Jo Allmand, BSc(Hons), Reg. MBACP (Accred)
As an Accredited Registered Counsellor, with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I work to the Ethical Principles and Codes of this professional body, and see this as a very important part of my practice.
I am based in a quiet area of Coventry, to the north of the city centre. My dedicated counselling room is a comfortable, relaxed private space.
How I practise:
I offer both short-term counselling, and longer-term in-depth therapy, for adults (18 years and above). We can mutually decide how many sessions we would aim to work together. Sessions are on a weekly basis and last for an hour.
Initial Mutual Assessment Call:
This call is an opportunity for us to make phone contact and begin to explore whether we can work together, and for you to find out more about what that work may be like. This is different to a therapy session, and can be a bit more formal. You may wish to ask questions about what therapy entails, or about how I work. You can use this time to outline what brings you to consider therapy. I will listen carefully and inquire about some of what has brought you to find out about therapy. This might include your childhood and family history, as well as your present situation. This will help me to determine whether I will be able to support you therapeutically. If I am unable to do so, I will be able to suggest other sources of support which may be beneficial to you. Should we then decide to set up an initial meeting, we will also use this to continue our assessment process.
At times, I may need to keep a waiting list of clients. If this happens, I will let you know and may not be able to start therapy with you straight away.
More about my approach:
As a Humanistic and Integrative therapist, I believe that we are ultimately the experts on our own lives. At times, however, we all experience moments of uncertainty, crisis or specific need. I see a therapist’s role to support you to reflect and explore how life feels and why it might be feeling that way at the present time. I believe in giving you space and time to talk about whatever may be on your mind, without being judged. I aim to explore your world with you, listening and responding in a way that may serve to encourage new insights or experiences.
Where it may be helpful, I integrate ideas about the effects of childhood experience and about those processes that are beyond our awareness but which affect the way we are feeling. By exploring some of these things in the safe relationship of therapy, there is sometimes new opportunity to evaluate experience and allow for things to ‘shift’ and feel stronger.
Some people find that creativity, such as art-work, images or object work can be really helpful. I enjoy exploring alternative ways of expressing emotions and representing who we are and how we feel about the people and events in our lives.
I will not look to give you advice or force you to do anything, as this is not the way I work. I offer both short term counselling work which can help to explore feelings and access support and also longer term psychotherapy. Deeper therapeutic change is often based on us taking time to develop a strong, honest relationship.
Both Counselling and Psychotherapy are about us mutually working towards reducing emotional and psychological distress or uncertainty. There are no set guarantees to give in therapy; you are the one who can decide what progress you wish to make.
My Professional Background
Having worked for over 20 years in education and also for the local authority, assisting a range of young people and their families, I have extensive experience of supporting people through a range of issues which affect their self-image, their relationships and their aspirations for the future. In my role as a therapist over the past 10 years, I have worked in a range of non-profit counselling and mental health organisations in Coventry, as well as in private practice.
I am an Accredited BACP Registered Counsellor and subscribe to the BACP Ethical Framework and Code of ethics, which can be viewed here BACP ethical framework, and which operates a complaints procedure to which I am accountable. As a reflective and ethical practitioner, I engage in ongoing professional development in order to enhance and develop my practice and allow it to be the best I can offer. I am also committed to equal opportunities and will always work to engage with all my clients in an anti-discriminatory way.
To gain a better understanding of how I work please look through my website, email me or phone me to have a talk.
Qualifications:
- Diploma in Counselling Supervision, The Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute, Nottingham
- Level 7 Certificate in Trauma, The Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute, Nottingham
- BSc Hons Degree in Humanistic and Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, accredited by Coventry University and studied at The Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute, Nottingham (3 year course). BACP accredited course.
- Certificate in Counselling, Warwickshire College, Leamington (1 year course)
- Certificate in Psychology, Warwick University College
- Certificate in Counselling Skills, Warwick University College
Professional organisations:
- Full individual Registered Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – MBACP (Accred)
DBS Checked
I hold DBS clearance, having passed an ‘Enhanced Disclosure’ for the position of counsellor in 2016 and 2017, completed by the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Insurance
I hold Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance for all my work as a Counsellor and Psychotherapist.
ICO registered
I am registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) as part of my GDPR policy.