About Me - Psychotherapist and EMDR Practitioner
Hi, I'm Jo - a keen jigsaw puzzler, dog owner, former globe-trotter, and psychotherapist based in Surrey.
I'm a BACP-accredited psychotherapist and EMDR practitioner. Like many therapists, I came to this work through my own experience of therapy. It was a game-changer: my therapist asked questions I'd never even thought were possible to ask, and opened up a whole new world. With time, I realised I'd rather be doing that with other people.
I think of therapy a bit like a car journey - you're in charge, driving, but I'm the co-pilot. I can help you understand the landscape and make the adjustments you need to live a better life.
When I first qualified, I worked at the Priory for a few years, with people experiencing some pretty acute difficulties. In some cases, the work needed longer than their insurance - or budget - would allow. Or clients would have great insight and say “I know all of this, Jo - why can’t I change it?” I asked colleagues what they were doing differently - and they said EMDR. So, as soon as I could, I trained in it, and I haven't looked back. Not all my clients want EMDR, and that's fine - we can come at things from different angles - but I've found it the fastest and most effective way to get to the underlying drivers of emotional distress, especially if you’ve had therapy before but are still struggling to shift things. I am a little bit nerdy about what works best in therapy - especially EMDR - and love applying this to my work.
A bit more about me
Before all of this, I worked in international aid in government and non-profits, and before that in the financial sector. I spent years living and working in sub-Saharan Africa, and have also lived in Europe and South-East Asia. I loved that work, but eventually wanted something with a more direct connection with people, fewer meetings, and less jet lag.
That work - and life more broadly - has made me curious about people and how they experience the world. I work with people from all backgrounds, cultures, and identities, and I am LGBTQ+ inclusive: you're welcome with me.
My Training and Experience
A note on qualifications
Therapy isn't a regulated profession, which means anyone can call themselves a therapist. That's why working with someone who is properly qualified and accountable to a professional body matters.
I'm accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and by EMDR Europe. Accreditation isn't the same as membership - it means I've met higher standards of experience, competence and ethics, and that I'm accountable to those standards in my ongoing practice. As part of my work, I receive regular clinical supervision for both my integrative and EMDR work.
My training and experience
BACP-Accredited member.
EMDR UK Member and EMDR Europe-Accredited practitioner.
MA Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, University of Roehampton.
Qualified EMDR practitioner - EMDR Parts 1, 2 & 3, Richman Accredited EMDR training.
Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) with Dr. Laurel Parnell - 2024.
Specialist training on narcissism with Steve Sharkey - 2022.
Diploma in Supervision - qualifying November 2026.
Previously worked at the Priory, Woking and Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.
Fully insured with an enhanced DBS.