Sandringham Therapeutic Counselling
I understand what its like to be in the "other" chair through my own positive and successful personal experience with counselling, I remember that being a counseling client can be a vulnerable and courageous step towards seeking support and working through personal challenges. It involves opening up to a trained professional, sharing your thoughts and emotions, and embarking on a journey of self-discovery and healing.
This is why I'm so passionate about supporting and empowering my clients to achieve the changes they want to make in their lives.
My private practice is ran from my warm and welcoming therapy room located in Ashford Middlesex
Life’s challenges can leave lasting emotional imprints, making it difficult to feel safe, connected, or in control. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by past experiences, therapy can offer a compassionate space to process, heal, and move forward in a way that feels right for you.
I work using a trauma-informed approach based on three phases: Stabilisation, Processing, and Integration. This method isn’t about rushing through painful memories—it’s about ensuring you feel supported and ready at every step. It also incorporates a somatic, bottom-up approach, which recognises that trauma is stored in the body as well as the mind. By working with physical sensations, movement, and breath, we can gently help your nervous system find balance and safety.
Phase 1: Stabilisation – Creating Safety and Building Strength
Before exploring past experiences, it’s important to feel emotionally and physically steady. Together, we’ll work on building coping skills, developing self-awareness, and creating a sense of safety in your daily life. This might involve:
Understanding your body’s responses to stress
Learning practical techniques to manage overwhelm
Exploring ways to set boundaries and feel more in control
Using grounding exercises and breathwork to regulate your nervous system
You don’t have to revisit trauma before you’re ready—this phase is about laying a strong foundation so that when the time comes, you feel equipped to do the work.
Phase 2: Processing – Making Sense of the Past
When you feel ready, we can gently explore the experiences that have been shaping your thoughts, emotions, and relationships. This doesn’t mean reliving painful events but rather understanding them in a way that reduces their hold over you. A somatic approach may involve:
Noticing where emotions show up in the body and working with those sensations
Using movement, breath, and mindfulness to release stored tension
Talking through difficult memories at a pace that feels right for you
Recognising patterns that no longer serve you
Finding new ways to relate to your story with self-compassion
There’s no rush—this stage happens when it feels safe and manageable.
Phase 3: Integration – Moving Forward with Confidence
Healing isn’t just about looking back—it’s also about embracing the future. In this phase, we focus on helping you feel more present, connected, and hopeful. This may involve:
Strengthening your sense of self
Building meaningful relationships
Feeling more in control of your emotions and choices
Deepening your connection to your body and intuition
Therapy is about more than overcoming the past—it’s about rediscovering who you are beyond it.
A Gentle, Personal Approach
Everyone’s journey is different, and there’s no ‘right’ way to heal. My role is to walk alongside you, offering guidance, encouragement, and a space where you feel truly heard and understood. Whether you’re just beginning to explore therapy or looking for support that aligns with your needs, I’m here to help.
If this approach resonates with you, feel free to reach out for an initial conversation. Healing happens in your own time, and you don’t have to do it alone.
What is Parts Work?
Parts theory recognises that we all have different aspects of ourselves—sometimes in harmony, sometimes in conflict. You might notice a part of you that wants to move forward while another part feels stuck, or a part that carries deep pain while another works hard to keep it hidden. These parts aren’t flaws; they’ve developed for a reason, often as a way to protect you and help you navigate the world.
In our work together, we’ll gently explore these different parts with curiosity and compassion, helping them feel heard and understood. Rather than pushing them away or trying to silence them, we can learn to listen to what they need. By building a sense of inner connection and understanding, we create space for healing, allowing you to move forward with more balance, self-acceptance, and ease.
What is Polyvagal Theory?
Polyvagal theory helps us understand how our nervous system responds to stress, danger, and safety. In my work, I draw on this knowledge to support you in making sense of your emotional and physical responses, especially when they feel overwhelming or out of your control.
Your nervous system isn’t just reacting randomly—it’s always working to keep you safe. Sometimes, past experiences can shape these responses in ways that no longer serve you, leaving you feeling stuck in anxiety, shutdown, or disconnection. Together, we can explore these patterns with curiosity and compassion, helping you find ways to feel more grounded, connected, and in control.
This is about learning to work with your nervous system, rather than against it, so you can move towards a greater sense of safety, balance, and ease in your life.
Testimonials
"I would however like to take this opportunity to say thank you for everything that you have done for me to date.
I feel that I'm in a better place and have some tools and techniques that can only help me moving forward.
You have been very patient, empathetic, knowledgeable and understanding, and more importantly, have been genuine and sincere.
For that, I thank you" PK
When I initially reached out to Jo, I had many doubts as, I'd tried therapy before and none had quite impacted me like this. Jo's approach is good-natured and from the beginning I felt safe and at ease. From my time with Jo, I feel that I've made so much personal development, truly grasped about boundaries - all with her support and encouragement. I was given the tools that I needed, in order to understand and work on the parts of myself, which I didn't accept or love. Now I can say that I do accept and love those parts, and I'm almost curious for more parts to discover.
Sincerely, thank you. - EM
“My experience with Jo, has been transformative. As someone who prides themselves on self-reflection and evaluation, I wasn't sure how much therapy could add to my life. However, working with Jo has opened up a world of realisations. Her skill in guiding me to those hidden insights, which I couldn't reach on my own, has been invaluable. Jo's ability to ask the right questions and provide a safe space for exploration allowed me to uncover layers of my own psyche that were previously concealed. Her expertise and empathy made me feel truly understood, and it's through our sessions that I found new perspectives and solutions to longstanding issues. I can't express enough how grateful I am to Jo for helping me on this journey of self-discovery and growth. I wholeheartedly recommend Jo's services to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of themselves and their path to happiness." CK
"It Is my pleasure to write to you, to thank you for your advice, guidance and therapy in recent weeks. From day one you put me at ease in an environment which i felt completely comfortable in and could talk with ease. I will remember and use the techniques and tools you suggested, they have been a revelation to me. May you long continue to give guidance to future clients" CW
"I'd like to thank you for your work and effort with me and the positive impact youve had so far, its truly appreciated" EW
"I’m feeling much better about everything and feel much equipped to handle things that come up now. Just want to thank you for all the help and understanding, I really do feel like a different person to when we started, and am glad to know that you’re always there if I need it." HB
"I'd like to thank you for your work and effort with me and the positive impact youve had so far, its truly appreciated" EW
"I want thank you for all the support and guidance you have given me, it has truly been a great and powerful experience, you have been a huge part of my growth since I first came to see you and I will remember this for a long time to come." CG
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