Hello and welcome
My name is Jan and I am a BACP registered Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor near Reading and online. Taking the courageous step to reach out to a professional for support can feel intimidating, but it's a pivotal move toward a brighter, more positive future. I work with individuals and couples, offering short term or long term counselling. I also work with young people (11+). People seek counselling for various reasons, whether you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or simply sad. You're not alone in your journey, and there's hope for a better tomorrow.
I can help with issues such as addiction, abuse, eating disorders, depression and anxiety.
For a full list of issues counselling can help with, please see my ‘Issues I work with’ section.
Counselling is a way for you to make sense of the thoughts, behaviours or emotions that are troubling you. It offers you a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space to fully explore your feelings so that you can reach a deeper understanding of the challenges you are facing and come to terms with them or work on ways to cope with them better.
As your counsellor, I am not there to fix you. You are in control of your journey, from the issues that we explore to the pace we go at. You already have the answers within, it is my job to listen with warm empathy and compassion, offering you a fresh perspective so you can achieve your goals. For more information about my services as an Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor near Reading and online, please see my ‘How I work’ section.
I work with individuals and couples who may be struggling with a variety of issues. My specialities are alcoholism, drug addiction, co-dependency eating disorders and sexual abuse.
Alcohol abuse is a terrible burden to live with and is often symptomatic of issues in your life you are unable to cope with, so drinking acts as a way to numb the pain that you are feeling. Alcohol abuse has an enormous impact on you, your life, career and relationships as well as on the lives of those that are close to you. Over the long term it also has serious health implications. By working together, I can help you unpick the root cause behind your alcoholism, so you can take back control of your life, manage your cravings and develop strategies to help you towards sobriety, and a happier and healthier future.
Drug addiction or drug dependency can weigh heavily on your life, preventing you from achieving your potential and affecting your everyday life, your career and your relationships. If your drug abuse or dependency has spiralled into addiction, it can have serious consequences. By working with me, we can explore the roots of your addiction, whether that is the trauma you have in your life or some other issue that you mask with your addiction. Through counselling, you will take back control of your life, understand your addiction better and work on ways of coping with your cravings and working on the root cause of your addiction so you can achieve your goals.
Eating disorders can refer to anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, avoiding or restricting food, excessive exercising or eating non-food substances. However, whatever form your eating disorder takes, it can be seen as your way of coping with your thoughts or feelings. When we work together, I will help you explore the issues that are behind your eating disorder which will help you gain a greater awareness of your disorder so you can work on strategies to change your thoughts and behaviours. We will also work on the root cause of your eating disorder so you are able to grow, heal and cope in the future.
Co-dependency is a learned behaviour that can be passed down from generation to generation. It is an emotional and behavioural condition that affects your ability to maintain positive and healthy relationships. It is known as ‘relational addiction’ because if you are suffering from co-dependency, you are often drawn to relationships that are one sided or abusive. This can affect your self esteem and many suffers turn to alcohol or drugs as a way of coping. Others may develop compulsive behaviours such as workaholism or gambling. Together, we can explore the root cause of your co-dependency issues, looking for patterns of behaviour so you can find ways to break the cycle and move forward positively.
The term sexual abuse covers a wide range of life-changing experiences, from sexual harassment to child abuse and rape. Whatever form it takes, sexual abuse has a devastating impact on the victim, affecting every aspect of their life, preventing them from developing healthy relationships, and it can lead to anxiety or depression. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse, together we can explore the emotions that you are feeling and work on ways to help you cope with them and move forward positively in your life.
ADHD
Addiction
Alcoholism
Anxiety
Drug addiction
Eating disorders
Co-dependency
Emotional abuse
Family issues
LGBTQ+ counselling
Low self-confidence
Low self-esteem
Menopause
Bereavement
Bullying
Depression
Domestic abuse
Mental health
Panic attacks
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Self-harm
Sexual abuse/abuse
Smoking
Stress
Suicidal thoughts
Trauma
If you are struggling with an issue that isn’t listed above, please get in touch to see if we can work together.
