About
The Full Story
Hello and welcome. I’m so glad you found this space.
I’m Jo, a qualified integrative counsellor and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Before training as a counsellor, I spent 18 years working in the private sector with children and families, including a managerial role within an early year’s setting. Supporting families through those formative stages of life gave me a deep understanding of attachment, development, family dynamics and the emotional needs of both children and parents. At the heart of my work is a deep belief in the importance of feeling heard, understood and not feeling alone, especially during the tender moments of life that surround becoming a parent. Alongside my professional experience, I have my own family and understand personally how life changing, beautiful and at times overwhelming this journey can be.
My journey into perinatal work
My passion for perinatal mental health grew from my professional background and my own path into parenthood. After spending over five years navigating my own journey to create a family, I came to understand just how much strength it can take to keep going and how vital it is to have support along the way. This experience deepened not only my empathy but my commitment to walking alongside others during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. After the birth of my own baby and following my personal journey through the emotional complexities of fertility treatment, I felt drawn to support parents in a different, more therapeutic way. That is when I stepped into counselling, bringing nearly two decades of experience working alongside families.
My approach
As an integrative counsellor I draw gently from a range of therapeutic approaches, shaping our work around you, your story, your pace, your needs. I offer a calm, compassionate space where you can:
◦Speak openly without judgement
◦Untangle difficult thoughts and feelings
◦Explore identity changes
◦Make sense of anxiety, overwhelm
or low mood
◦Reconnect with yourself
I believe therapy is not about “fixing” you. It is about understanding yourself more deeply and feeling supported as you move forward.
Areas I support.
I work with individuals navigating:
◦Pre-pregnancy and fertility journeys
◦Pregnancy and antenatal anxiety
◦Birth preparation and birth trauma
◦Early parenthood
◦Perinatal mental health
◦Adjusting to identity changes in motherhood and fatherhood
◦Anxiety, low mood and overwhelm.
◦Relationship changes during the transition to parenthood.
This stage of life can stir so many emotions, joy, grief, fear, hope, exhaustion, love. All of it is welcome here.
My Focus
◦Compassion over judgement.
◦Honesty over perfection.
◦Connection over isolation.
◦A safe space for you.
Reaching out can feel vulnerable. You may be used to being the one who copes, who supports others, who keeps everything going. Here, you don’t have to do that.
Whether you are at the very beginning of trying to conceive, adjusting to life with a newborn or somewhere in between. I offer a steady and nurturing safe space where you can pause and be met with kindness and care.
If this resonates with you, I would be honoured to support you.
"Every person, every story and every family is unique"
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.
