Dr. Kennedy's Stillmind approach was completely different. Instead of just talking about my anxiety, she showed me exactly how my brain was creating it. Once I understood the 'why,' changing it became surprisingly straightforward."
Sarah M.
Marketing Executive, Dubai
The Stillmind Method: How CBT Works
Our proven three-pillar approach to transforming your mental patterns
-
Understand Your Brain
Why do you overthink and overanalyze? Where can you find your feelings? Why do you get stuck in fight/flight modes? Why do you lose focus and motivation? How can you calm a restless brain? Why do you get lost in relationships that don't work for you? Why can't you let some feelings go?
-
Change Your Brain
How can you change your thoughts, feelings and behaviours? Learn techniques such as breathing, visualisations, new ways of thinking and feeling, thought records, changing unconscious beliefs, acceptance techniques, exposure therapy, and mindfulness. Do you know what to do with negative thinking and feelings that take you down?
-
Create a Meaningful and Fulfilling Life
Learn how to use a values-based approach to help you design, dream and create a life that works for you. Build a life that will give you strength and purpose and carry you through difficult times.
Not sure where to begin?
Start with a comprehensive Discovery Session where we'll learn what's really happening in your brain and create a clear path forward.
The Stillmind Brain-First Difference
Understanding your brain's operating system before trying to change it
Dr. Sharyn Kennedy's Stillmind methodology combines 14 years of clinical experience with cutting-edge neuroscience and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Instead of just talking about problems, we understand exactly how your brain creates them—then give you the precise tools to change those patterns at their source.
-
Understand Your Brain
Why do you overthink and overanalyze? Where do your feelings come from? Why do you get stuck in fight/flight modes? We map your unique mental patterns first.
-
Target Root Causes
Instead of managing symptoms, we identify the specific brain patterns creating your challenges and address them directly with evidence-based techniques.
-
Create Lasting Change
Learn practical tools that work with your brain's natural systems, not against them. Build new neural pathways that support the life you actually want.
🧠 Surprising Brain Fact
Your anxious thoughts aren't a character flaw—they're your brain's way of trying to protect you using outdated survival software. Your brain literally can't tell the difference between a work deadline and a saber-tooth tiger. Once you understand the "why" behind your mental patterns, changing them becomes surprisingly straightforward.
How Brain-Based Therapy Works
-
Map Your Brain
We identify your specific mental patterns, triggers, and the unconscious beliefs driving your thoughts and behaviors.
-
Understand the Why
Learn exactly how your brain creates anxiety, stress, or relationship conflicts—and why traditional approaches haven't worked.
-
Rewire Your Patterns
Use evidence-based techniques to create new neural pathways that support clarity, confidence, and emotional resilience.
-
Live Your Transformation
Apply your new understanding to create lasting change in your relationships, career, and daily life.
Choose Your Path to Mental Mastery
Specialized approaches for different challenges and relationship situations
Couples Solutions
Rebuild connection and communication by understanding how both your brains work
Move beyond fighting about symptoms to solving the real problems underneath. Our brain-based approach helps couples understand their conflict patterns and create lasting change.
Understanding both partners' brain patterns
Breaking cycles of miscommunication
Tools for constructive conflict resolution
Rebuilding emotional intimacy
Addressing underlying relationship dynamics
Culturally sensitive approach for diverse couples
Stillmind Workplace Solutions
Executive-level stress management combining brain science with business performance
Designed for professionals who need to perform under pressure while maintaining their wellbeing. Understanding how stress impacts decision-making, leadership, and team dynamics.
Executive stress pattern analysis
Performance optimization techniques
Leadership under pressure strategies
Work-life integration methods
Team communication improvement
Burnout prevention and recovery
Individual Solutions
Perfect for accomplished professionals with anxiety, stress, and personal challenges
Transform overthinking into clarity through our comprehensive brain-based approach. Designed for intelligent individuals who are tired of managing symptoms and ready to address root causes.
Personalized brain pattern analysis
Evidence-based CBT and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Practical tools for daily stress management
Understanding your unique anxiety triggers
Building long-term emotional resilience
Flexible session scheduling for busy professionals
Not sure which path is right for you?
"My husband and I were on the brink of divorce. We'd tried couples therapy before, but Dr. Kennedy's Stillmind method showed us how our brains were literally wired to misunderstand each other. Once we learned how to communicate in ways our brains could actually process, everything changed."
Jennifer & Ahmed K.
Married 12 years, Abu Dhabi
Proven Results, Backed by Science
Over a decade of transforming lives through evidence-based brain psychology
-
Clients Successfully Helped
-
Years Clinical Experience
-
Social Cognition & NZ Registered Psychologist
-
Licensed & Based
About Dr. Sharyn Kennedy
Dr. Kennedy developed the Stillmind methodology over 14 years of experience helping professionals in Abu Dhabi and beyond. She combines practical, solution-focused therapy with cutting-edge research on how the brain creates and maintains mental patterns.
Her Stillmind brain-first approach is particularly effective for accomplished individuals who are used to solving problems logically but find their emotional challenges more complex than expected. She specializes in anxiety disorders, relationship conflicts, and helping high-achievers understand why their usual problem-solving strategies don't work for mental health challenges.
Credentials: Licensed with Abu Dhabi as a cognitive behavioral therapist, member of the New Zealand Psychology Society, and continuously trained in the latest neuroscience research applications for clinical practice.
