Joanna Miller

I’m an accredited psychotherapist with 15 years experience.

I believe that the counselling relationship should be a creative space for both parties. It should feel comfortable and open enough to be free from anxiety and pressure in which new perspectives can emerge. 

In my view most mental activity takes place below the level of conscious awareness and my role is to help people gain access to it and insights from it.

As an accredited therapist I am affiliated with several private healthcare companies including BUPA and AXA. I have an up-to-date DBS certificate which is registered on the update service. 

As well as working with individual adults, including trainee therapists, I have many years' experience working with children, couples and families. I have been a university counsellor so have a lot of experience working with students and young people and have also worked in secondary schools. 

I have recently completed a training in bodywork which involves activating the vagus nerve and calming the nervous system. This method helps to unblock feelings and enables a more sensitive, finely tuned connection to ourselves and others as well as to the world around us.

You may be going through a particularly difficult situation: separation, trauma, or other huge life change or you may just have the feeling that something isn’t quite right without knowing how or why. It can feel like everything is a knot of confused feelings, impulses and images. You might have ideas or reactions which lead to unwanted actions. Or you might be feeling stuck and want to find a way through.

I’ll help you to express what’s in your mind and share your feelings in a safe environment. 

Collaboratively we’ll discover what may be underlying your distress as well as possibly finding patterns that are not immediately obvious. You choose what we discuss and at what pace.

Research in neuroscience and psychology now strongly supports the concept of a brain-body connection, indicating that early life experiences play a pivotal role in shaping our neural architecture. During infancy and early childhood, the brain undergoes rapid development, establishing neural pathways that govern emotional regulation, stress responses and even personality traits.

Experiences in these formative years, ranging from nurturing interactions to exposure to stress, can influence cortisol levels and set long-term patterns for anxiety and stress management.

My therapeutic approach focuses on revisiting these early imprints, employing trauma informed somatic interventions to help unlock and rewire entrenched patterns, ultimately fostering improved emotional resilience and mental well-being.

I like to work face to face with clients - therapy in its traditional form. The shared space allows for a holistic experience. Mind and body are present and engaged in the process. On the surface the main form of communication is verbal. Under the surface we are in a constant stream of mutual mirroring and emotional attunement. Some people definitely prefer online sessions for various reasons. It may be more convenient due to other commitments. It can also allow for more of an emotional release due to being in the privacy of your own home.

I also hold some sessions on the phone which is a favoured form by some.

However the session takes place, the time is set aside for you and remains the same every week. This format provides a focus, free from distractions where the sole purpose is therapy.

Whichever way you choose to have your sessions discretion and complete confidentiality are guaranteed.