Specialist Psychological Therapy · London & Online

Longevity Psychology
London

Evidence-based psychological work on the factors most robustly linked to a longer, healthier life — purpose, self-acceptance, resilience and connection — from a consultant clinical psychologist with a neuroscience research background.

Arrange a Free Consultation What I offer
Dr Sanya Krljes DClinPsy PhD MSc Consultant Clinical Psychologist HCPC Registered 20+ Years Experience

The longevity conversation is missing its most important variable.

Biomarker testing, sleep optimisation, cold exposure, supplements — the longevity industry has never been louder, and almost all of it focuses on the body. The mind is barely mentioned, despite robust cohort evidence that psychological factors are among the strongest predictors of how long and how well we live.

Self-acceptance, sense of purpose, social connection and emotional resilience are not lifestyle add-ons. In large longitudinal studies they predict mortality risk independently of socioeconomic status and physical health markers — in some cases with effect sizes comparable to established risks like smoking.

This work is not about adding another wellness practice to an already full life. It is about addressing, with the same rigour you bring to your physical health, the psychological patterns that are quietly working against you at a cellular level.

01
Chronic Stress Load
Sustained psychological pressure that shows up physically — through HPA-axis activation, elevated cortisol, and accelerated cellular ageing — long before it registers as a mental health concern.
02
Identity & Self-Acceptance
A persistent, low-grade self-criticism or perfectionism that research links directly to reduced psychological wellbeing and, over time, measurable health outcomes.
03
Purpose & Direction
A sense of professional or personal achievement that has not translated into a felt sense of meaning — one of the strongest independent predictors of mortality risk in cohort studies.
04
Social Connection
High-functioning isolation: a full calendar and a thin network of genuinely close relationships, which carries a mortality risk comparable to established physical risk factors.
05
Perceived Control
A felt loss of agency over your own life or health trajectory, even amid outward success — an independent predictor of wellbeing that operates separately from socioeconomic factors.
06
Emotional Resilience
Difficulty recovering from setbacks or stress in a way that protects, rather than erodes, long-term physiological and cognitive function.

Psychological work grounded in the longevity evidence base.

My approach draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, schema therapy and compassion-focused work, informed by a PhD in cognitive neuroscience and a clinical interest in how chronic psychological stress accelerates biological ageing.

This is not generic resilience coaching. It is structured psychological work aimed at the specific factors the evidence identifies as protective — self-acceptance, purpose, connection and stress regulation — applied to your particular history and patterns, not a one-size template.

I work primarily with professionals already investing seriously in their physical health, who want to bring the same rigour to the psychological dimension of a long, well-lived life.

1
Assessment & Formulation
A precise understanding of your specific psychological stress patterns, self-relationship and sources of meaning — not a generic longevity checklist.
2
Stress & Regulation Work
Addressing chronic psychological stress directly, using approaches shown to reduce cortisol load and improve emotional regulation over time.
3
Self-Acceptance & Identity
Structured work on self-criticism and perfectionism — the single most protective psychological factor identified in 20-year cohort data.
4
Purpose & Connection
Exploring what gives your life meaning and how to strengthen genuine social connection, both independently linked to substantially reduced mortality risk.
"The most significant longevity investment many high-achieving professionals could make is not another biomarker test. It is understanding the psychological patterns driving their internal experience — and changing them."

Dr Sanya Krljes · Consultant Clinical Psychologist

What psychology offers that biomarker tracking does not.

Wearables and blood panels measure outcomes. They do not address the psychological patterns — chronic stress, self-criticism, isolation, lack of purpose — that the evidence shows are actually driving many of those outcomes.

This is genuinely complex work. It involves neurobiology, identity, relational patterns and often longstanding beliefs about achievement and self-worth. Addressing it properly requires depth and sustained attention, not a wellness app.

Consultant-level expertise in an underserved niche.

I hold doctorates in both cognitive neuroscience (Imperial College London) and clinical psychology (UCL), with over 20 years of clinical experience. Psychological longevity work at this level of specialism is rare in London private practice.

I work with professionals who are already serious about their physical health and want to apply equal rigour to the psychological dimension — without being talked down to or offered generic wellness advice.

Qualifications

MSc Neuroscience — King's College London
PhD Cognitive Neuroscience — Imperial College London
DClinPsy — University College London
HCPC Registered · BPS Chartered Psychologist & AFBPsS

What people ask before getting in touch.

Is this therapy or coaching?
It is psychological therapy, delivered by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist — not coaching. The distinction matters: coaching works at the level of behaviour and goals; this work addresses the underlying psychological patterns, which is where the longevity evidence points.
I'm not in crisis — is this still for me?
Yes. Most people I see for this work are functioning well and specifically want to address the psychological dimension of long-term health, not a presenting mental health crisis.
How does this relate to my GP or longevity physician?
This work is complementary, not a replacement for medical care. I focus on the psychological factors the evidence links to longevity; any physical health monitoring should continue with your existing medical team.
Do you offer online sessions?
Yes. I work in person in London and online across the UK, with the same depth and structure either way.
What does the first session involve?
A 90-minute initial consultation to understand your history, current patterns and what you are hoping to address, followed by a clear formulation of how we would work together.

Take the first step.

A free 30-minute consultation — by phone or video — where you can tell me a little about what has brought you here. No pressure, no obligation.

Arrange a Free Consultation 020 7096 8005

hello@praxispsychology.uk  ·  London & Online

Other Specialist Areas

Further areas of expertise.