Jo Westwood
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Welcome, I'm Jo. Lots of profiles aren't there?
I specialise in Anxiety, Childhood and Adult Trauma, Attachment, Relationship issues and Depression.
As a passionate person I believe we all have the right to be seen, heard and understood as unique individuals. I am an experienced psychotherapist and counsellor and believe in working with the whole person both past, present and future to help identify your emotional needs. I work from a humanistic core, which means that I keep you at the centre of our work. However, I do not believe that therapy is a one-size-fits-all process.
I am aware it can be hard to look for the right help at the right time. Maybe you've previously seen a counsellor and felt it was not as successful as you had hoped. That's okay, sometimes it takes the right time, with the counsellor that is the best 'fit' for you.
Change and choice can be challenging and deciding to enter into counselling can be one of the most difficult steps we ever take.
Maybe you are managing to function, but struggling to cope?
It can help to talk freely and confidentially with someone whose life and relationships are separate from yours. With impartial help and support, to express yourself and review your beliefs and decisions, you will be able to clarify your thoughts and feelings. It can then become easier to make sense of what is happening. I offer a warm, non-judgemental and empathetic space to support you on your journey of deeper understanding with compassion for whatever has brought you here.
Frequently asked questions: What might I expect from my sessions?
My training to degree level, is in integrative counselling which means I can use several different counselling approaches and theories. This makes it easier to be flexible, to work at a pace that suits you and to find the unique path that feels right for you.
Part of your counselling process will also include starting to notice deep, often unmet needs and gradually learning to meet them with understanding and compassion. Should you choose, we will take time to explore and reflect on your past experiences, noticing how these may have affected and continue to affect the present.
It is from this place of greater self-awareness that you can be supported in making changes that align with what is important to you and that honour the unique person that you are.
We all have differing ways and means by which we process and communicate more easily. In our sessions along with talking therapy, we can use a variety of different creative techniques to help you explore, process and express your emotions and feelings. This helps to gently expand our awareness of ourselves and the world around us, bringing with it the potential for change.
I do not have any severe issues... Will I still benefit from counselling?
You do not need to be experiencing a crisis to benefit from counselling. You may want to explore where you are in life, increase your self-awareness and engage in personal growth. Counselling can provide the opportunity to help you come to terms with and accept what can’t be changed, gain a clearer perspective on life or work through a difficult choice. The safe space is yours to bring as much or as little as you need.
What might be my next step?
Choosing a counsellor that you feel at ease with is a really important part of the counselling process. If you have read this far and are wondering if we may be a good fit to work together, I would be delighted to have an informal 20-minute free phone call with you to answer any questions you may have. Alternatively pop me an email.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Integrative Counselling and Psychology, Batchelor Degree (BAHons) (University of Suffolk)
- The Tribes of Person-Centred Therapy 2021 - Dr Mick Cooper
- Single Session Therapy - Windy Dryden
- Guilt and Shame - Stefan Charidge
- Effective Anger Management Tools for Working with Men - James Hawes
- The Clearing Method (Healing at Last) - Shauna Quigley
- Compassionate Inquiry - Sat Dharam Kaur ND
- Human Givens - Jennifer Broadley (Human Givens College)
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 National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.
In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
When I work
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Further information
Langham, Colchester
If you require support when I have no availability please send me an email as I can refer you to my colleague Carolyn Bowden. Carolyn can also be found on this platform so alternatively contact her directly. I highly recommend her.
- Toilet facilities.
- Free Parking on Site
- Filtered water