My name is Jo Read, I qualified in 2016 receiving the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling accredited by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Awarding Body (CPCAB) through Sweet Track Counselling in Glastonbury and completed my counselling placement hours with the Sweet Track Agency. I am a qualified Social Worker as well as a Counsellor. I hold a current Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced certificate (DBS) for work with Young People under the age of 16 years. I have over 20 years experience of working with Young People and Adults in Youth and Community Work, Education, Mental Health and Social Care. I have monthly supervision and my own personal counselling to support my work and personal development. I have relevant insurance and am a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).
I work within the Person Centred counselling approach, drawing on the core conditions of unconditional positive regard, empathy, congruence and confidentiality, enables me to communicate clearly with clients and negotiate and sustain the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. Whilst working within the BACP ethical framework, Values, Principles and Moral Qualities, enables ‘safety’ and professionalism.
The use of open questions and appropriate listening skills, such as reflection, summarising and immediacy enables the ‘client’ to ‘speak their truth’ and so help to identify their issues. For me this is a reciprocal interaction, in which I learn from the client about their process and experience and the client has the opportunity to learn from the experience of sharing and reflection to realise their true inner self, focus on themselves and begin to repair the relationship they have with themselves and in the world with others’.
In my experience, the fundamental benefit of counselling is to offer the opportunity for clients to be in a safe and boundaried space in order to speak their truth and to explore their feelings, thoughts and experiences in order to find their answers. As a counsellor I feel that it is important to enable the client to identify ‘their’ agenda.
The first session will give opportunity for us to make a decision about whether we will work together and if so we will complete what is called a ‘counselling contract’ for this as well as an initial assessment that will help to identify what you would like to achieve from counselling. This is also a time for you to ask any questions, in fact questions are welcome at anytime. Our agreement will also be reviewed along the way.
My aims:
• To provide counselling of value to Young People and Adults in distress
• To alleviate psychological suffering and work with you in an holistic way through the use of talking therapy and other relevant tools as agreed during the sessions.
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Aging and Geriatric Issues, Body image, Cancer, Caregiver issues and stress, Dissociation, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Family Problems, Gender Dysphoria, Guilt and shame, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Isolation / loneliness, Life purpose, Mood disorders , Panic disorder and panic attacks, Prejudice and Discrimination, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-love, Sexuality, Social anxiety and phobia, Somatization, Women's issues, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Somatic Therapy
BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP #260677
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Jo Read. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Jo has been excellent in helping me along my journey, I have been able to work on specific areas that are affecting me and she has helped so much in identifying the feelings and naming them so I can let go of past issues. She provides me with a number of useful tools and techniques that also help me in my day to day life. I am so grateful to her for all the work she has done with me and continues to do.
Written on Sep 18, 2023 after therapy with Jo for 11 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and self esteem
It has been a pleasure working with Jo so far. Jo is very understanding and has a fantastic character. I have felt comfortable talking with Jo since the very first session and I would highly recommend her.
Written on Nov 17, 2022 after therapy with Jo for 3 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, self esteem, career difficulties, and compassion fatigue
She has been and amazing help dealing with my anxiety!
Written on Nov 05, 2022 after therapy with Jo for 3 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, addictions, self esteem, career difficulties, and adhd
Jo has been a fantastic therapist. Although we have only had three sessions, I have felt so heard and seen, and have been given fantastic resources to work through my personal challenges. I love how she identifies what she has heard me say, as it has helped me feel understood. Her patience, explanations and understanding are phenomenal, and I am looking forward to continuing therapy with someone who is so patient and understanding.
Written on Jun 07, 2022 after therapy with Jo for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, and anger management
Very understanding and helpful especially building coping mechanisms and clear takeaway points to try think about to the next session. I've only been with Jo around 2-3 weeks now and I can see it has made duch a difference already
Written on May 09, 2022 after therapy with Jo for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, coaching, and adhd