Joanna Baars
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha
At times, life can feel heavy. Perhaps you’ve been carrying more than you let others see, pain from the past, anxiety that just won’t settle, questions about who you really are, or a quiet sense of disconnection from yourself or the world around you.
You may not even know exactly what’s wrong, only that something within you is asking for care, safety, and space to breathe.
But here, you are welcome fully, as you are. This is a place where nothing is “too much,” and you won’t be expected to explain everything all at once. Together, we can gently explore whatever has been weighing on you, at your pace.
About Me
Hello I’m Jo, a qualified counsellor, accredited by the NCPS and registered with the BACP. My practice is rooted in warmth, safety, and compassion, and shaped around your unique experiences and emotional world.
I work gently and integratively, drawing from:
- Person-Centred Therapy – honouring your voice and autonomy
- Psychodynamic Therapy – exploring the past’s quiet influence
- CBT – building new ways of coping
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) – understanding your inner “parts”
- Human Givens – helping unmet needs find balance
I will always meet you as an individual, not a label or diagnosis.
What I Can Support You With
I often work with people experiencing:
- Childhood emotional trauma (both “big” and quiet)
- Shame, self-doubt, and feeling disconnected from themselves
- Identity and self-relationship exploration
- Grief, loss, and invisible mourning
- Anxiety, OCD, and emotional overwhelm
- Stress and pressure management
- LGBTQIA+ identity and expression
- Neurodivergence, and sensory sensitivity
- Emotional wellbeing for men
- Emotional wellbeing for women
- Safe anger expression and management
- Fertility and IVF-related distress
- Addiction, self-harm, and emotional dysregulation
- Support for sex workers, carers, and creatives
- Fatigue from masking, care roles, or public visibility
Who I Work With
Many of the people I support have felt “different” for a long time. Some are outwardly capable but privately overwhelmed. Others are processing early life wounds or questioning who they really are.
I warmly welcome:
- Adults and young people aged 0–18
- Neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ individuals seeking affirming, identity-safe support
- Those in caregiving, leadership, or public-facing roles who feel they must hold it all together
- Professionals, creatives, and individuals navigating the pressure of visibility or performance
- Sensitive, introspective people who often feel emotionally overlooked or “too much”
- Anyone facing the challenges of everyday life; work stress, family strain, decision fatigue, or simply feeling worn down by the demands of daily living
- People experiencing anxiety, low mood, bereavement, grief, overwhelm, or disconnection, whether long-standing or more recent
- Anyone seeking quiet, steady support — with no pressure to “perform” or “pretend”
And many more. If you've ever felt misunderstood in therapy, or unsure whether your struggles “count,” this space is especially for you.
A Space for You, Held in Confidence
I’m fully DBS-checked, trained in safeguarding, and work in a trauma-informed, respectful way. Nothing you bring will be “too much” or “too complicated.”
I also support individuals who value a high degree of discretion. Whether you hold a visible role, carry public responsibility, or simply need absolute emotional privacy, your confidentiality will always be protected.
How We Can Work Together
Sessions are available:
- In-person
- Securely online (UK-wide and internationally)
- Discreet communication via email, text or WhatsApp is also welcome
Limited availability – I’m currently welcoming a small number of new clients. You’re warmly invited to get in touch to discuss what might feel right for you.
A Note on Boundaries
To protect the safety and integrity of my practice, I kindly ask that the following boundaries are respected:
- I do not answer calls from withheld numbers
- Free consultations are not available for sex-related topics due to previous misuse.
These topics are very welcome in booked sessions, and will always be met with care, respect, and complete confidentiality.
Reaching Out
You don’t need to have the words yet. You don’t need to know exactly what to say. If something in you is ready, even just a part, I’ll be here to listen.
You can reach me by email at info@iamifeel.co.uk, call or text 07761 842 772, or visit www.iamifeel.co.uk to learn more.
Thank you for reading this far. I hope this may be the beginning of something kind, grounding, and truly yours.
With warmth, care and kindest always,
Jo
Training, qualifications & experience
I’m an accredited counsellor and hypnotherapist, accredited with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and the Hypnotherapy Society (MHS). I hold full DBS certification and am trained to work safely and ethically with both adults and young people.
