Joanna Ash

I currently have the following availability:

Weekly Monday Sessions @ 11am

People often wonder if their issues are sufficient enough to seek therapy for. I always say that if something is bothering you then it is important enough to attend to. People seek therapy for very different reasons. Some may want a greater sense of personal power and to feel more connected to themselves, whilst others may begin to start the recovery process of a past or ongoing trauma.

Within the therapy sessions I like to pay attention to and be curious about the relationship that develops between myself and you the client. It is through the process of building a meaningful therapeutic relationship that I believe personal insight to your issues and a deeper engagement with yourself can be reached. As we are social beings; hardwired for connection, when we go through turmoil and periods of distress being able to explore this within a supportive and nurturing relationship can be really helpful.

I strive to provide a warm, respectful and empathic space, with humour too where clients feel they can bring all parts of themselves to be heard and understood. I am interested in your unique subjective experience of who you are and what you choose to bring to the sessions.

I can offer both in person sessions and online sessions via zoom if more convinient. Sessions tend to be on a weekly basis but I also am able to offer some fortnightly sessions where I can. Sessions are for 50 minutes.

In recent years I have been exploring my own neurodivergence and warmly welcome clients who identify or have a diagnosis within the neurodiverse community.

I orinally trained as an integrative arts psychotherapist so can include the use of art within the sessions. This can range from sandplay work, painting, postcards and bodywork. My work as a therapist is informed by many different approaches/theories which enables a more tailored fit for each client according to what they are bringing and wanting to work on. I draw from many psychotherapeutic theories such as humanistic, existential attachment and psychodynamic.

I tend to prefer working long term with clients as I like to give time for the therapy process to unfold but I am able to offer short term therapy sessions too, all with regular reviews. I only work with adults from 18 years old.

I currently hire a room above St Andrews hall Church in Chesterton, which is not far from the centre of town.

There is wheelchair access where needed.

Within the first session I like to hear what has brought you into therapy and what you would like to work on within the sessions. Sometimes the answer to this reveals itself as the sessions progress, it is not always the case that clients know exactly what they would like to address at the beginning.

It is important that we both feel we will be a good fit together and discuss therapy expectations. If I feel your presenting issues are outside of my experience I would let you know and do my best to refer you to a suitable colleague or organisation.