Positive People Partnerships
Counselling, Psychotherapy and Training in Romsey
Jo Hooper BA (Hons) RNMH Reg. MBACP
Welcome to Positive People Partnerships
Counselling, Psychotherapy and Training in Romsey
All about me as a counsellor:
My passion is people and what makes them who they are. If I can get to the end of the day and feel that I have made a difference to someone, then it has been a good day. The thing that drives me is finding out about each individual and what makes them who they are. My aim is to support people to fulfill their potential, help them to work towards their aspirations and for them to leave sessions feeling respected and valued.
• 1986: Registered Nurse for people with a Learning
Disability
• 2002: Certificate in Counselling
• 2005: Diploma in Counselling
• 2010: Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy
• 2013: Post Graduate Diploma for Counselling in Secondary Schools
• 2017: MA Advanced Professional Mentoring Unit
Professional bodies
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
Stress is a naturally occurring response but the accompanying sensations can feel painful and overwhelming. I provide space to explore issues, which helps you to understand why these sensations occur. Having this awareness means you can start to influence how you perceive feelings and so change your experience of stress and anxiety.
I use a counselling model based on polyvagal theory; you don't need to know what that is ... that's my job, but simply put, it is about a combination of talking therapy and linking this with what happens in your body, when you feel stressed, angry, frightened, etc. Understanding how the body responds is crucial in helping you to feel less overwhelmed and to improve your sense of wellbeing.
Whatever issues you bring, the therapy will be personalised to you. My particular areas of expertise are paid and unpaid (family) carers; those who have experienced trauma; people with learning disabilities/learning difficulties and/or neuro diversity and autism; and young people, aged 11-18 years.
What issues can counselling help with?
People come to me for help with a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Relationship issues
Grief, loss or bereavement
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Abuse
Depression
Low confidence and self-esteem
Anger management
Difficulties at work or in retirement
Problems with family or school life
Exam stress
Feelings of overwhelm and guilt
Self harm and thoughts around indicating suicide
Domestic abuse
Breaking the constant "thought loop"
All about me as a trainer:
In addition to my counselling practice, I also deliver a variety of training packages and workshops. With my extensive background in health and social care, my areas of expertise are: adults' and children's safeguarding; positive risk enablement; Care Act; Mental Capacity Act; Domestic Abuse; trauma awareness, mental health and wellbeing, Strength Based Practice; Person Centred Care and Support Planning.
Training workshops
My training workshops are tailored around your requirements; I will work with you to mold learning outcomes to your particular needs. All delegate groups have their own diversity of learning needs and so I deliver information in a variety of ways, using polls, break out room discussions, real case scenarios, quizzes, short videos, etc, to complement a presentation.
I believe that face-to-face training gives the best possible experience for delegates, and I will travel for up to 2 hours to deliver a whole day's training. However, sometimes this is not feasible, so I can also deliver online training. To ensure you receive the experience you require, we can discuss this in more detail, at the point of initial contact.
I also work in partnership with Making Connections to deliver a range of training https://making-connections.co.uk/
The cost of training is based on individual need and will be discussed at point of enquiry.
My location
I offer counselling and psychotherapy from my practice based in Romsey. This is easily accessible from the surrounding areas of North Baddesely, Southampton and Eastleigh.
Romsey Train Station is a 20 minute walk. If a Romsey town centre location is required, this can be arranged; this would be approximately a 5 minute walk.
Online sessions are offered securely over Doxy.me and Zoom. Contact me for more information about online counselling.
Telephone sessions can also be arranged, if this is your preference.
Fees & availability
Each session lasts 60 minutes, usually taking place on a weekly basis, but I am happy to work flexibly around your needs. I can work face-to-face; on the phone or online, whichever works best for you. My fee for a session is £60.00, and I can also offer a limited number of spaces for those on low/no income; contact me and we can discuss. Payment can in cash, bank transfers or cheques.
If you are aged 11-18, I suggest a free, "introduction session" for you to attend, with your parent or guardian, so that we can all meet and discuss how the sessions will run. After that the sessions will be with just you, without your parent/guardian, and the usual confidentiality rules will apply. I can also offer 30 minute sessions, at £30 per session, for those under 13, if this is more suitable. This can be discussed in the "introduction session."
If you know you cannot attend a session, please give me 48 hours notice, or I will need to charge you, the usual fee for the session.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07450 347910 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
You can also use this page to make any enquiries about training.
Some frequently asked questions
This depends on what your needs are. Some people find that after only a very few sessions they have some clarity and focus and are ready to end the therapy. Other people value the ongoing support and relationship with me and will continue to come for weeks, months, or even years. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to therapy. You decide how long your therapy will last, and in return my aim is to make sure therapy continues for only as long as it is of benefit to you.
My aim is to offer you a first appointment within 1-2 weeks.
One of the major benefits to counselling/therapy is that the relationship is solely built on what you, as a client, bring to the therapy room. This is different to talking to friends or family, where you already have a relationship and the things you might want to say could negatively impact that relationship in the future. Therefore, you will find that, as you get used to coming for therapy, you feel freer to talk about whatever you wish to. This said, you need to feel confident that you know who else might need to be aware of this information, and as much as is possible, I will keep your information secure/confidential.
However, there are some situations where the law requires me to disclose information. This would be disclosure of risk, e.g. certain child or adult protection issues. Also, in line with my BACP code of practice, I have a trained supervisor, who I can discuss issues with if I need to. In addition, if I think someone is at high risk of harm, or becoming seriously unwell, or if someone tells me that they are doing something that could put others at risk, I might need to share this with someone else. However, I would make a plan with you about this, first. In my experience, this situation is extremely rare. We will talk more about this at your initial session and you will have an opportunity to ask me any questions.
If you feel you need to bring someone, we can talk more about this when I receive your inquiry.