Jane Clayton

My practice is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and I currently have availability for new and returning clients.

You might be here because you look like you’re coping on the surface, but inside you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re quietly falling apart. Perhaps you’ve lived through early loss, trauma, or relationships that have left you carrying a deep sense of shame.

Maybe you understand why you are the way you are, but still find yourself repeating painful patterns, struggling in relationships, or feeling disconnected from your body and emotions. Or you might be exhausted from holding it all together, wondering why past experiences still affect you – and longing to be met with care rather than judgement.

I work with adults living with complex trauma and chronic shame, including those shaped by childhood bereavement, attachment wounds, relational trauma, and significant life transitions. I also specialise in supporting women whose mental health is deeply intertwined with gendered social expectations, their bodies, hormones, and medical or menstrual experiences.

My approach is relational, humanistic, and trauma-informed. I aim to create a space where you can be seen, heard, and accepted, even in your most difficult moments. I work collaboratively, balancing gentleness with challenge, helping you recognise patterns, build self-compassion, and develop the resources to move forward with greater confidence and emotional awareness. Therapy with me is not about quick fixes – it’s about understanding your experiences in context, exploring them safely, and supporting meaningful, lasting change.

Reaching out for therapy can feel daunting, especially if you’ve been minimised or misunderstood in the past. My work is informed by professional training and lived experience with loss, trauma, and life transitions, allowing me to sit with shame, grief, anger, and vulnerability without judgement. Whatever brings you to therapy – past trauma, relational difficulties, or life transitions – I provide a compassionate space where you can begin to feel more secure and empowered in your life.

I’m a relational, integrative psychotherapist with a humanistic foundation, informed by trauma, attachment, somatic, and existential approaches. In practice, this means I’m emotionally present, collaborative, and actively engaged. I’m not a blank slate, and I don’t offer quick fixes or purely cognitive strategies – instead, I work with you to explore and understand your experiences in a safe, supportive way.

Clients often tell me they value that I balance gentleness with challenge. I work carefully and respectfully with trauma, while also being willing to name patterns, question self-blame, and support meaningful change. I don’t collude with the inner critic, but I also won’t push you beyond what feels safe. Because trauma is often held beyond words, I work creatively where helpful, using art, symbolism and somatic awareness where appropriate. You don’t need to be “good at talking” – we work in ways that fit you.

Over time, many clients notice increased self-compassion and emotional awareness, clearer boundaries and greater confidence. They can begin to enjoy a more stable sense of self, relief from chronic shame and self-criticism, and an improved ability to tolerate vulnerability and difficult emotions. My aim is to help you make sense of your experiences and support you in developing the resources you need to move forward with greater trust in yourself and your capacity to live well.

Sessions take place in my private, garden-based therapy room. My approach is grounded in warmth, humour, curiosity, and honesty, and my own lived experience of loss, breakdown, recovery, and life transitions means I can stay present with shame, grief, anger, or despair without judgement.

Together, we build a relationship in which you can feel seen, heard and accepted – often for the first time. If you’re looking for a therapist who is warm but not passive, informed but not distant, and unafraid of depth, we may be a good fit. Reaching out can feel daunting, but just as you are is enough.

Finding the right therapist can feel daunting, so I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation. This gives us a chance to connect, for me to answer any questions you may have, and see whether working together feels like the right fit for you.

In your first session, we’ll work together to form a therapy contract. This sets clear boundaries for our relationship and helps you understand how therapy with me works. We’ll explore what has brought you to therapy and any goals or hopes you have, creating a foundation for our work together.

Beyond that, how your therapy unfolds is guided by you. My role is to support and accompany you in your process of discovery. I may suggest activities, exercises, or ways to explore your experiences, but the choices always remain yours. I draw on my training and experience, but I trust you as the expert in your own life to decide what feels right.

Sessions last 55 minutes. Fees start at £65 per session, with a student rate of £55 available with proof of enrolment at a University or College, and additional discretionary subsidised rates on request.