Jo Read, BACP

Jo Read is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who helps people coping with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship pain. She also supports those facing issues around identity, addictions, grief, eating and body image, and life transitions. Jo uses clear, respectful listening to help people name their priorities and feel heard. Her approach centres on person-centred work, where empathy, acceptance and honest feedback guide sessions. Jo draws on emotion-focused and psychodynamic ideas when helpful, and uses mindfulness to bring calmer moments into difficult conversations. She believes therapy should fit the person, not the other way around. Jo trained in therapeutic counselling and holds the BACP membership, which she maintains alongside regular clinical supervision and her own ongoing personal therapy. That combination helps her reflect on practice and keep focus on each person’s goals. In early sessions she and the client agree a counselling plan and set simple goals together. Questions are welcome and the plan is reviewed as they go. Jo uses open questions, reflection and summarising to help people untangle confusing feelings and make choices that feel right for them. People choosing Jo can expect a calm, straightforward style. Conversations are grounded and practical, while still making room for deeper emotional work. She aims to support people to discover their own answers and rebuild a more trusting relationship with themselves.

How Jo’s approaches work online

Jo uses a person-centred approach that focuses on listening, empathy and building a trusting relationship. This method helps people clarify what matters to them and decide on the next steps in life or relationships. She also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy, which looks at patterns in emotional responses and helps people understand and shift how they relate to themselves and others. Psychodynamic ideas are used to notice repeated patterns and bring them into awareness so the person can make different choices. Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the work. Jo collaborates with each person to agree what feels most useful, adapting methods to fit goals, preferences and the issues being addressed. Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when tone and facial expression are important. Phone sessions are a good option when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is preferred. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for shorter updates, managing anxiety between sessions, or when writing helps someone organise thoughts. Many people find remote work fits busy lives and makes it easier to keep regular sessions. Registered or accredited professionals can use these formats to deliver thoughtful, meaningful counselling while adjusting pace and tools to each person’s needs.