About me
About Me and My Practice
My name is Joanne, and I can help you to heal your mental health difficulties, using proven evidence-based therapy. Given our nervous systems are wired when we are young and this process is extremely sensitive to any behaviours that surrounded us during this time, our nervous systems can be wired in such a way that leaves them easily dysregulated. As we move into adulthood, we can start to feel the symptoms from this dysregulation, especially if we have also experienced traumatic events. You may now be seeking therapy to heal from these events or to help you form and maintain close relationships, but in doing so you could be treating the symptoms of your distress and not the cause.
Traditional counselling helps you to recognise your symptoms and requires you to think your way out of your distress. My evidenced-based approach includes Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and/or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Both IFS and EMDR directly heal the root cause of your distress at the subconscious level by helping you to regulate your nervous system.
I am a qualified integrative psychotherapist, and I am educated to the Postgraduate level. I have NHS experience and I currently work privately as well as for Heath Assured and BUPA. My IFS training is accredited with the IFS institute (IFSI) and is endorsed by the internationally acclaimed psychiatrist Dr Richard Schwartz (the founder of IFS). My EMDR training is accredited with the EMDR Association UK and EMDR Europe. I am fully qualified to EMDR Level 4 as required by EMDR Europe.
As well as being accredited with the BACP, I am a registered member of the EMDR Association UK. I also a pet bereavement therapist, and I offer IFS and/or EMDR for pet-loss grief and PTSD.
I have worked with people from diverse backgrounds and with a variety of mental health issues. I also have experience of working with neurodivergence, including ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, and Dyspraxia.
Practice Description
IFS and EMDR work on dysregulated nervous systems to treat the causes of anxiety, depression, relationship problems, complicated grief, low self-esteem, sexuality issues, anger management, as well as most other mental health problems. Both IFS and EMDR can be used in isolation or together to treat nervous system dysregulation that occurred in childhood or adulthood, as well as prenatal, cultural and legacy trauma (passed down from our parents).
EMDR uses your brain's physical ability to change and adapt (neuroplasticity). This involves dual awareness whereby you focus on a painful memory while following a visual, audio or physical rhythm (bilateral stimulation). This rhythm taxes your working memory and forces your brain to unlock rigid trauma neural networks and connect them with heathier adaptive networks in the nervous system. Painful memories are reprocessed and they lose their emotional charge.
IFS works on a “part” of your personality which is a cluster of specific neural networks. Instead of using bilateral stimulation, IFS uses mindful compassion and internal safety resources to calm the amygdala and enhance the prefrontal cortex. By comforting and understanding “parts”, we are changing the neural networks that are holding the pain.
Given that both IFS and EMDR structurally alter the nervous system, they work well together. IFS can enable our protective neural networks to be ready to do the EMDR work. Some people struggle to find positive adaptive neural networks, and IFS as well as attachment-informed EMDR techniques, can therefore be used to facilitate this.
I also offer CBT which can help you to become your own therapist, by learning how to recognise and change your own automatic thoughts and behaviours. CBT is particularly effective for treating anxiety and insomnia, but also menopausal mood and vasomotor symptoms. I also integrate IFS with attachment-informed grief counselling to work with bereavement and loss.
Training, qualifications & experience
Clinical Experience:
- Psychotherapist, BUPA Healthcare, December 2025 - Present Day.
Affiliate Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, Health Assured Wisdom Wellbeing, November 2025 - Present Day. - Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and CBT Practitioner, Tangerine Lotus Counselling and CBT, August 2020 - Present Day.
- IAPT Therapeutic Counsellor and Clinical Assessor, The West London Centre for Counselling, Nov 2018 - March 2023.
- Counsellor and CBT therapist, Headstrong Counselling (London), May 2020 - April 2021.
Clinical Qualifications:
- Level 1 IFS UK Accredited Training (part 1), Approved Training by the IFS Institute (IFSI) and Richard Schwartz PhD, 2026.
- Fully Qualified to Level 4 as required by EMDR Europe Association, EMDR Masterclass (accredited with EMDR Association UK and EMDR Europe), 2026.
- Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision, Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB), 2025.
- PG Diploma in Person Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCE-CfD), Metanoia Institute, London, 2023.
- Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Skills and Theory, Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB), 2021.
- Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB), 2020.
- Certificate in Counselling Studies, Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB), 2018.
- Certificate in Counselling Skills, Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB), 2017.
Examples of Other Clinical Training:
- Somatic Trauma Therapy: Core Skills and Interventions to Treat Trauma Through the Body, Stacy Ruse, LPC, 2026.
- Using IFS Therapy: Core Principles, Skills and Integration Considerations, Stacy Ruse, LPC, 2026.
- Complete IFS Therapy Immersion: Integrating the Internal Family Systems model across clinical applications, PESI & IFS Institute, 2026.
- Artificial Intelligence and the Human Connection, BACP, 2026.
- Integrating Coaching into Counselling Practice, BACP, 2025.
- The Rewind Technique for PTSD and Complex Trauma, The Complex Trauma Institute, 2024.
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) Intensive Training Course, IATP, 2024.
- Applied Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Level 2 Practitioner, National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society, 2022.
- Working Creatively with Dreams in Counselling, Deep Release, 2021.
Working Creatively with Blocked Anger, Deep Release, 2021. - Walking Therapy Training with Jonathan Hoban, Creative Counselling, London, 2021.
- Attachment Behaviour in the Counselling Room, Deep Release, 2020.
- Using Drawing, Pictures and Fairy Tales in Counselling, Deep Release, 2020.
- Working Creatively with the Inner-Child in Counselling, Deep Release, 2020.
- Moving Your Practice Online, the Online Therapy Institute, London, 2020.
- How to Do Counselling Online, the Open University, 2020.
Teaching and Academic Qualifications:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, Higher Education, The University of Sheffield, 2009.
- Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, A Further Examination of Racial Discrimination Amongst British Ethnic Communities, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2001.
- Master of Science, MSc (hons) Economics, Distinction, Receiver of the Jon Stewart Award, the University of Manchester, 1998.
- Bachelor of Science, BSc (hons) Economics, First Class, Receiver of the Stephen Jones Award, Manchester Metropolitan University, 1997.
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.
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.
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
I am a qualified and accredited pet bereavement therapist. I can offer emotional support and practical guidance for anyone who is caring for a sick or elderly pet. I also offer Internal Family Systems and attachment-informed grief therapy to those who are mourning the loss of their pet, as well as EMDR for PTSD.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 - £85.00
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
My standard fees start at £65 for an online or in-person session. EMDR works very well online and I have bespoke software to facilitate this.
I offer in-person and online sessions, as well as hybrid sessions (a mix of remote and in-person sessions). I am flexible and I can fit into your schedule. I have some evening online availability, and I currently have in-person availability from the Highland Wellness Centre in Inverness (IV1) and in Nairn (IV12).
I work for Health Assured Wisdom Wellbeing, and I am a BUPA recognised therapist.
