Jamie Kelly

Verified Professional task_alt Verified Professional
Verified Professional

Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.

she/her
HCPC Reg. Dramatherapist | BA Hons, B Ed, MA, HCPC, BADth

About me

Right now, you're feeling burnt out and it's hurting you. If you’re tired of performing, pleasing, and pretending, I can help you take a closer look at what's beneath the surface, restore balance from within, and reconnect you to yourself.

I work with individuals who often do the carrying and find it hard to rest. Those who keep going because things never feel quite enough. Who show up for everyone else but rarely for themselves. Who feel they have to hold it together, even at the cost of their own mental health.

I understand how anxious and lonely a place this can feel, and why asking for help can seem like a risk.

Therapy doesn’t have to be another thing 'to do'. It can be a pressure-free space that’s just for you. 

Therapy with me isn’t about fixing you or forcing a solution. It’s about slowing down enough to hear yourself again. To make space for the parts of you that need to be listened to, and meeting these needs with kindness and care.

How I work:

My approach is compassion-focused and humanistic, which means I’ll meet you where you’re at, and as you are.

I focus on the whole person (not just symptoms, diagnoses or conditions) because healing often comes from understanding the deeper layers of your experience. By exploring your story and what’s beneath the surface, we can make space for connection, insight, and change to unfold gently, without rushing or judgement.

As a Dramatherapist, I can also bring in creative ways of working and exploring. This might include using metaphor, story, or different forms of self-expression to access parts of your experience that may be harder to reach with words alone. Creativity can open up new perspectives, deeper insight, and another way of feeling understood.

I work with trauma and complex trauma sensitively. I can help you hold space for what’s been painful, and make room for strength, recovery, and growth.

At the heart of it, I can help you make sense of what’s shaped you, why things are the way they are today, so you can reconnect with your authentic self and live in a way that feels more sustainable, purposeful, and true to you.

I offer individual weekly sessions, both online and in-person (City of London - near Moorgate, Bank, Liverpool Street stations).

If you’d like to connect, we can get to know each other and see if working together feels right for you by having a phone chat first.

Please feel free to reach out for a free 20-minute phone consultation with me: 

https://cal.com/team/ytherapy/private-therapy-consultation

Training, qualifications & experience

I’m a qualified and experienced HCPC-registered Dramatherapist with over 15 years of experience supporting people in settings where the emotional stakes are high and the impact of trauma is deeply felt.

My work has taken me through NHS mental health services, prisons, social care, specialist trauma organisations, and multinational corporations.

Being in these environments has shown me the weight people carry - especially those who are holding space for others, leading under pressure, or navigating complex systems.

I’ve worked with people facing burnout, vicarious trauma, moral injury, and the quiet toll of long-term responsibility. I understand how these experiences can live in the body, shape relationships, and challenge a person’s sense of self and world view.

My approach is rooted in psychodynamic and attachment-based models, a deep understanding of trauma, organisational psychology and systemic work, and shaped by years of sitting with real human experience - what people hold, what they hide, and what they need in order to heal.

I also draw on the healing aspects of the creative arts to help people explore, express, and reconnect with parts of themselves that have become lost, oppressed, or forgotten.

How I approach therapy comes from working closely with people who carry heavy responsibilities - whether that’s first responders, carers, or anyone in a helping role. I know what it’s like to hold on when you’re tired, to feel burnout creeping in, and to carry the unseen weight of trauma that isn’t your own but affects you deeply.

Credentials

I trained in Drama and Movement Therapy at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where I earned my Master of Arts in 2009.

Before becoming a therapist, I completed my undergraduate studies in Drama in Education, followed by a Bachelor of Education in teacher training, both at the University of Windsor in Canada.

I’m a registered Arts Therapist (Dramatherapist) with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and a full member of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth). I hold professional indemnity insurance, maintain an enhanced DBS clearance, and am committed to ongoing clinical supervision and continuous professional development to ensure the highest standards in my practice.

I’m actively involved in the latest practices and research around burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. I’ve also created a mental health company focused on 'helping the helpers’. This work isn’t just what I do, it’s what I’m really passionate about, and it’s shaped how I show up for the people I support in my therapy practice.

Member organisations

school Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

HCPC
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.

They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.

Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, vicarious trauma

Therapies offered

Fees

£150.00 per session

Additional information

20 Minute Phone Consultation (Free)

50 Minute Initial Consultation (£150) - Online and In-Person

Therapy Online and In-Person in London - near Moorgate, Liverpool Street, and Bank (£150)

Schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation with me:

https://cal.com/team/ytherapy/private-therapy-consultation

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I see clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Currently I have availability Tuesdays for online therapy, and Thursdays for in-person / online therapy.

Further information

Alongside individual therapy, I work extensively with employees, employers, and entire organisations, with a particular focus on burnout, vicarious trauma, and resilience within helping professional roles.

If there's something outside of 1-to-1 therapy that you think might be helpful, whether you're looking out for a colleague, considering options for your team, or wanting help from your employer to fund therapy, please feel free to reach out to me directly to explore this as an option.

You can message me on the platform, e-mail me directly or book a free consultation to speak directly about your situation:

https://ytherapy.com/book-an-appointment

Token House, 11-12 Tokenhouse Yard, London, EC2R 7AS

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)
Organisations
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Online platforms

Google Meet
Zoom