About me
Are you in your 20s and feeling stuck, lost, or unsure of yourself, while everyone else seems to have things figured out? Or are you a parent trying to adjust to the changes that can come as children grow older and relationships shift?
Hello, I’m Jen. I’m an accredited counsellor offering in-person counselling in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Saturdays.
I specialise in working with young adults aged 18-25 as they navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood. I offer a reduced fee for this age group. The emotional challenges of this life stage are greatly underestimated and it can be difficult to find a space to explore these issues openly and safely.
Whether you are leaving home or university, questioning your direction, struggling with identity, or carrying feelings of shame from past mistakes, this life stage can feel very overwhelming. You might feel like you should have things figured out by now - but don’t.
With extensive experience of working with young people in the criminal justice system and university students, I bring a deep understanding of this complex life stage, and will support you as you reconnect with its opportunities for growth, new experiences, and fun.
Therapy through periods of change
Although much of my work focuses on young adults, I also support parents navigating the changes that can come when children grow older and relationships shift. The transition to adulthood does not just affect young people. Parents can also find themselves navigating loss, change and uncertainty, or trying to rediscover what life looks like in this next stage.
I also work with older adults during periods of transition, including changing family relationships, mid-life questions, loss, career-change and ageing. During periods of change, people often find themselves questioning who they are, what they want, or how they want to live, and can benefit from an independent space in which to explore these issues openly and honestly.
A different kind of therapy
If you’ve tried CBT or other structured approaches before, and are looking for something deeper and more relational, then psychotherapeutic counselling may be a good option for you. Our sessions will be more open and exploratory. At times they may feel challenging, but often deeply rewarding as you begin to find your own voice and uncover what truly matters to you.
Whatever it is you are going through, I bring energy, warmth, and if you are open to it, a bit of challenge, to help you unravel what you are feeling, reduce shame, and feel more accepting of yourself.
Please note: that I am unable to work privately with students enrolled at Northumbria University.
Training, qualifications & experience
How I work?
I am trained in Transactional Analysis (TA), an approach that helps people to understand longstanding patterns in how they think, feel, behave, and relate to others. This can bring clarity to why you might feel stuck in certain ways.
I work integratively though, drawing from a range of humanistic approaches, including person-centred, Gestalt, existential approaches, compassion-focused therapy (CFT), and solution-focused brief therapy. In practice, this means your therapy is shaped around you, rather than a rigid formula. Some sessions may focus on deeper exploration and reflection, while others may be more practical or supportive, depending on what you need.
My experience
I have been in clinical practice since 2020. My training included counselling within a GP surgery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, supporting adults through anxiety, depression, relationship breakdown, caring responsibilities, menopause, trauma, bereavement, and major life transitions.
More recently, I have worked in a university setting offering brief counselling. I have extensive experience of supporting students from diverse backgrounds through issues including anxiety, family and relationship difficulties, academic pressure, identity, bereavement by suicide, and neurodiversity.
My background
Before training as a counsellor, I spent 15 years working with young people and young adults in the criminal justice system, alongside 10 years working in higher education, specialising in dispute resolution. This background continues to shape my understanding of relationships, conflict, shame, identity, and the pressures people can experience during periods of change.
Qualifications
- Certificate in Clinical Supervision
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
- Postvention Assisting those Bereaved By Suicide (PABBS) training
- Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling
- Diploma in Probation Studies
- BA Hons Community and Criminal Justice
- BA Hons English Literature
Member organisations
school 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.
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 per session
Additional information
If you are considering therapy, I am happy to talk through what you are looking for. I offer a free 15-minute introductory telephone or video call in which I can tell you more about how I work and you can ask any questions about the arrangements for counselling before committing to an initial assessment. This is not a therapy session, but a gentle starting point.
In the initial assessment, I will gather some important information about your history for the purpose of counselling, before exploring what prompted you to seek help now and what your expectations are. Initial assessments are charged at £65.00 for 50 minutes, payable in advance. All therapy sessions thereafter are also charged at £65 for 50 minutes, payable in advance.
For young adults aged 18-25, I offer a reduced fee of £55 for 50 minutes.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
I offer in-person sessions in a very special space in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. For those of you who benefit from the cosy containment of a traditional counselling room, this is provided, alongside an adjoining studio space for those of you who may benefit from being able to get up and stretch during a session.
