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Our work will begin with your me listening, really listening, to what has been going on for you and what has brought you to seek some support. Using the most up-to-date understanding, tools and techniques we will, together, formulate a plan for moving forward, and then work through it in a way, and at a pace, that is right for you as an individual.
The approach that I take draws on the best of CBT, person centred and solution focused therapy, set within a holistic understanding of what we need as human beings to lead emotionally healthy lives. It is fast and effective with most people where they want to be in around 4-6 sessions (sometimes less, occasionally a few more). My aim is always that you will leave each session feeling a little better, more hopeful and more confident in your ability to recover or make the changes that you would like to see in your life. The highly effective approach to therapy that I take is known as the Human Givens approach.
Using the most up-to-date psychotherapeutic understanding and techniques, I will always strive to help you move forward with your life as swiftly and effectively as possible – but at a pace suited to your practical and therapeutic needs. There is no commitment to a lengthy and expensive ‘course’ of treatment, and you will decide with me at the end of each individual session whether you need to book another .
People are often apprehensive about therapy as they feel it may be a very painful and lengthy process, where they are encouraged to talk repeatedly about difficult feelings or events – or even to dig up memories that they would prefer not to have to revisit. I don’t work that way because the latest research shows that this is not the best way to help people move forward.
What I will do is help you to use your resources and skill sets to gain confidence in moving forward; if troubled by trauma I will help you to leave distressing events behind, where they belong, in the past. During our work together you will also learn how to use different tools and techniques that give you back control over strong emotional responses and that allow you to think clearly and make good decisions regarding the shape of your future – tools that you will then also have to maintain your emotional health proactively once we have finished work together.
There are many conditions that I am asked for help with, but these are some of the most common:
Anxiety… depression… all forms of trauma (including birth trauma)… sleep… eating difficulties... self-harm... grief… concentration issues… phobias… workplace stress… academic anxiety... menopause and mental health... domestic abuse…. moral injury... pain… anger... addiction... OCD...
All forms of mental distress arise because, in one way or another, people’s physical or emotional needs are not being met. Our essential needs and our innate resources to help meet them – the ‘givens’ of human nature – are at the heart of the Human Givens approach. If all our needs are met in balance, making us confident about our place in the world and the people we connect with, we don’t suffer from disabling conditions, such as anxiety and stress, depression, addictions, phobias or panic attacks.
We all know that we have physical needs – for food, water, warmth and shelter – which must be sufficiently met to enable us to survive and thrive. But people often don’t realise that certain emotional needs are just as crucial for both our mental and physical health.
Decades of health and social research have revealed, for instance, that a sense of security, intimacy, social connection, status, autonomy and control, competence and achievement, and meaning and purpose are also vital, if we are to stay in good health and feel fulfilled in our lives. Our innate resources for helping us meet these needs include the ability to build rapport, empathise and connect with others; to learn, problem solve, remember and plan; to use our imaginations productively; and to step back and take an objective look at our circumstances. When any of our important needs is seriously unmet over a significant period or any of our resources is not made best use of, mental and physical ill health may develop.This is why, when human givens practitioners work with people in mental distress, they look for what is missing in those people’s lives and seek ways to redress that, as well as teaching them important life-coping skills.
The Well-Minded Practice offers face to face appointments. We are situated in a discrete and tranquil location on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border where we have ample private parking.
We have been offering online or telephone therapy to clients for many years. With the advent of Covid 19 and the changes that this has made to so many aspects of life, online therapy, via Skype or Zoom has become ‘the new normal’. We are continuing to offer online therapy and clients are reporting excellent outcomes from working in this way.
It is essential when undertaking online or phone therapy that you work with an experienced practitioner who knows both the potential for using this medium effectively and also the (surprisingly few) limitations that it has in order that therapy can be conducted as effectively and safely as it would be face-to-face in a consulting room.
At The Well-Minded Practice, you can book with confidence knowing that the above requirements are being more than met – but if you have any further questions then please do get in touch and we will do our best to give you the reassurance or information that you need.
What it is?
The therapist and client walk together during sessions, while addressing the issues that led to an interest in therapy. It encourages a patient to be more physically active and can help a patient get “unstuck” when confronting difficult issues. Not only that but it can spur creative, deeper ways of thinking often released by mood-improving physical activity.
Why it’s helpful?
Walk & Talk Therapy gets clients moving- literally and figuratively. It’s conducted outdoors, which can be very grounding and relaxing and clients can set their own place, which can be empowering physically and emotionally.
Research studies show that physical activity can improve the mental and physical health of clients. Physical activity has also been shown to reduce levels of depression and anxiety and can help to prevent depressive symptoms.
