Joanne Brown

I am an empathic and caring Accredited Counsellor working in a holistic and individual way, with you as the client at the centre of our work.   I draw on a range of different approaches to help you as my client using various techniques and strategies, CBT being the one people have mainly heard of but there are also others which I use to help deal with things like anxiety, depression and stress or just be with you in the moment as you take time to explore in your own time, difficult emotions, sensations and feelings. Maybe you have experienced abuse and trauma either as a child or an adult, are having relationship issues, problems at work, struggling with illness, loss or bereavement, bullying, redundancy, menopause or maybe you are trying to navigate the idea of being Neurodivergence with ADHD and Autism now being a realisation for you.

Whatever your reasons I am here to listen you, to understand your world and help you make sense of all that it is around you in a safe, supportive and confidential space. I am not here to judge or make comment on your life choices, but what I can do is give you an opportunity to have a voice and be heard and validated. Feelings of anger, hurt and frustration happen when we are not getting what we need from our relationships. I can help you explore how and why this is happening and given the resources you have help you work out how to make the lasting fulfilling changes that needs to happen for you to be in a better place.

Choosing a therapist can be daunting, maybe you have given counselling a try before and somehow, it has not worked as you wanted it to. or this is your first time and not sure what to expect. Talking with someone you don’t know at first can be daunting but and I would encourage you to go with your gut feeling as to what feels right with someone. As for me I will be real and genuine with you and allow you to be you. Sometimes it maybe that I will challenge you to look at different perspective on things, however I will do this with care and compassion for your needs. I will work with you on your critical thinking and help you to reframe your perceptions and ways of being. In doing so it can empower you to believe in yourself that you can and will make the right decisions for you. We will go at your own pace and agree between us the number of sessions that you might need, regularly reviewing our work as we go.

Our Past

Life is supposed to be joyous but for many it is stressful and traumatic and this has lasting consequences long after the events has gone. I will support you to understand how our mental and physical health are unequivocally interlocked and how one affects the other leaving you living in a vicious cycle of poor mental health, repeated destructive patterns of relating and pain and fatigue. My approach is looking at the overall holistic approach to stress and trauma and how our body’s natural physical response to danger of the fight/flight/freeze response can debilitating in itself! I can work with you to help you identify your triggers and causes of your pain and work with you in a trauma informed way to  help you understand how early life experiences and or events are a direct contributing factor as to how we deal with our emotions and feelings in the here and now. Our body’s store emotions and trauma and we need to be able to process these otherwise it will manifest itself in our physical self. which we experience as depression, anxiety, low self esteem and lack of confidence. I will work with you to help you understand and manage your ability to cope with with all that life brings.

It's Okay!

Sometimes it is not the right time or place to embark on this journey and it is important for you to know that this is okay. I will help you to learn to trust your inner instincts and thoughts and help you work out what is the right thing for you. Sometimes to walk away and then come back at a later stage is needed as Counselling needs patience, commitment, perseverance and courage to finally break negative thought patterns and behaviours which keep us in our current place of distress it also may raise many painful and difficult feelings which you may not be prepared for but this is all part of the healing process and not to be under estimated.

The Next Step

If you feel that I can help you give me a call.  I offer a free initial 30 minute consultation for anyone who is unsure about how counselling can help them. We can discuss your aims at this session and how many sessions you may need, we will go at your own pace and time,  whether this is short and focused or a more long term plan, whatever to suit your needs.

To ensure that I am the right counsellor for you I offer a free 30-minute consultation if required either by online or phone call.

• £50 per 1 hour session
• Limited availability for ages 11+ to 18 years in full time education - £35 per 50 minute session.
• Counselling Students £40 per hour session

Payment is prior to the session by bank transfer or cash on the day.

My therapy room is at Blyth Chiropractic Clinic and it is bright and comforting and a safe space, please note this room is upstairs with no lift.  I also work from home from my private room in my garden, which is small and discreet and peaceful.  Daytime sessions are at Blyth, I tend to work from home in an evening.  Both venues have parking.