Hello and welcome. I'm Joanne, a therapeutic counsellor based in Stanford Le Hope, Corringham, Essex, offering accessible online and telephone therapy across the UK. Contact me if you feel as if life has become difficult and you want help finding a way out from under those 'black clouds'. I specialise in supporting people who no longer feel like themselves or are not a version of themselves they wish to be. I'm available to listen to what is going on for you and talk about how I can help.
About me and my practice
It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what the problem may be as it is often a mixture of things causing us to feel low or not like ourselves. There can be many reasons for losing a sense of who you are or having parts of yourself you would like to alter. We experience many different transitions in life and some of these can be difficult to adjust to - even if they are positive changes. Changing jobs, becoming a parent or stepparent, moving, reaching a milestone birthday etc can all change how you view yourself, your place in your life and can cause relationship problems or family issues. External factors and difficult life transitions such as separation or divorce, redundancy or retirement, bereavement, becoming ill or developing chronic pain can lead to loneliness and you may find yourself feeling sad, lost, anxious and scared without any idea of how to get back to your 'old' self again.
If you have parts of yourself you dislike, anger or behaviour problems, guilt, shame or regret you are unlikely to have a positive relationship with yourself, which can make it difficult to have positive relationships with others.
Do you relate to any of the above? If so you might experience mental noise, such as repetitive thoughts, rumination, catastrophising and feelings of stress and anxiety. Left unchecked, these ongoing feelings can affect your sleep and your physical health, leading the way to depression, overwhelm and burnout. Together, at your own pace, we will make sense of your story, how you developed your beliefs in yourself and how these affect your thoughts, choices and behaviours. We will improve areas that are holding you back, lessen any burden you're under, and find a way forward that reconnects you to yourself and progresses you towards the person you would like to become. I am passionate about the work I do in helping you to achieve this!
Experience
Until December 2022 I worked in residential care for people over 65, with a particular focus on the unique challenges faced by those dealing with Dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as supporting their families. I also have first-hand experience of the difficulties faced by people working in the care sector who can often struggle to recognise or prioritise their own needs.
Through volunteering with a local mental health charity (Thurrock and Brentwood Mind) and my Private Practice (Brighterside Counselling and Psychotherapy) I have experience working with an extensive range of issues, helping many clients improve their emotional wellbeing and quality of life. My personal lived experience includes childhood trauma, suicide, separation, menopause, chronic pain and fatigue. These experiences have influenced the additional areas of knowledge I have, as well as my ongoing training - for example, I recently completed a program focusing on overcoming chronic pain and will be studying somatic trauma therapy during the remainder of 2024. This interests me on a personal level as well as being able to expand the services I offer clients, which already includes an awareness of how trauma is stored in the body, the affect this can have on our physical health, how our breath is linked to anxiety, our nervous system response to long term stress and how to utilise this knowledge to help improve not only our mental health but also our physical wellbeing.
Sessions are always centred on you as my client, you set the pace and decide what you would like to focus on during sessions. So, if you have no shared interest in the above that is totally okay as the goal is always on finding out what will benefit you the most.
Qualifications
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.
Certificate of Proficiency with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Professional Membership
Registered Member MBACP
Professional Register
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Verified by Counsellingo on Friday, 23 August 2024
Initial Consultation
If you are interested in working with me please contact me to arrange a 10/15-minute complimentary initial consultation. This allows us to discuss the issues you're having, answer any questions you have, ease any anxiety around starting therapy and help you to decide if I am the counsellor for you.
Fees
My fee starts from £50 per session (weekday daytime)up to £65 for evenings (after 5pm) and weekends. I also have a limited number of concessionary slots available to offer affordable therapy regardless of budget. As these can be in demand, I hold a waiting list for these sessions when applicable. Let me know at the time of enquiry if you would like to discuss your individual requirements.
When I Work
I work Monday to Friday, with limited weekend availability.
I offer short term therapy for an agreed number of weeks, ad hoc sessions as required, open ended and long-term therapy.
Therapeutic Approach
Personal Centred, Pluralistic, Humanistic
Area
Essex