Mind Charity Research
" 71% of respondents felt decreased depression and less tense after a “green” walk, while 90% felt their self-esteem increase after a country walk"
Depression and anxiety are two of the most common reasons people seek psychological support and they often go hand in hand. We understand depression and how to lift it and can help immediately with anxiety problems such as panic attacks, stress and phobias in order to help you discover the confidence and motivation you need to build a life that works for you.
What is the Human Givens approach to treating trauma and phobias?
The amygdala has to learn that it is possible to visualise the incident without panicking. The 'rewind' is the most effective way to do this. The technique is a refinement of one taught on NLP courses for many years. This is a guided imagery technique, which allows the brain to revisit the traumatic events in a dissociated way while being physically extremely calm, so that the amygdala can reinterpret the memory patterns as non-threatening. The Human Givens version of the technique was refined as a result of finding out why it worked. It is the HGI preferred method of treatment because, when properly delivered, it reliably relieves the nightmares, panic attacks, flashbacks and intrusive memories.
Extensive clinical experience shows it to be a more cost effective and successful treatment than the treatments recommended by NICE guidelines, namely CBT and EMDR, that take many sessions and are often only partially successful. Treatment is safe (unlike critical incident debriefing for example, which research shows may increase rates of PTS). Treatment is non-voyeuristic. It is suitable for survivors of sexual assault, beating or any kind of humiliation, as the client does not have to tell the therapist the details.
In our experience of thousands of cases, people with a single-incident trauma are almost invariably detraumatised in one session, with one follow-up to check that all is well. Where the case is more complex the trauma is still normally resolved in one session, but there is often more work to do to help the patient catch up with things that they missed out on while in the traumatised state; build confidence or lift out of a depression or anger created by the suffering. Even so, the aim is to keep the therapy as brief as possible to give volition back to the patient as soon as possible.
•The Well-Minded Practice uses the terms PTS and trauma in place of PTSD.
Free specialist trauma therapy for veterans through PTSD Resolution.
You don't have to keep battling alone.
We accept referrals through PTSD Resolution.
PTSD Resolution is a COBSEO charity (no. 1133118) that helps Veterans, Reservists and Families who are struggling to reintegrate back into normal work and family life, because of trauma the veteran has suffered during service in the armed forces or other mental health difficulties that they have. This support is provided free of charge to the client. Please feel free to contact us for further information about this service or contact PTSD Resolution direct on 0300 302 055 for a referral to the therapist closest to your home through their nationwide network of experienced practitioners.
The PTSD Resolution therapist network are all human givens therapists who have successfully passed the Human Givens Diploma at practitioner level (HG.Dip.P.). They are therefore trained in dealing effectively, and as quickly as possible, with all major forms of distress, including anxiety and anger disorders, depression, stress, phobias, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and relationship problems.
PTSD Resolution is accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Veterans Quality Network.
"It was a very fortunate moment for me when, depressed, after a long time of living in a fearful, restricted, anxious way, poring over past mistakes and repeating them,
I searched for help and found Jo. Just a few sessions prompted deep changes which made very positive differences to my own life and big improvements in my relationships with family and friends. Later sessions have helped me to continue to move forward to a new mental and emotional life and a much better, freer way to live. This too has had a positive impact on those around me.
Jo is an expert therapist, easy to talk to (even for me) , warm, supportive, understanding, non-judgmental, perceptive, practical and with a good sense of humour too!"
J, Derbyshire
"I got in touch with Jo in a last ditch attempt to improve my sleep. Being someone who believed they functioned pretty well on limited sleep and that perhaps I was just destined to not sleep well as my dad didn’t either I wasn’t convinced much would change. However she had been highly recommended by a friend so I gave it a go. It was the best decision I could have made. My whole attitude to sleep has changed, I’m completely sold! Since working with Jo I now sleep well and as a consequence my whole wellbeing has improved. My stress levels are lower, I’m more motivated, I have more energy, I can focus better at work and my family tell me I’m much less grumpy! I cannot recommend Jo highly enough."
B, Burton on Trent
"I went to see Jo as I was experiencing symptoms of PTSD. I had a car accident 8 months ago and had been off work since. I was having regular flashbacks and panic attacks. I struggled to leave the house let alone even contemplate getting in a car again. I saw Jo for 6 sessions and I am now happily on a phased return to work and have even taken some local journeys - as the driver! I can’t thank Jo enough. I am getting my life back."
S, Ashbourne
“I saw Jo at her practice for help with anxiety about my forthcoming labour. I had gone through a traumatic experience with the birth of my first child and was highly anxious about experiencing the same with my second. Jo understood my concerns and worked using the REWIND technique and a guided visualisation. She also taught me a breathing techniques to help not only with anxiety but also with pain. I went on to have an easy, drug free delivery. I was able to utilise the tools that Jo had given me. Jo is amazing at her job. She is very friendly and caring whilst maintaining professionalism throughout. I wouldn’t hesitate to see her again and would highly recommend her to anyone. Thank you so much Jo.”
A, Lichfield
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