Jo Dobson Barker

I'm Jo, a psychotherapeutic counsellor specialising in Gestalt psychotherapy. Taking the first step into therapy can feel scary and complicated, but I believe that simply being met and heard by another person can be the beginning of bigger changes in your life.

I will accompany you in whatever is going on in your life, whether that's everyday experiences of feeling stuck, low or worthless or bigger life transitions and moments of change. I specialise in working with neurodiversity, queerness and masculinity and have worked with a diverse range of people as a therapist in community organisations and mental health for the NHS.

In therapy sessions, I will support you to:

• Deepen your understanding of your experience in the moment
• Explore your hopes and fears
• Notice the messages your body might be sending
• Help build support in your world
• Experiment with new ways of acting, thinking and feeling

The aim of therapy with you will be to build a feeling of choicefulness about how you and your relationships might be different in the future.

More about my approach:

My approach is based on scientific studies that show the relationship is the most important factor in a successful course of therapy. I believe that change comes from learning about how we are in relationships and learning about ourselves through relationships. My approach examines the ways we have each been made to feel a certain way about ourselves based on the relationships we have had in our lives, and I work with people to understand how they carry those relationships with them in the present.

I also believe the place we occupy in the world is crucial to understanding our inner lives and our suffering. Class, race and gender are topics I believe have been underappreciated in the past, but which deserve attention in how they show up in our everyday experience. I will meet you from a place of respect, equality and empathy, acknowledging that the ways that we are different and similar will impact how we work together.

I decided to train as a therapist after researching and teaching philosophy. I trained and qualified at the Metanoia Institute and am continually learning and developing as a therapist.

The initial session:

I offer either a 15-minute call or a 50-minute in-person, complementary introductory session for us to get a sense of how it might be working together.