Real Transformations
How understanding their brains changed everything for these clients
-
From Panic to Peace
Before: "I was having panic attacks every morning before work. I thought I was losing my mind and considered leaving my job."
After 8 sessions: "I haven't had a panic attack in 6 months. I understand now that my brain was just trying to protect me from perceived threats that weren't real. I have tools that actually work." - Marcus, Finance Director
-
Relationship Rescue
Before: "We couldn't have a conversation without it turning into a fight. We were seriously considering separation."
After 12 sessions: "We learned that we weren't actually fighting about money or chores—we were fighting because our brains process conflict differently. Now we have strategies that work for both of us." - Lisa & Omar, Married 8 years
-
Breaking the Worry Cycle
Before: "I spent hours every day worrying about my children's safety, my health, my job security. It was exhausting."
After 10 sessions: "I still care deeply about my family, but I don't live in constant fear anymore. Dr. Kennedy taught me the difference between productive concern and anxiety spirals." - Fatima, Mother of 3
-
Professional Confidence
Before: "Despite my success, I constantly questioned every decision. Imposter syndrome was destroying my confidence."
After 6 sessions: "I understand now that my perfectionism was actually anxiety in disguise. I make decisions with clarity and trust myself again." - David, Engineering Manager
"As a doctor, I'm used to evidence-based treatments. Dr. Kennedy's Stillmind approach combines solid neuroscience with practical psychology. She doesn't just treat symptoms—she addresses the underlying brain patterns that create them."
Dr. Amira H.
Pediatrician, Abu Dhabi
Start Your Transformation Today
Get immediate insights and tools to begin understanding your brain patterns
-
15-Minute Quick Chat
Not sure if brain-based therapy is right for you? Book a brief, no-pressure conversation to discuss your situation and learn about your options.
-
Stillmind Brain Assessment Quiz
Discover your unique mental patterns and get personalized insights in just 10 minutes. Understand which brain systems are creating your challenges.
-
Stillmind Brain Blueprint Guide
Your comprehensive guide to understanding how anxiety and stress work in your brain. Includes practical exercises and techniques you can start using immediately.
-
Monthly Stillmind CBT Session
Join our free monthly group session and learn practical tools you can use immediately. Connect with others on similar journeys in a supportive environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about brain-based therapy
-
Traditional therapy often focuses on talking through problems and past experiences. Brain-based therapy combines this with understanding the neurological patterns that create and maintain your challenges. We look at how your brain processes information, creates emotions, and forms habits—then give you specific tools to work with these natural systems rather than against them. This approach tends to create faster, more lasting change because we're addressing root causes, not just symptoms.
-
Many clients notice shifts in understanding and hope within the first session. Practical improvements often begin within 2-4 sessions as you start applying brain-based tools. Significant, lasting change typically occurs after you have practiced new thought, feeling and behavioural strategies, though this varies based on the complexity of your situation and your commitment to applying the techniques. The beauty of understanding your brain is that once you "get it," the changes tend to be self-reinforcing.
-
Our Stillmind methodology is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has decades of research supporting its effectiveness. We integrate this with current neuroscience research on neuroplasticity, emotional regulation, and cognitive patterns. Dr. Kennedy stays current with the latest research and applies evidence-based techniques that have been proven effective for anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges. Every technique we use has solid scientific backing.
-
Absolutely. With 14 years of experience in the Middle East, Dr. Kennedy has worked with clients from diverse cultural, religious, and national backgrounds. The brain-based approach is universal—anxiety and stress work the same way regardless of culture—but the application is always tailored to respect your values, beliefs, and cultural context. Many techniques are practical and skills-based, making them applicable across different cultural frameworks.
-
This is common, and often it's because previous therapy focused on symptoms rather than the underlying brain patterns creating them. Many intelligent, successful people find traditional "talk therapy" frustrating because it doesn't provide the concrete tools and understanding they need. Our Stillmind brain-first approach gives you specific techniques and a clear understanding of why your mind works the way it does, which tends to be much more effective for analytical, problem-solving personalities.
-
A Discovery Session is a comprehensive 75-minute consultation where we analyze your specific brain patterns, identify what's creating your challenges, and develop preliminary strategies for addressing them. You'll leave with immediate insights about your mental patterns, practical tools to start using right away, and a summary email with clear next steps. It's an investment in understanding exactly how your brain works and what you need to move forward.
Ready to Master Your Mind?
Take the first step toward understanding and transforming your mental patterns
Discovery Session
AED 995 (Individual) | AED 1,095 (Couples)
Comprehensive 75-minute session including personalized brain pattern analysis, immediate practical tools, and summary email with clear next steps for your situation.
What's Included:
✓ Personal brain pattern analysis
✓ Individual coping strategies for your situation
✓ Brain behavior explanations that make sense
✓ Immediate practical tools to start using
✓ Summary email with clear next steps
Available in-person in Abu Dhabi or via secure video call
Prefer to start with something smaller?
"I was skeptical at first—I'm an engineer, I need things that make logical sense. Dr. Kennedy's Stillmind approach was exactly what I needed: clear explanations of how my brain works, practical tools I could implement, and measurable results. My anxiety is now completely manageable."
Raj P.
Senior Software Engineer, Dubai