Jo Copley

I’m a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist with an MSc, and a broad range of experience including working with a wide range of mental health issues, from mild anxiety (everyday life issues) to severe anxiety and depression, addictions and OCD.

Why therapy?

Life can be tough at times, can't it? We all need someone to talk to. Friends may get fed up of listening to us, they may have their own problems, or they may offer their unwanted advice, albeit with good intention.

As a Psychotherapist, I can offer you a safe place to talk, without judgment, in which to explore your difficulties, whatever they may be. I don’t offer advice but I can help you to find your own insights and understanding of your problems, and together we can find solutions. I can encourage you to talk about difficult or painful feelings and emotions. It can be a great relief to share your worries and fears with someone who acknowledges your feelings and helps you reach a positive solution.

I can help you to explore underlying issues such as low self-esteem and lack of confidence that may have caused you to feel low and worthless, or may have resulted in you developing unhelpful behaviours.

I can also help you to

• • Cope with a bereavement or relationship breakdown

  • Cope with redundancy or work relation stress

  • Deal with relationship issues

  • Deal with feelings of depression or sadness and have a more positive outlook on life

  • Deal with feelings of anxiety, helping you to worry less about things

  • Understand yourself and your problems better

  • Feel more confident

  • Deal with addictions, such as alcohol dependency, shopping addiction

  • Explore sexual identity

  • Understand other people’s point of view better

  • Achieve your potential

As an integrative therapist, I incorporate different techniques to suit your needs. I am fully qualified in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Humanistic Therapy and Mindfulness. It may be that you want CBT to focus on the present and develop some coping strategies for the here and now.

It can sometimes be beneficial to look at issues from your past alongside in addition to CBT, It may help to understand the root causes of your difficulties, or to explore your early relationships with parents or care givers to give you an insight into how you learned to deal with difficult emotions. It may be that you have experienced a trauma which has affected your outlook on life and your emotional wellbeing. I will be guided by your needs and the pace you want to set and incorporate different techniques to suit your needs.

CBT is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. It has been shown to be effective in treating a number of different mental health conditions. In addition to depression or anxiety disorders, it can also help you with:

obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

panic disorder

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

phobias

eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia

sleep problems, such as insomnia

problems related to alcohol misuse

CBT can help you deal with your problems in a more positive way. It’s based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle. I can help you crack this cycle by breaking down overwhelming problems into smaller parts and showing you how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel. We can look at practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

Compassion and mindfulness

Do you give yourself a hard time? Is your mind full of anxious chatter and self-doubt? Some people find that Mindfulness techniques can really help them to feel calmer and more relaxed. It is a way of paying attention to your thoughts with the idea that one negative thought can lead to a chain reaction of negative thoughts. I can help you to understand that thoughts are not facts and they may come and go. I can help you to develop techniques for choosing whether or not to act on your thoughts and in doing so become calmer and more compassionate towards yourself.

Process

Therapy can be just a few sessions and sometimes even one session may be enough. It may continue over several weeks or months, depending on your individual situation. We can discuss this before and during your course of therapy.

How many sessions?

Sessions last for an hour, and are usually once a week. The frequency can vary according to your needs. In most cases, it takes a number of sessions before counselling really starts to make a difference, and a regular commitment is required to make the best use of the therapy. I recognise that it is vital to have a trusting relationship with your counsellor and you can use the first session to decide if I am the right person for you.

£40 per hour Stapleford £45 per hour Beeston