Jo Western

I offer sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursday afternoons, with a mixture of daytime and early evening appointments. You can meet with me in person at The Tree Room in Colchester or online, depending on what feels most comfortable for you.

If you have particular times you need to work around, we can explore this together.

Do you feel unsure how to make sense of what you’re experiencing, do things feel overwhelming, or hard to put into words? You don’t need to arrive with a clear story — we can begin exactly where you are.

I’m a phenomenological counsellor, which simply means we stay close to your lived experience. My approach is calm, steady and grounded. I don’t analyse or interpret you. Instead, we slow things down so you can notice your experience in your own way and at your own pace.

I work with adults, teenagers and adoptees, including those who find the experience of adoption hard to put into words and people who feel disconnected, pressured to cope, or unsure how to talk about what’s going on. The space is consistent, calm and free from expectation. You don’t have to perform or make sense of everything at once.

We move at your pace. You stay in charge of what you share, and I stay alongside you as you explore what’s happening inside you. The work isn’t about fixing you — it’s about creating a space where your experience can be met as it is.

If you’re looking for a place where you don’t have to translate yourself, you may feel at home here.

My practice is a quiet, steady space where you can take a breath and arrive as you are. People often come when life feels confusing, heavy or hard to articulate, and there is no expectation to prepare or know where to begin. We find the starting point together.

Sessions are unhurried and centred on what feels manageable for you. We move gently so you can stay connected to yourself without pressure. You set the pace, and I support you in noticing what’s happening inside in a way that feels safe and grounded.

I work alongside adults, teenagers and adoptees, meeting people in experiences that feel tangled, overwhelming or difficult to name. The space is consistent, calm and free from expectation. You don’t have to perform or make sense of everything at once.

My aim is to offer a place where you can feel met rather than judged, accompanied rather than analysed. A place where your experience can unfold in its own time, and where you don’t have to translate yourself to be understood.

The first session is a gentle introduction to the space and to each other. You don’t need to know what to say or have a clear story — we take a moment to settle and find a beginning that feels manageable. You can share a little, ask questions, or simply notice how it feels to sit together. 

I stay steady and alongside you as we explore what brings you here at a pace that feels safe. There’s no pressure to tell everything or decide anything quickly; it’s simply a chance to see whether this feels like the right place for you.