Sahar El-Achkar

Sahar El-Achkar is a General Psychologist with extensive experience supporting individuals through complex life transitions, emotional vulnerability, and periods of heightened stress. She brings a warm, trauma-informed, and collaborative approach to therapy, with a particular interest in supporting women during the perinatal period, including pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. Sahar’s commitment to working with women during the perinatal period has grown from witnessing how emotionally complex and isolating this stage of life can be. Across her work in clinical, community, and systems-based settings, she has observed many women express a wide range of emotions and thoughts during pregnancy and early parenthood. Too often, these experiences are minimised, misunderstood, or go unsupported. Through this exposure, Sahar has become acutely aware of the gaps in care that exist for women during the perinatal period, particularly for those navigating additional stressors, trauma histories, or limited support. She recognises that many women feel pressure to cope, perform, or remain silent during a time when they most need understanding and support. Sahar is drawn to this work because she wants to be present for women during these pivotal stages, to offer a space where their experiences are met with compassion rather than judgement, and where they do not need to minimise or explain their distress. She is committed to supporting women to make sense of their emotional experiences, reconnect with their sense of self, and feel less alone as they navigate pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood. Sahar’s clinical experience spans across private practice, community, education, and forensic settings, where she has supported individuals experiencing trauma, chronic stress, psychosocial adversity, and significant life disruption. This breadth of experience enables her to work thoughtfully with women whose perinatal experiences are shaped by various factors such as limited social supports, medical complexity, and past trauma. Sahar is also committed to family-inclusive and culturally responsive practice, recognising the importance of relationships, support networks, and cultural context during the perinatal period. She works respectfully with diverse families and values collaboration with other health professionals to support holistic care. Sahar’s approach is flexible and collaborative, supporting women to develop emotional awareness, self-compassion, and practical coping strategies, while remaining connected to their values and sense of self. Outside of her work as a psychologist, Sahar values experiences that help her stay grounded and connected. She enjoys spending time with horses and being in nature. She enjoys feeding those around her, and she prioritises spending time with her loved ones.