Joana Miranda

I am a qualified counsellor offering online and face to face sessions in Brighton (Kemptown), with an interest in supporting women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

My personal experiences of stress and anxiety have given me an understanding of how incapacitating it can be when life feels overwhelming, your mind won't shut up, and you find yourself putting pressure on yourself to stay afloat. Alongside my professional training, these experiences have shaped my warm and non-judgemental approach to counselling.

I believe that having a space where you can be truly heard, without judgement or expectations, can make a difference. Whether you are struggling with anxiety or stress, feeling indecisive, lacking self confidence, navigating relationships or simply feeling that something fundamental needs to change, counselling can give you an opportunity to press pause and come home to yourself.

I have a particular interest in mindfulness and meditation, and in how these practices can support greater awareness, calm and connection in everyday life. These interests naturally form part of my approach, alongside my counselling training and experience.

Qualified counsellor with a Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice (Level 5), with training across person-centred, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic and pluralistic approaches.

A pluralistic framework recognises that counselling is not one-size-fits-all. Different therapeutic approaches can be drawn upon and adapted to suit individual needs, preferences and goals, with particular interests in anxiety and stress and their impact on emotional wellbeing, relationships and everyday life.

Mindfulness and meditation also form an important part of this therapeutic perspective, with an interest in developing practical and individualised tools to support greater awareness, grounding and emotional wellbeing.

Member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), working in accordance with its ethical framework and committed to ongoing professional development, reflective practice and continued learning.

Our sessions are a space for you to have the stage. There is no agenda and no expectation that you arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about. You can bring whatever feels important to you that day or that week, whether that is something that happened yesterday, something you've been carrying for years, or a feeling that you can't quite put into words.

The work is led by you, at your own pace, with my guidance and support. Rather than telling you what you should do or directing you towards a particular outcome, I will listen, ask questions, help you make sense of what you are experiencing, and gently explore things with you.

I work from a pluralistic approach, drawing on person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic ideas, as well as mindfulness and meditation practices. This allows us to find an approach that feels right for you rather than following a set formula.

Where it feels helpful, we can develop individualised tools and strategies together to help you manage stress and anxiety, understand your thoughts and patterns, build self-awareness, and feel more grounded in everyday life. These might be practical techniques, mindfulness exercises, ways of approaching difficult thoughts or feelings, or simply a deeper understanding of what is happening for you.

Most importantly, this is your space. You don't have to perform, have the answers, or work towards someone else's idea of where you should be. You can take the time and space you need to explore what matters to you, with someone alongside you to help you make sense of it.

Sessions & fees:

Online: £40;

Face-to-face in Kemptown, Brighton: £50;

Concessions: £36 (online only).