About Jo Ham Counselling and Psychotherapy
Get your life back on track with the minimum of fuss!
- I offer swift, sensible help so you can feel better as soon as possible.
My aim is to get you feeling calmer and more positive from your very first session with me.
- People who come to see me say that they value my calm, friendly approach. They say they feel comfortable with me straight away, which is important when choosing a therapist as it involves trust and a bit of a leap of faith.
- And because I take a quick measure of how you are doing before each session, I have a proven track record of success, in an average of four sessions. This is way fewer sessions than the NHS, or even most private counsellors. So you can feel confident about working with me. I also take feedback from you after each meeting, and I always welcome your suggestions for improvement.
As a human givens therapist I will:
- make sure that you feel heard, respected and understood in every session
- explain exactly what’s happening in your brain and body when you feel emotionally agitated
- teach you simple relaxation and calming down techniques that will help you take control again
- look at all areas of your life and help you work out which of your emotional needs are not being met
- help you set realistic and achievable goals
- work with you on a plan to get your needs met so you can feel more positive and make those changes
- make sure we get you making progress from the very first session
- take a quick outcome measure at the start and end of each meeting to give us a clear picture of how you are feeling and make sure you are happy with our sessions
What is human givens therapy?
- It’s a new form of highly effective brief therapy which looks at a person’s whole life and works out which of their emotional needs are not being properly met. Once you have learnt how to get those needs met you will find that you make rapid progress and start to feel much more positive. Many people are surprised at how quickly they start to feel better.
- Human givens therapists also take the minimum number of sessions to help people get their lives back on track, so we’ll never keep you coming back for unecessary appointments: you’ll be relieved to learn that the average number of sessions with me is 4!
- My results are based on sound evidence and the most up-to-date findings in neuroscience.
- Highly personalised support at no extra cost to you
As part of your recovery process I will help you to feel calm, relaxed and more confident. During your sessions with me I will make a recording just for you which you’ll be able to listen to so that you can continue to make progress in between sessions. This is just one of the reasons that the people who come to see me make really swift, lasting progress!
Professional Memberships
- General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR)
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
- Human Givens Institute (HGI)
- International Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE)
My training, work experience and any achievement
I first heard about the human givens approach on BBC Radio in 2003. I was gripped by the sensible, practical way it helps people to make positive changes in their lives.
I never thought I was the type of person who would go and see a psychotherapist, but, after recommending human givens therapy to various friends and hearing from them how helpful they had found it, I decided to talk to a human givens therapist myself.
I was so impressed with the speedy and practical help I received that I decided there and then to retrain so that I could help others in the same way! I studied for an MA-level Postgraduate Diploma in Human Givens Psychotherapy at Nottingham Trent University and Human Givens College.
Sensible help for all ages
- I now have a busy private practice where I love working with people at all stages of life. It is so satisfying to see people moving on and getting out of a rut or dealing with anxieties,
phobias or relationship problems.
- You can expect me to be friendly, approachable and welcoming and I certainly won’t be judging you, whatever you bring to me. I will work with you to make the best of your own circumstances - or to change those circumstances if that’s what is needed.
Moving forward
- The traditional view of therapy as being a painful wallowing in past miseries is mercifully considered rather old-fashioned now. I won’t waste your time with any unnecessary dwelling on the past, but if a trauma or phobia is genuinely holding you back I will soon pick that up and be able to neutralise it quickly and safely. You’ll be able to put it right behind you and move forward.
- I’ll help you get in touch with your own strengths so that you can feel more confident and able to make those changes.
Children and young people
- I have a particular passion for working with young people and children. Some of this work is with Ignite Trust, a charity in Harrow that offers practical support to vulnerable young people and young parents. I also offer play therapy to children in primary schools, and work in a Pupil Referral Unit for students who have been excluded from mainstream school.
Emotional Resilience at work
- I devise and run Emotional Resilience courses to help people cope at work. I offer tailored group work and individual sessions as needed. I also run specialist workplace trauma and stress management.
Psychological rehabilitation after injury
- I am an approved psychotherapist with CBT Rehabilitation Ltd, and offer specialist CBT-based psychological rehabilitation to patients recovering from personal injury.
Courses for Parents
- As an experienced course leader on the acclaimed Just What We Need programme for parents, I run regular twelve-week courses with groups of parents and anyone wishing to understand their own emotional needs and improve their relationships.
Military post-traumatic stress
- I am an accredited therapist with the charity Resolution, which provides treatment to veterans to resolve the mental health problems associated with military trauma. These problems can obstruct a normal range of family and work relationships for veterans, and yet can often be resolved with the right kind of help.
Find me on the Professional Register of the Human Givens Institute. Further Information
Here’s what some of my recent clients have said about their experience with me:
-- "You have helped me get though the most horrible period of my life and I want to thank you for that", Retired man, Dec 2017
-- "You’re the best person in the world at solving people’s problems - and I told my friends" School girl, 7, Sept 2015
-- "Hi Jo, I just wanted to thank you for your time and coaching over the last month. I wanted to share a couple of things and to let you know that the coaching provided really has worked for me." TB, May 2014
-- "You were mentioned at the Management Committee with the word FANTASTIC, about the work you are doing here. This was echoed by all the staff". Headteacher of school where I have worked since September 2013
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