What to expect
Getting started
Get in touch by emailing me at jo@jjstherapy.com, calling on 07421 001461 (leave a message and I'll call you back within 24 hours), or use the Contact Form on this site.
We can then set up a 20-30 minute call (usually on Zoom or similar, but if that's not ok, let me know) to talk over what's on your mind and for you to learn more about me. It's free.
If you want to go ahead, I'll send you a small amount of introductory paperwork and then we can put some times in the diary. I see people face-to-face in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in London (near London Bridge - from December 2024) and also online.
In sessions
Sessions are very informal. You'll find me approachable and I don't judge - my job is to create a space for you to be able to bring whatever's on your mind, somewhere comfortable where you can feel heard.
A lot of therapy is about feelings. Feelings can be messy, contradictory, confusing and difficult. Recognising them, understanding them, sometimes even actually feeling them can be a challenge. We can carry a lot of pain around inside, maybe pushing it away because it's too difficult to deal with, or too complicated, or sometimes because we don't feel we even deserve to feel better. We might feel ashamed, not even knowing where or how to start. That's ok. Let's gently unpack it all together and make a start on you coming through your distress.
Finding answers
I believe that therapy is about finding answers and solutions that work and make sense to you personally. At the heart of this is my belief in the value of what's true and authentic within us all and in the power of getting in touch with that as a way to living the lives we want and need to live. Though others may have conspired in life to write our stories for us - families, partners, even society, with whatever that gave us for good or ill - I believe that we have the power to write our own for ourselves. It's a birthright.
FAQs
What's your background and training?
I retrained as a therapist in my 50s after a long career in business. I have an MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling from Regent's University, London. I work integratively. That means that I draw from a range of ideas within the field of therapy, with a focus on what you find most useful. Some of the approaches I regularly draw upon include psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural, existential, gestalt and narrative therapy models.
In addition to my private practice I see clients as part of the Reduced Fee Service at Number 42, in Borough, London and have worked to support those dealing with suicidal thoughts and with a history of suicide attempts at The Maytree Residential Respite Centre in London.
I continue to do regular professional training and I'm a Registered Member of the BACP.
How much does it cost?
A face-to-face session costs £75. An online session costs £65. Each session typically lasts 50 minutes. I try and keep some time each week available at a lower cost for those who might be struggling financially - if that feels like you, let's discuss it.
How long does a course of therapy typically last?
That very much depends. It's really down to you. Some people come for a few sessions and then feel that they have what they need. Others spend longer - weeks or months in therapy - because it just takes that long to get to the place they'd like to and to feel ok. If you work with me, we'll talk about that at the start and check in as we go.
Is it every week?
Usually, and usually on the same day and at the same time. My experience is that this does help create a protected time and space in the week for you, and a rhythm to our work. Though of course breaks (holidays, illness etc) do happen, therapy works best if you are able to commit regularly to it.
