I am Joanne Watson, a counselling and psychotherapy trainee with over 20 years’ professional experience in social care. During my career, I have worked with children, adults and families from a wide range of backgrounds, including people with experience of adoption, fostering, trauma and addiction.
This work has given me an understanding of just how varied and complex people’s lives can be, and how our experiences within families and relationships can continue to affect us long after particular events have passed. I have also experienced parenthood both as a birth parent and as an adoptive parent, which has given me personal insight into some of the different experiences and complexities that family life can bring.
I have developed a particular interest in how trauma and our early experiences can affect us in everyday life, including the way we understand ourselves, manage difficult emotions and relate to other people. Sometimes we may notice the same difficulties or patterns appearing repeatedly without fully understanding why. Experiences from childhood can continue to influence our relationships, our responses to situations and the beliefs we hold about ourselves well into adulthood.
You may be considering counselling because something specific has happened in your life, or perhaps you have been struggling for some time with feelings or patterns that are difficult to make sense of. You might want to understand yourself better, explore experiences from your past, or simply have somewhere to talk openly about what is happening for you now.
For some people, this can include feeling that they are not good enough, struggling to understand why they respond to situations in particular ways, or reaching a point where they feel they have lost touch with themselves.
My own experience of personal therapy over many years has also been an important part of my journey and strongly influenced my decision to train as a counsellor and psychotherapist. It has given me an appreciation of how valuable it can be to have a space where you feel able to talk honestly, be heard and explore difficult experiences without judgement.
I am currently studying an MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and am developing my understanding of different therapeutic approaches. I have a particular interest in psychodynamic ideas and in exploring the connection between our past experiences and our lives in the present. This doesn’t mean that counselling has to focus entirely on your childhood; rather, we can be curious together about whether earlier experiences may be influencing how you feel, think or relate to others today.
As a trainee counsellor, I aim to offer a warm, accepting and non-judgemental space where you can explore what is happening for you at your own pace. You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about or what you want to change. Perhaps you simply know that something feels off but you can’t explain why. We can begin with what feels most important to you and allow the work to develop from there.
If you would like to explore low-cost counselling with Joanne, complete the form below and our team will be in touch to discuss whether she may be a good fit for you.