About Jo

jo cooper therapy

Jo is educated to postgraduate level in Psychotherapy and Counselling and holds a PGDip Professional Integrative Psychotherapy.

Jo qualified as a registered nurse initially, before graduating from Hertfordshire University as a registered midwife.

She left England in 2000 to relocate to Malaysia and following further postgraduate studies, worked as a specialist community midwife in Sydney, Australia for eight years.

It was this specialist role that exposed Jo to the profound emotional turmoil surrounding unexpected and tragic outcomes in pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death. Jo worked closely in the community with families following life changing outcomes, feeling a natural inclination to attend to the emotional needs of these families.

Professional Psychotherapist

Following her relocation back to England in 2010, Jo returned to university to complete an academic and professional course of study to become a psychotherapist.

Expert Counselling in Preston

Alongside the private practice in Preston, Jo works as a therapist at Lancashire Women’s Centres; voluntarily in a Preston drop-in centre for the homeless; and continues to pursue her academic and research commitments at the University of Central Lancashire.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Albert Einstein

About Therapy

Counselling and psychotherapy are umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies. They are delivered by trained practitioners who work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing.

(BACP, 2010)
Psychotherapy and Counselling

‘Psychotherapy’ and ‘Counselling’ are terms that are often used interchangeably. Some practitioners may choose to use both terms when referring to themselves. Although they are very similar (both practices share the goal of relieving psychological symptoms and enabling individuals to live more fulfilled lives), there are some subtle differences.

‘Counselling’ is generally used to denote a process that is briefer than psychotherapy and is mostly focused upon behavioural patterns and often targets a particular symptom or problematic situation.

‘Psychotherapy’ is generally a longer-term treatment, which focuses more on gaining insight into the underlying causes of emotional problems. Its focus is on the client’s thought processes and ways of being in the world, rather than specific problems.

Specialist Psychotherapy

Generally speaking, psychotherapy requires more skill from the practitioner than counselling. Psychotherapy training requires a longer, more rigorous academic and clinical focus than counselling training. Whilst a psychotherapist is qualified to provide counselling, a counsellor may not possess the necessary training and skills to provide psychotherapy. In actual practice there may be quite a bit of overlap between psychotherapy and counselling.

If you are thinking about seeking therapy, it is perhaps because something has shifted in your thoughts, feelings, or behaviour that is uncomfortable for you, or because you have decided to explore a long-standing problem or issue. We often want someone to listen without judging or taking over and telling us what to do. Some of us worry that talking to friends or family will burden them with our worries or problems. Therefore we need time and freedom to explore our problems and find our own solutions, work out what we need to do or where we need to go next.

Talking problems and anxieties through with a trained, qualified and experienced person can usually help to get clarification and resolution.

Because therapy is such an individual process, there is no way to tell at the beginning how many sessions you would need or how long you would choose to stay in therapy.

This is your ‘journey’. I am privileged to be part of this journey with you.

Areas of Experience

Depression and ‘unhappiness’

Relationship problems

Family problems

Bereavement, loss and grief

Work-place problems

Rape and childhood sexual abuse

Adjustment to ‘life events’, including illness and health problems

Referral Information

Deciding to start therapy can be daunting. Even making a phone call can be difficult at times, especially with the significance as a potential turning point in your life.

You are very welcome to break the ice with an email or message via the contact form, where you can tell me as much or as little as you like about yourself, or simply ask me to call you back.

I aim to respond to all enquiries within two working days.

A 30 minute consultation session is offered free of charge.

The free consultation will allow us both to meet and to see if we could work together to address your concerns. Therapy is most effective when a client and therapist can develop a rapport, and a trusting relationship. For me, this is fundamental, which is why an initial meeting is so valuable for both of us.

Prices

Subsequent sessions last 50 minutes at a cost of £65.

Couples sessions last 1 hour at a cost of £75.

A fee reduction is offered to counsellors or therapists in training (£60).

Cancellation

When an appointment is made, this time is reserved exclusively for you. A full 48 hours is required for cancellation. Cancellations less than 48 hours will incur the full cost. This is because 48 hours may allow me to reschedule my diary.

Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.

Hippocrates

Testimonials

I will be forever grateful for this.

Jo your warmth and compassion is so natural. You helped me look at painful parts of my life and personal difficulties after my husband died. I will be forever grateful for this. Thank you.

CB

Heartfelt thanks to you.

Thank you Jo for listening to me during our sessions together. I felt ‘heard’ and able to move forward after a tough few years. I never thought I would have as much clarity about my past. Heartfelt thanks to you Jo.

HS

Thank you for walking with me.

I was in a very stuck place Jo, and you stood by me. I have a long way to go and many hurdles still to face. I will never forget your acceptance and warmth. Thank you for walking with me.

JB

For sharing my tears and laughter Jo, I thank you.

Sound professional, enigmatic, warm, intuitive (and funny). For sharing my tears and laughter Jo, I thank you.

JK

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