My name is Jo (she/her). I am a qualified BACP registered therapist. I am a cis gender lesbian and queer woman based in North London. I currently work online so can work with people in different locations.

I understand how important it is to ensure that LGBTQ+ people can access individual counselling confident that they will be accepted, listened to, and not have to explain their gender or sexuality. I also work with people exploring and questioning their sexuality and / or gender, and all the other issues that come with being human. I understand that we are not all the same and we will each have parts of our identity that intersect and impact our experience. As a feminist I recognise the different power systems that exist and the impact of these individually and collectively. I will not make assumptions about you but instead be open to listening and exploring what you need.

Before I trained to be a counsellor I supported and advised people experiencing domestic abuse and hardship for over 30 years. I worked in refuges supporting women who experienced emotional, physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse. This experience reinforced my understanding of the impact of abuse and led to my decision to become a counsellor. From personal experience I know the positive impact counselling has and want to share it with others. As a counsellor I further developed my knowledge of trauma and how this affects our relationship with ourselves and others. I can provide a containing environment to explore traumatic experiences.

I completed my clinical counselling placement at East London Out Project LGBTQ+ counselling service.