Stephen Jones

My first session with all clients is free, and it's during the lunch hour. I tell new clients that it takes a lot of courage to start this process and I want to make sure that you're not wasting your time with someone who is not a good fit for you. Feel free to sign up for a first session by finding a convenient time that works for your schedule: 

https://embercommunitycounselling.janeapp.co.uk/#/staff_member/1. 

My wife and I married in 2007 and have three high school-aged children here in West London. Despite living here for 11 years, my American accent is still as strong as ever. When I'm not pastoring or seeing clients, I enjoy eating spicy food, laughing, playing sports and taking risks.

Experience:

Having lived in Spain for 4 years and London for 11, I work with many international clients. While the majority of my work is with couples, I also have experience with family estrangement, pastor/vicar burnout, religious deconstruction and pornography addiction. I've also done external consulting with business leaders in conflict.

Here are some recent reviews:

鈥淚 am beginning to understand so much better the negative habits myself and my husband fall into during disagreements and the different cycles we both go on. By talking through situations with Stephen, I have learnt more about the concerns and anxieties my husband has and his underlying unmet attachment needs. We have much longer stretches of time between arguments and the majority of our arguments feel less destructive. We now have more good days than bad days, and I no longer believe that our marriage is broken beyond help.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e found Stephen warm, fun, funny, non-judgmental, and willing to push into things that were hard but have helped. It鈥檚 always felt like he was on our side and rooting for us.鈥�

"The sessions have been a 鈥渟afe space鈥� in which to be open and discuss sometimes difficult issues, under guidance from a trusted 3rd party. Stephen is very affable, easy to talk to, a good listener. He is always keen to focus on positive steps forward, however small. He is always well prepared and punctual. When sessions have been tough/tricky between [my spouse] and me, he has moderated them very well."

For more client reviews, you can also visit our website: https://embercommunitycounselling.com/staff/stephen-jones/

I specialise in working with couples in crisis, narcissism and men with lots of responsibility (e.g., pastors, politicians and business leaders) who are often suspicious or hesitant about counselling. Many of my clients are in cross-cultural relationships, and I have a lot of success helping them. Specifically, I have extensive experience working with clients from Nigerian and Indian backgrounds. I also provide a 6-10 week premarital course.

As an ordained pastor working part-time in a local church, I offer clients the option of integrating faith (https://youtu.be/POWdvYH1rMc?si=uE8R7RKnohEI__WJ) into the psychological frameworks of counselling.

Because I believe secure relationships are the pathway to lasting change, my focus is on building a safe, supportive therapeutic relationship where clients can experience both healing and empowerment. Because you're lending me trust that I have not earned, I try to make the process as transparent as possible. This is what the first four sessions of counselling (https://youtu.be/hUT8S0DmH1Q?si=nUBT5Icthsxjp2r8) would look like. If you'd like to learn more about how I work with couples, here's my in-depth introduction to Emotionally Focused Therapy, with a walkthrough video (https://youtu.be/UuIKm2-MRdc?si=t9oQSJU0Krb71_C-). I've also answered the question, "How long does it take to experience change?" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBpge5ybuX8).

My standard fee is 拢150 per session, with four spaces reserved for those who need reduced-priced sessions. I am available Monday-Thursday during business hours and offer a free first session. Schedule your first session here: https://embercommunitycounselling.janeapp.co.uk/#/staff_member/1 . I also offer three-hour intensive sessions for couples. New clients can usually begin within 1-3 days.

Please include your phone number in your email if you want to reach out to me directly at sjones@embercommunitycounselling.com or via text/WhatsApp at 07484267395. 

I try to make this process as transparent as possible, so I like to send the structure of our first conversation ahead of time. We will start with some housekeeping around confidentiality, data protection and engagement level. We will then discuss any questions you might have about the counselling process or about me. Once we have answered any questions you have, we'll discuss the issues you鈥檙e bringing into the conversation, as well as the goals you may (or may not) have for our time together. During the last 5 minutes, I will check in with you to debrief what the conversation was like for you.

I encourage new clients to make sure all their software is updated and that you鈥檝e checked that your camera is working before our meeting. It鈥檚 often helpful to have 5-10 minutes before the session to reflect or write down any questions or thoughts that are important to you.

If you have any questions before our session, don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out.

I look forward to working together,

Stephen

Additional Reviews:

鈥淪tephen has always asked the right question to help me think well and deepen understanding of my situation. Counselling has offered me space to pause, think and articulate how I feel and grow in that practice.鈥�

鈥淚 benefitted most from Stephen鈥檚 questions and ability to probe and confront my issues in a way I had not been able to do alone. I think I came to counselling hoping for a list of stuff to do so I could fix myself, but actually I needed to understand myself and my problems better.鈥�

Stephen quickly created a relaxed, open and non-threatening environment for me to operate in. His warmth, genuine interest and care was easily identifiable and made me feel very welcome and open to trusting him. His obvious gifts, skills and experience are complemented by a welcoming, warm and calm demeanour.