About Me
I am an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy MBACP(Accred) and I abide by the BACP Ethical Framework and Code of Conduct.
I also work within the Samuel Therapy Practice :(https://www.juliasamuel.co.uk/the-samuel-therapy-practice).
I'm Jenny Gibbs, a qualified (BACP Accredited) Humanistic/Existential Psychotherapist with over 30 years of working within mental health. I spent the earlier part of my career in London, working as a Mental Health Nurse within the NHS and private sector, covering a wide range of complex needs, including acute Adult Mental Health as well as Child and Adolescent Services and Eating Disorders. Over the past 15 + years I have focused on working 1:1 with clients in a therapeutic capacity.
My approach....
Humanistic and Existential Psychotherapy uses a wide range of approaches to look at the whole person, taking into account mental, physical and emotional needs. They are united by an emphasis on understanding human experience and a focus on the client rather than the symptom. Existential psychotherapy explores what it feels like for us to exist in the world, including the distress we experience when confronted with life’s ultimate concerns, such as meaninglessness, social isolation, a lack of freedom, and the inevitability of death. Together we look to increase self -awareness and self-understanding in order to enhance ability to make authentic, meaningful and self-directed choices about how to live.
Areas of work
I work with a wide variety of clients from different ages and backgrounds. Some of the areas I work with include:
anxiety, bereavement, depression, dissociation, divorce and relationship breakdowns, eating disorders, grief (including disenfranchised grief) , phobias, life changing accidents/loss, self harm, somatisation disorders, stress and trauma.
Professional qualifications and training BSc (Hons) Counselling Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People Diploma in Person Centred/Existential Therapeutic Counselling Foundation Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling, BCPC) Diploma in Nursing Studies (Mental Health) RMN St Bartholomew School of Nursing and Midwifery (City University) Research into Loneliness in Private Practice (Therapist Perspective) REWIND training - Working with Trauma and PTSD Foundation for Infant Loss and Bereavement Training (Accredited Practitioner) Introduction to Brief Counselling in a University Setting. Internal training: Dual Diagnosis; Eating Disorders (Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa) and Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents. Trauma and Attachment in Children and Families Youth Mindfulness SOMA training British Mindfulness Institute - Professional Training in the Applied Use of Mindfulness for 12-18 year olds Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme Eight week MBCT (Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy) Introduction to Group Analysis (Institute of Group Analysis)
When not working, it is important for me to spend time doing things that replenish and nourish myself. These include yoga (mastering that elusive headstand), walking outside with my dog, Philosophy, Karate (Black belt) and reading whatever I can get my hands on. A lot of my spare time I enjoy finding a peaceful way of being and this allows me to process and be in the best place to listen to my clients. I love my job and believe that as individuals we all have our own powerful unique stories that deserve telling. I am privileged to be able to hear them and it is my responsibility to ensure that I am in that best place to provide the right conditions to do so.
'There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.' Maya Angelou
I am passionate about storytelling and believe we each have a need to have our story heard and understood. My own life changing accident in 2003, left me blind on one side and without my left eye, leading to many subsequent surgeries and a full time prosthetic eye. Going through this helped me realise the power of owning our stories and the power of words. Whether it is writing and reading or speaking out loud - words truly have the ability to transform that which was once buried or suppressed into something empowering, meaningful and valuable, both to ourselves and maybe others. We are all authors of our own stories and by examining and listening to them, we can take responsibility for creating our own sense of meaning and purpose from our life histories.
We all have a story to share....I'd love to help you find the words to speak and own yours.