Joseph Carey

At present I am available to see you during the following:

In Bristol: Mondays and Tuesdays from 4.30pm onwards

In Stroud: Thursdays from 2.30pm and Friday mornings

In my counselling practice I work with adults who are often experiencing issues such as anxiety and depression, in particular complex transitions for example mid-life challenges, parenting children with complex needs, neurodiversity and navigating loss and bereavement as well as obsessive thinking and addiction.

I aim to create a safe, confidential, warm space where clients can feel free to think creatively and with curiosity about themselves, taking time to reflect at their own pace. 

I have a background in using creative approaches such as play and drama therapy with children with complex needs and their parents. I have also worked with the Samaritans and delivered communication and mental health training to medical practitioners and doctors.

I work with adults in person and from comfortable therapy practice rooms in Clifton, Bristol and Stroud. I work on an ongoing basis, with regular reviews, so that you can set the pace of the work according to what you require.

Coming for counselling can be a difficult decision that requires some courage. I provide a warm, empathic and grounded environment for you to bring what troubles you, and work at your own pace.

I approach working with clients with curiosity and creativity. Whilst I am influenced by various therapeutic modalities, my core approach is psychodynamic. This means I will be curious about and listen to every aspect of your lived experience, past and present, in order to understand who you are and why you respond to the world and others in the ways you do.

Psychodynamic counselling works by exploring early life events to identify and address deep-seated emotional and psychological issues. By bringing unconscious conflicts and emotions into conscious awareness, the therapy aims to create lasting change and alleviate symptoms. So when working together we may make links between your early experiences and current issues. I use an understanding of attachment along with a trauma-informed approach to support you in processing and managing challenging experiences.

It is important that you feel I can relate to you and identify with what you are bringing. If you are interested to understand more about how we may work together then I offer a free initial 15-minute phone consultation.

During our initial session we will explore what brings you to counselling, and I will also ask for a personal history. Together we can explore whether counselling is right for you at this time and you will have the opportunity to see if I may be a good fit for you. If you feel this may be challenging then I am very happy to discuss this and provide referrals to professionals in my network if appropriate.