What to expect
Getting started
Get in touch by emailing me at jo@jjstherapy.com, calling on 07551 152067 (leave a message and I'll call you back within 24 hours), or use the Contact Form on this site.
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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, we can put some times in the diary. As we work together, we'll have periodic review sessions to check in on how you're finding the process or areas you'd like to spend more time on maybe.
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.
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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. These answers might emerge fairly quickly, or they may take some time to appear as we explore together the patterns in your life and the experiences you've faced. Sometimes the conclusions or understandings you reach might not be what you were expecting. Sometimes they can initially be difficult to face. Sometimes they can be a huge relief. At the heart of this all is my belief in the value of what's true and authentic within us 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 stories for ourselves. It's a birthright.
FAQs
What's your background and training?
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I retrained as a therapist in my 50s after a long career in business. I have an MA (Distinction) in Psychotherapy and Counselling. 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 (I am a Level 2 qualified Narrative Therapist).
I undertake regular Continuous Professional Development (including recently in grief and loss, attachment styles, domestic abuse, and working with neurodiversity). I am currently mid way through a Diploma in working with Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity (GSRD).
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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 or a history of suicide attempts at The Maytree Residential Respite Centre in London.
I have passed the BACP's Certificate of Proficiency examination and am a Registered BACP Member.​​
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How much does it cost?
A face-to-face session costs £75 in Tunbridge Wells and £80 in London. An online session costs £70. 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.
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I ask for payment beforehand by bank transfer, and I have a 24 hour cancellation policy.
​How long does a course of therapy typically last?
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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.
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