As an Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor near Reading and online, I draw upon a range of approaches for our counselling sessions. Every client is different and their experiences are completely unique so by drawing on a range of approaches, I can tailor my counselling for your specific needs and goals.
Through our sessions I aim to build a strong working relationship between us, so you feel completely comfortable exploring your struggles with me. This relationship is central to our sessions. You are in control of the pace and direction of each session; you will never be pressured into sharing anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing, although over time, I hope that the trust and integrity built up between us may help you open up so we can work together on helping you achieve your full potential.
I have a person-centred approach to all my counselling, which basically means that you, the client are at the centre of our counselling journey. You bring whatever issues you want to discuss or share to each session, you decide the pathway we take and the pace we go at. You will not be pressured into sharing anything that you feel uncomfortable discussing. We focus on creating a strong working relationship and upon this foundation of trust and respect, we build each session. I firmly believe that you have the answers that you seek inside you, and it is my job to help you explore your struggles, understand them better and find your own pathway towards achieving your fullest potential.
Transactional analysis explores the three ego states in all of us: the child, the adult and the parent/ By exploring these three states, you can begin to understand how you have been shaped by your experiences. Together we will work on developing problem solving behaviours and day to day tools to create constructive solutions. The overall aim of transactional analysis is to explore the whole you, so you can gain autonomy over your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a practical, solution based approach that will help you manage and change the way you think, feel and behave. It is based on the theory that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are all connected and by understanding this connectedness, we can work on practical ways to break a pattern of negative thoughts and behaviours by breaking them down into smaller parts. This enables us to work on ways to replace negative thoughts and behaviours with positive ones.
By drawing on psychodynamics, we will explore how your past experiences have shaped your current thoughts and emotions. We all have unconscious thoughts that affect how we think, feel and behave but by bringing these to the fore and exploring them deeply, we can understand the challenges that we are currently facing much better. Together, we can find and unravel the knots from your past to help you move forward in a positive way and achieve your potential.
Before we can begin working together I offer a free 30 minute consultation which can take place on the telephone or online. This will give me the opportunity to find out more about you, your background and your current struggles, and explain how I may be able to help. It also gives you the opportunity to find out as much as you can about counselling and working with me, so you are confident and happy to move forward in the process.
For more information about how I can help as an Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor in Reading and online, please get in touch at any time.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment 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 07522467471 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.
I am available for counselling sessions at the following times:
Cancellation Policy: If you cannot make a session for any reason, please give me 24 hours’ notice to avoid being charged for the session.
I practice in person from my safe, comfortable and private consultation room in my home. I am based in Charvil, Reading so it is easily accessible from Twyford, Reading, Wokingham, Maidenhead, Henley on Thames, Bracknell and the surrounding areas. I will provide you with the precise location when you arrange your first counselling session. Parking is available at my property.
I can also work online and by telephone. For some people, working this way can offer more flexibility of time and reduce the stress caused by arranging transportation. There is also the added benefit of being able to access counselling from the comfort of your own home.
My own personal experiences drew me to counselling; counselling helped me make sense of my own struggles and understand myself better. I realised the transformative power of counselling and I felt compelled to start my own journey so that I could help people on their own journeys of self-discovery.
After completing my counselling qualification, I spent some time working as a school counsellor, helping young people with a variety of issues. I also completed some training on E- Counselling so I can maximise the opportunities presented by online counselling. I also work as a rape and sexual abuse counsellor for a charity in Reading.
I have completed certified training in Adoption Support Counselling provided by The Albany Centre / Barnardos. This is a national, specialist post-qualifying training programme for counsellors and psychotherapists to be appropriately trained and registered with an adoption support agency.
I am committed to developing my practice through regularly training so I can provide an even better service for the clients that I work with.
Qualifications:
©Jan Scoones Counselling
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