About Me

Therapy offers the client a safe, trusting and confidential space in which they can bring their concerns and fears and gain greater understanding. The insights gained bring new possibilities for addressing life and moving forward helpfully. Therapy can help us achieve our potential and live using more of our capacity, so we feel whole, integrated and present. About me. My upbringing, and some of my adult life, was very challenging, and I came into therapy to help me find my path to healing because my experiences had forged a deep empathy and care for people. I instinctively knew that people could make choices that will support their lives and make them fulfilling and how an effective therapy relationship can be critical in the process of life. I am passionate about working with people and supporting my clients to live their lives, address their hurts, find fulfilment and experience joy. What one of my clients wrote about me: If you are ready to 'cut to the chase and deal with the real issues, Janine is the woman you need. Be prepared for straight talking in a confidential space - filled with skilful insights, professionalism, fantastic listening, feedback, challenge and a lot of laughter.... afterwards you'll be different..... and be well on the way to your new, better way forward... that's how it was for me!' When I read that feedback, I wonder how people will feel about the words challenge, laughter and being different. In our most difficult times, laughter can seem incomprehensible, challenge too scary, and being different too threatening. Often people want therapy to hold on to what they have, not make it different. The difference could be just feeling more able to be in your own life without feeling pressured and stressed. The Therapy relationship holds within it all the aspects of our lives, the tears, the laughter, the love and the pain, and that is why it helps us to deal with our world by learning in a safe space, allowing us to experience our lives through new eyes. What is Therapy? Therapy is a process of building a trusting relationship where you can bring your concerns, fears and issues to a confidential space. It's a place where you can be heard, hear yourself, and seek understanding, support and insight. Different clients want different outcomes, which can be clarified within the session. However, put simply, I like my clients to feel that their lives progress, get better, become more fulfilling and that they feel more resourced to lead their lives. How can therapy help? Therapy helps by giving you a safe place to be able to talk. Often in our lives, we can feel defensive and frightened to say all of what we want to say because of potential consequences. Therapy gives you a space to say and be how you feel, which allows you to see all the aspects that contribute to a situation. The relationship with the therapist is critical, so finding someone who fits what you need is good. Trust and authenticity are vital skills for a therapist because often, people don't always know what to think and feel. Working with someone honest, experienced and knowledgeable can help you determine what is right for you. It also gives you a space to share your feelings and understand yourself and those around you more clearly. Ultimately therapy can help you go back into your life and be in it more confidently and clearly, and more able to achieve your goals. I have a particular interest in: • Trauma • Anxiety • Couples Therapy. • Relationship issues and breakdown. • Family issues. • Living in a stepfamily, building positive relationships. • Career issues. • Career Therapy/issues. • Self-esteem and confidence issues. • Childhood issues. • Health-related issues including stress, depression, ME, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia. • Raising children with Asperger's syndrome, autism, ADHD. • Working with young people, helping them to make sense of an increasingly demanding world and fully achieve their potential. • Feelings of worthlessness or life being pointless. • Help and support in gaining direction and achieving your potential. • Weight loss. • Loss and grief. Special Interest in Trauma Trauma is of particular interest to me. Often trauma goes unidentified or is treated in a way that is not appropriate. Understanding what trauma is and why it should be treated in a certain way is essential. You can suffer from trauma for many reasons but let me put it simply by breaking it into two types of trauma: Big T trauma - this is when you have a life-threatening situation, for example, a car crash or witnessing a life-threatening incident. It's a big event, and you are left with symptoms such as constantly feeling on edge, anxious, being unable to sleep, and having flashbacks or recurrent nightmares. Little T trauma - this is trauma that could develop through childhood experiences, attachment issues, bullying at school etc. The big T and little T have nothing to do with how serious either is perceived. It's just a way of saying you can have trauma for many different reasons. It can lead to anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, underachieving at work, weight gain or loss, difficulty in relationships and many other consequences. Trauma is stored in your body and mind in a specific way, and often talking therapy can make it worse rather than better. For this reason, I am trained in a process called Eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR for short). It is a very kind, gentle process and isn't a talking therapy, which traumatised people often appreciate. It also works quickly, which is another huge benefit. If you recognise the potential that you have suffered from trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder, then do get in touch. Please also consider that people often don't know they are suffering from trauma. All they know is that they don't feel right and don't know how to feel better. If this sounds familiar, come and see me. It's my job to know what is going on and to support you to feel better.