Jennifer Kerr

I currently offer appointments on Saturdays. In-person sessions take place in a calm, private counselling space in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, with two adjoining environments: a traditional counselling room for those who value comfort and containment, and a studio space for clients who benefit from movement, grounding, or having room to stretch during sessions. Online therapy is also available via Microsoft Teams for clients across the UK.

Hello, I鈥檓 Jen. I鈥檓 a 麻豆原创-registered and UKCP-accredited psychotherapeutic counsellor offering short-term and long-term counselling for adults (18+). My practice is informed by Transactional Analysis (TA), a powerful model that helps you understand patterns in your thinking, feeling, and relating so that you can make lasting, meaningful change.

While my core modality is Transactional Analysis, I work integratively, drawing from person-centred, Gestalt, existential approaches, compassion-focused therapy (CFT), solution-focused brief therapy, and trauma-informed principles. This means your therapy is shaped around you, to your pace, your needs, and what genuinely supports your wellbeing.

I have been in practice since 2020. My training included counselling within a GP surgery in Newcastle, where I supported adults facing a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, life transitions, ageing, childhood trauma, and bereavement. More recently, I have worked in a university setting offering brief therapy. I have substantial experience supporting students navigating anxiety, family issues, academic pressure, bereavement by suicide, and neurodiversity (e.g. autism, ADHD).

Before becoming a counsellor, I spent 15 years working in the criminal justice system, and 10 years working in higher education, specialising in dispute resolution.

With 25 years鈥� experience working in public services and emotionally demanding environments, I bring a deeply trauma-informed perspective to my work. I understand how overwhelming experiences can shape nervous systems, relationships, and coping strategies. I work in a way that will feel safe and comfortable for you, explores the past only when it feels safe to do so, and responds to your feelings with respect and compassion. 

I鈥檓 passionate about the impact of technology on wellbeing, the connection between body and mind, and the way nature can help us return to our true selves.

In psychotherapeutic counselling, the relationship between us forms the foundation of the work we do together. I offer a space where you can bring your emotions, questions, fears, hopes and uncertainties, without judgement.

If you鈥檝e tried CBT or other structured therapies before, and are looking for something deeper and more relational, then psychotherapeutic counselling may be a good option for you. Our sessions will be more open and exploratory, sometimes challenging at first, but often deeply rewarding as you begin to find your own voice and uncover what truly matters to you. Many clients describe this process as finally having space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with themselves.

In me, you will find a therapist who is warm and empathic, but also clear, practical, and grounded. My approach helps clients to break down overwhelming situations and move forward with confidence.

Short-Term Counselling:

Short-term therapy can be especially helpful when life throws something unexpected your way. When faced with sudden change, it鈥檚 common to feel overwhelmed, unsteady, or 鈥渘ot yourself鈥� 鈥� but this is often a normal human response to an extraordinary situation. Short-term therapy can be a cost-effective way of helping you with situational stress, anxiety, or low mood, bereavement, and career issues. Having a grounded, independent therapist alongside you, just for a while, can make a huge difference.

Longer-Term Counselling:

Long-term therapy offers space to explore deeper patterns, long-standing difficulties, or issues rooted in earlier experiences. Common areas of focus include relationship and attachment issues, childhood trauma, compulsive or addictive behaviours, identity exploration (e.g. gender, sexuality, culture), feelings of low self-worth, shame, and inner criticism, existential concerns, and chronic perfectionism. If you鈥檙e feeling stuck, repeating the same patterns, or wondering 鈥楬ow did I end up here again?鈥�, longer-term support might be right for you.

I offer a free 15 minute introductory telephone call in which I can tell you more about how I work and you can ask any questions about the arrangements for counselling before committing to an initial assessment.

In the initial assessment, I will gather some important information for the purpose of counselling, before exploring what prompted you to seek help now and what your expectations are. Initial assessments are charged at 拢50.00 for 50 minutes.