About me
Searching for support can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already dealing with so many other challenges, but you're here so you’ve taken the first step!
Choosing the right therapist is crucial as you'll want to know if you 'click' and want to feel sure they understand what you need. That's why I offer an introductory session at a reduced rate before committing further.
You might be navigating anxiety, depression, relationships, trauma, low self-worth, family issues, grief, anger etc. You may be struggling with the challenges of parenting, menopause, ADHD, a toxic relationship or lasting effects of body shame and wondering how to move forward. I specialise in BODY SHAME, NARCISSISITIC relationships, ADHD & MENOPAUSE, TEENAGERS and PARENTING; however, the way I‘ve been trained means I can work with whatever issue you bring.
In therapy, each session will be tailored to you, and your lived experiences will always be understood, validated and supported. Together we'll work to make sense of what's going on, process the stress and we will find a way forward.
I work within a person-centered approach - that is, I work with you as a person and how you relate to issues in your life, helping you to understand yourself better as opposed to 'treating problems' per se.
As an LGBTQIA-welcoming, fat-positive accredited counsellor, supervisor and coach, I have particular interest in the healing of body-image wounds whatever the reason for your body shame and in supporting any aspect of gender dysphoria and transition, including the feelings that come up as an ally to a loved one transitioning.
Feeling validated, finding meaning and making sense of thoughts and feelings with support from someone alongside you, can bring about a lot of relief and progress with so many of life’s struggles. So whatever is happening or has happened that has brought you here, I can provide you with a safe, holding, validating, confidential space to explore whatever is troubling you.
(There are significant savings when paying upfront for a set of sessions. And an initial session is at a reduced rate.)
PARENT CONSULTATIONS - support for your child's challenging or confusing behaviour.
Mother-Daughter relationship - I am a certified Mother Daughter Coach.
See www.joreader.com for further info.
Training, qualifications & experience
In depth training in:
- Narcissism and narcissistic abuse
- Weight Stigma
- Parenting
- Mother-Daughter Relationship
- ADHD
- Grief
- OCD
- CBT
- Narrative Therapy
- Working in Schools
QUALIFICATIONS
- BACP Accreditation, 2016
- PG Diploma in RELATIONAL SUPERVISION, 2015
- MSc in Weight Stigma in COUNSELLING, 2012
- NLP Diploma, 2011
- PG Diploma in COUNSELLING, 2010
- Diploma in Leadership & Management, 2009
- PGCE in Secondary Music, 1997
- BMus (Hons), 1996
Career Background
I initially graduated with a degree in music from Cardiff in 1996, qualifying as a music teacher a year later. Teaching in a secondary school and then a Young Offenders Institute eventually led me to work for the Local Education Authority supporting families through difficult times which prevented their child from going to school.
Later I took a management qualification and managed a few local authority services in the subsequent years: an Education Welfare Service; a Parent Support Advisor Service and a schools-based counselling service. The knowledge and connections from these roles still prove invaluable as a counsellor and coach when working with parents who are navigating the system for their children.
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.
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£82.50 - £95.00
Additional information
Initial session** is at half price (£45).
Thereafter sessions are £95 per 50 mins. However a 6 session pay-in-advance bundle costs £495 - bringing the actual session fee down to £82.50.
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**A no obligation initial session is offered at a reduced rate (£45) for you to hear how I work, to begin talking about what is troubling you, to ask any questions, and to begin to explore how we might work together before committing further.
When I work
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Further information
I am very close to the number 70 bus route. I have free on-street parking right out side my house.
