About me
If you're reading through counsellor profiles trying to work out who you might actually feel comfortable talking to, I know that experience first hand, and I have been exactly where you are.
I have had counselling myself and I've been through the strange process of scrolling through profiles, looking at photographs, qualifications and descriptions and trying to decide, from very little information, whether I might connect with that person. I have experienced counselling where that connection was there almost immediately, and counselling where, despite someone's experience and qualifications, it simply wasn't.
This has shaped the counsellor I want to be.
I'm Joe, and my style of counselling is warm, relaxed and down to earth. I take the work seriously, but that doesn't mean I think counselling needs to feel overly clinical or formal.
I'm a person-centred counsellor and I draw on other ideas and techniques where they might be relevant.
My job is to understand your experience as closely as I can, be alongside you while we make sense of what is happening, and sometimes help you notice things that can be difficult to see when you're right in the middle of them.
The relationship we build is important. Some people can talk openly straight away; others need weeks before they know whether they trust the person sitting opposite them. Both are fine. I'm not interested in forcing conversations to become deeper simply because we're in counselling. We can start anywhere you wish.
I also don't pretend that counsellors have everything figured out. My own experience of counselling, personal development and training has taught me a great deal about anxiety, self-doubt, change, relationships, pressure and the expectations we can place on ourselves. I've learnt how valuable it can be to have another person genuinely rooting for you while you work things out for yourself.
There may be difficult conversations, moments where things don't make sense and sessions where nothing particularly profound seems to happen. That's part of counselling too. Alongside that, I think it's important that we notice the small changes: something you handled differently, a pattern you've started to recognise, a boundary you've managed to put in place, or simply that something which once felt overwhelming doesn't have quite the same hold on you.
My counselling service
I work online with adults and young people aged 12 and over, with sessions lasting 50 minutes.
My core approach is person-centred, with integrative techniques used where they fit the individual rather than following a fixed programme. This means our work can look different depending on what you need and what feels useful to you.
I have experience supporting people with issues including anxiety, low mood, stress, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, grief, difficult emotions and periods where life simply feels stuck or overwhelming. I also really value my work with young people, where building trust and meeting someone in their world can be particularly important.
My counselling takes place online, which means you can attend from your own private space without having to travel to an appointment.
I want counselling to be financially accessible where I can make that possible, so I keep a limited number of lower-cost spaces alongside my standard appointments. We can talk openly about fees before deciding whether to work together.
If you're unsure whether I'm the right counsellor for you, you're welcome to get in touch. We can have an initial conversation, you can ask me questions, and we can both get a sense of whether working together feels right.
There doesn't need to be any pressure beyond that.
Training, qualifications & experience
Alongside my private practice, I currently work within an organisation providing specialist wellbeing support to employees. I really value this part of my work, as I meet people from very different backgrounds, at different stages of life and with very different reasons for wanting support.
Before this, I worked for a national mental health charity, supporting people experiencing more complex mental health difficulties, addiction and challenging circumstances. This gave me valuable experience of working with risk and safeguarding, while always trying to see the person rather than simply a diagnosis or set of difficulties.
I have delivered sessions in an agency setting, providing affordable counselling to adults and young people. This taught me a huge amount, particularly that no two clients are the same and that a good therapeutic relationship can't be rushed. The affordable nature of the service also stayed with me and has influenced my desire to make counselling as accessible as I reasonably can.
Perhaps one of the most important influences on how I work, though, is my own experience of being a client. I've sat on the other side of the relationship, searched through counsellor profiles and experienced what it feels like when that connection is there and when it isn't. It has helped shape the kind of counsellor I want to be: human, approachable and someone you can hopefully feel comfortable being yourself with.
Qualifications & professional information
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- BA (Hons) Business, Entrepreneurship and Marketing
- Registered member of the NCPS
- Current DBS check
- Regular clinical supervision and ongoing professional development
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
£45.00 - £60.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My standard fee is £60 for a 50-minute session.
I know that the cost of counselling can sometimes be a barrier, so I also keep a limited number of £45 concessionary spaces available. Making counselling as accessible as I reasonably can is something that is important to me.
We can talk openly about fees and availability during our initial conversation, with no pressure to commit.