My qualifications include:
- Level 5 Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice
- Level 4 Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory
- Certificate in Hypnotherapy and Counselling Skills
- MSc in Psychology and BSc in Health Sciences (Biomedicine)
- Specialist training with Place2Be in counselling children, young people, and safeguarding
- Certified in delivering secure, ethical online therapy (Choose Therapy)
I combine a strong academic foundation with a human-first, trauma-informed approach. Whether you're navigating complex emotions, burnout, grief, identity questions, or simply trying to feel more like yourself, I’m here to support you, gently, and at your pace.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Addiction, self-harm, and emotional dysregulation
- Anxiety and emotional overwhelm
- Boundaries - navigating relationships, work, and emotional safety
- Burnout, procrastination, and motivation
- Childhood emotional abuse (both normalised and overt, for adults and minors 0–18)
- Childhood trauma (including subtle, normalised, or minimised experiences)
- Codependency and people-pleasing patterns
- Communication issues and feeling misunderstood
- Complex PTSD (CPTSD) and long-term trauma
- Connection and intimacy issues
- Couples counselling and relationship repair
- Cultural identity and belonging
- Decision fatigue and life direction uncertainty
- Disconnection - from others, the world, or yourself
- Emotional suppression and stoicism - learning how to feel safely
- Existential, spiritual, or philosophical distress
- Fatigue from masking, care roles, or public visibility
- Feeling unseen in previous therapy or emotional support
- Gender identity and gender exploration
- Grief and loss, including invisible or disenfranchised grief
- Identity and self-exploration (including gender, sexuality, and cultural identity)
- Impulse control and compulsive behaviours
- Inner child work and healing early emotional wounds
- Intimacy difficulties and fear of closeness
- LGBTQIA+ experiences and affirming support
- Living with physical health conditions and their emotional impact
- Low self-worth and relationship with self
- Motivation loss and difficulty initiating action
- Neurodivergence — Autism, ADHD, sensory sensitivity, and masking fatigue
- Parenting struggles and emotional exhaustion
- Perfectionism and performance-related stress
- Power dynamics in family, romantic, or workplace roles
- Rejection sensitivity and fear of criticism or abandonment
- Relationship and trust issues
- Self-worth repair and building inner security
- Shame, guilt, and emotional residue from the past
- Sleep disruption, chronic fatigue, or difficulty switching off
- Transgenerational and inherited trauma patterns
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 - £90.00
Additional information
Limited availability – I’m currently welcoming a small number of new clients. You’re warmly invited to get in touch to discuss current availability.
Sessions range from £50 to £90, depending on your needs, session length, and the type of support you’re seeking. I aim to offer therapy that is both professionally held and emotionally accessible, whilst reflecting the value of specialist, trauma-informed care.
I offer a free 20–25 minute consultation to explore whether we’re a good therapeutic fit. This can be shaped around your comfort level, with no pressure to share more than feels right at the time.
Sessions are currently held online via a secure, discreet platform.
Please note: due to previous misuse, free consultations are not available for sex-related topics. However, these subjects are very welcome in booked sessions and will be met with full respect, care, and confidentiality.
For clients in public-facing roles, high-responsibility positions, or anyone needing a greater degree of emotional privacy, I also offer tailored support with a strong emphasis on discretion. You’re welcome to reach out via email, text, or WhatsApp if you’d like to explore options more personally.
When I work
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If you need flexible, consistent support or to work around time zones, privacy, or a full schedule, you're always welcome to get in touch to discuss availability or tailored support.
Further information
Limited availability – I’m currently welcoming a small number of new clients. You’re warmly invited to get in touch to discuss current availability.
Clients often tell me they feel deeply seen, gently held, and never rushed in our sessions. Whether you arrive with a clear sense of what you need, or just a quiet feeling that something isn’t right, this is a space where you won’t have to explain everything all at once, or be anything other than as you are.
If you’ve never had therapy before or if you’ve had support in the past that didn’t feel fully safe, collaborative, or attuned, please know this space is different. You won’t be met with silence or assumptions, but with careful listening and a grounded, human presence.
Sessions are flexible and shaped around what helps you feel most at ease. That might mean showing up with your camera off, bringing a notebook, keeping fidgets nearby, or taking breaks. There’s no pressure to perform, fix, or speak before you’re ready.
I also support individuals who carry emotional responsibility for others including carers, professionals, creatives, and those in public or high-pressure roles. If discretion is important to you, I’ll always honour that. You’re welcome to reach out quietly, in your own time, and in the way that feels most comfortable to you.
You don’t have to have the right words, just a part of you that’s ready to feel a little more supported. If that’s where you are, I’ll meet you there.
