Joanna Taylor

I am a highly experienced counselling psychologist who really enjoys helping people. I have a great deal of empathy and compassion for the struggles we face as human beings. If you are finding life tough or feeling like you want to make changes, I would love to try and help. I like to draw on a range of approaches to help you and I highly value a good therapeutic relationship together. Within this I use interventions so that you can understand yourself better and identify ways forward. It’s important for me to discover what YOU want to be different and my ideal client is only someone who works hard in allowing me to help you.

I believe my speciality is in making sense of people and formulating their struggle. This also helps to find ways forward. I can help by increasing your self-awareness, your understanding and of yourself and by guiding you towards positive behaviour choices. I am a very down to earth and warm person who makes people feel safe and comfortable . Starting therapy is pretty daunting and I would encourage you to trust in the process. I work really hard to ensure my sessions are beneficial and I am usually able to really help people.

I have been a qualified counselling psychologist since 2007 and since then I have worked in addictions, in the community and then on acute wards. I have a good understanding of people and the factors that can lead them to get stuck in destructive cycles. I am able to provide assessment and treatment for a broad range of difficulties including relationship problems, work-related stress, depression, anxiety disorders such as OCD, phobias and panic attacks, addictions, bereavement, PTSD, post-natal difficulties, family and marital problems.

I also have a good grasp of psychiatric services and am able to advise in this area. I understand that the public can be left feeling frustrated and confused by gaps between services and breakdowns in communication between professionals. Sometimes all people need is to know more about this and to be signposted in the right direction. Working on acute wards has given me a great experience of formulation and diagnostic tools. I value working with families and couples where appropriate also.

I am a warm and understanding person who is able to offer a safe space in which an individual can gain a better understanding of themselves, or their situation, and find solutions. I believe that it is important for people to feel understood and validated but that they usually would like some honest and helpful guidance too. I feel privileged to listen to other people’s stories and am not afraid to draw on my own experiences of life struggles too.

My training over the years includes providing therapy from humanistic, psychodynamic and existential perspectives as well as extensive CBT training at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. I have particular experience of working with people with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, both on the NHS wards and in the community. I have received further training in both DBT and schema focused therapy, both of which are recommended for the treatment/management of this disorder. I understand the stigma and shame attached to this disorder and the lack of services out there. 

Lastly, I am an experienced NHS leader who has trained, supervised and supported other health professionals along the way. This includes giving group supervision and de-briefs to clinical teams.

£75 for first and further treatment sessions.

£150 for a 90 minute full psychological assessment and report as requested by an employer, insurance company, social services, court, etc.