Jayne Archer

Hello! I'm Jayne. I'm a Counsellor who specialises in working with individuals to manage stress, anxiety, worry, chronic Illness and burnout to find balance, meaning and purpose in their lives.

Are you?

• Feeling stuck or overwhelmed in your career/life/study/relationships and feel like you have made choices that no longer fit who you are now.
• Self-critical or perfectionist and strives to please others or find it hard to say no.
• Living with a chronic illness such as ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia or Long Covid.
• Childless/Childfree and feel misunderstood, judged or invisible.
• Struggling with a loss of motivation or direction and feeling low in self-esteem, depressed or lonely.
• Generally feeling disillusioned or disconnected from the world.
• If so, you are definitely. not alone and you are in the right place!

So many of us feel like we need to be striving harder to fit in and keep up the pace in a fast moving world. We are working hard 'to get back to where we were' or 'get back to normal' particularly since the pandemic. The truth is, the world has changed and we are increasingly exposed to global worries and pressures, combined with the need to survive on a day to day basis. This can leave us feeling out of control and in a perpetual state of confusion and exhaustion. 

How I can help

I am an Integrative therapist which means that I use an approach to the work which fits your particular needs and circumstances. No two people are the same, so it is tailored to fit you as a unique individual and how you experience the world. I offer both counselling and coaching depending on your needs. Whether it is working with and moving through deeper emotional difficulty together or working more practically and creatively in the here and now and looking to the future, we can discuss what might work for you.

What is a session like?

You will always lead what you wish to explore in the sessions with me alongside you.  Our working relationship is important and if we are a good fit, this may deepen over time and hugely support the outcome of your therapy goals and wishes.  You may have specific things that you want to work on or things might feel a bit more unclear- both are totally ok! I often think of therapy as having a bit of a journey, firstly the settling in phase where you will be building awareness and making more sense of what is worrying you.  You may then move more deeply into that understanding and/or acceptance of this, so that you can move into a phase where you can choose to take action or make changes. You may feel some movement back and forth between these stages as you explore- this is totally normal and there is no rush, everyone is different and works at different depths and pace. Small, incremental changes can also make a huge difference to how you feel overall and I will check in with you at regular intervals to see how you feel things are going. 

What might happen if I come to therapy?

Investing in your growth is a brave step as it can be challenging, frustrating and painful at times. However, working with a professional that you can trust, feel seen, heard and validated by can also be lifechanging. You have all of the natural strengths, abilities and talents that you need to navigate the inevitable challenges with purpose.  My hope is that our work together can open different opportunities, perspectives and insights which will enable you to explore potential for healing and living a more balanced life that is more in line with you and your values.

Working with me as your therapist can help you to:

-Make a start on your healing journey or re-visit things that you feel are still troubling you.

-Make more informed choices and changes in your life and start to figure out what is most important to you.

-Manage difficult feelings and emotions and start to understand what might be underneath them (if and when it feels safe to go there)

-Start to create better relationships with those around you.

-Identify your strengths and what supports your wellbeing

-Build a healthier, more self compassionate connection with yourself.

What are the next steps?

I offer a short introductory call. This is not a therapy session, it is an opportunity for us to discuss a bit further what you are looking for, ask any questions you might have and to give you the opportunity to decide whether I am the right fit for you.

Calendly link here: calendly.com/growinyourowndirection

Or you can email me directly if you have a quick question at growinyourowndirection@gmail.com 

If you decide to go ahead and work with me, I offer weekly sessions and work both online and face to face in Bristol, in a lovely room in Montpelier/Cotham area.

Looking forward to catching up with you soon!

'Jayne was absolutely amazing. How she was able to make me feel like she'd been a confidant that had been in my life for years was astounding. 

I've never encountered such a great listener, I always found Jayne's ability to take me down a path, that I subconsciously really wanted to explore, utterly mind blowing. I could go on and on and on but I'd be here a very long while. Thank you'

Elle - Counselling client

I do hold a couple of concessionary slots, so do ask me about these.