Joanne Harratt, BACP

Joanne Harratt is a BACP-registered counsellor with 10 years of experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, relationship and family challenges, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, eating and body image concerns, parenting struggles, and many other life changes. She offers a calm, non-judgmental space where individuals and couples can explore emotions and patterns, increase self-understanding, and make meaningful changes in how they cope and relate to others.

Her practice is client-led, with sessions shaped around each person's needs and goals. Joanne emphasises the value of understanding why certain reactions or choices repeat over time, believing that insight into these patterns creates opportunities for growth. She works with a broad range of issues including intimacy-related problems, LGBT concerns, anger, self-esteem, ADHD, and the additional areas of abandonment, attachment and commitment difficulties, blended family challenges, and substance-related problems.

Joanne trained with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling from the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body and holds a Certificate of Higher Education in Psychodynamic Counselling from the University of Leicester. She has completed further training in areas such as complicated grief (2019), transactional analysis (2019), solution-focused therapy (2019), hearing voices (2018), and effective anger management for men (2017), as well as courses on attachment theory, creative interventions, intrusive thoughts, sexual trauma, suicide awareness, and couples counselling.

Her background includes more than three years volunteering with a charity supporting women with complex needs, including survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and volunteering with an organisation for male victims of rape and sexual abuse. Joanne is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), reflecting her commitment to professional standards in the United Kingdom.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Joanne uses client-centred therapy to create a supportive environment in which the client guides the pace and focus of each session. This approach emphasises empathy and active listening, helping people explore feelings, clarify values, and strengthen self-direction - it can be helpful for stress, anxiety, self-esteem and life transitions.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is another approach Joanne uses for work with relationships and attachment issues. EFT helps people identify and express underlying emotions that shape connections with partners or family members, making it useful for improving communication, intimacy, and resolving recurring relationship patterns.

Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. Joanne will work with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences, and may combine elements from different approaches to create a tailored plan that feels manageable and relevant.

Online therapy with Joanne is available by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging, offering flexibility to fit around work, family or mobility needs. These options make it easier to access regular support from a registered professional, attend sessions from home, and maintain continuity of care when life circumstances change.