Welcome to Talking Journeys Counselling

Joy Perry. Accredited counsellor, Basingstoke

Welcome to Talking Journeys. My name is Joy Perry; I’m a therapeutic counsellor, working online or in person from Basingstoke, Hants. I’m experienced in counselling adults, young people and children with a range of challenges, including:

• anxiety • panic • relationship issues • depression • SAD • post-natal depression • phobias • family issues • affairs & betrayals • separation & divorce • anger • abuse • stress • bereavement • low self-esteem • loneliness • poor health & disability • caring responsibilities • difficult changes in life • work problems • attachment issues • domestic violence • adoption issues

Continue reading Welcome to Talking Journeys Counselling →

Fruitful Darkness

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I saw this beautiful, almost poetic article about how change and transitions impact us. Facing uncertainty and the unknown raises lots of questions and fears for us. We are in strange territory and might not even recognise ourselves. We might feel lost, unmoored from our usual way of being. We’re evolving, growing, responding and taking new turnings. There are risks, doubts and opportunities. Wherever you are on your journey, the black night of despair and not daring to hope, or having travelled and trying to make sense of where you are, even who you are now, there is hope, be assured. I look forward to meeting you and travelling with you on this next stage of your change and transitions. Contact me here for an initial assessment.

Coping with Shame

Shame can be a crippling and limiting experience. Yet it is part of the human condition and has understandable roots. I found this article particularly helpful. If this article strikes a nerve, contact Joy to find support in working through the issues.

Adoption and Fostering Support

04/09/2022

This article highlights a few of the issues that face some families with adopted and looked after children. Parenting is rarely straightforward. If you are adopting or fostering, you may face additional challenges and appreciate some space and personalised support.

With my experience, training and expert supervision I work with Hampshire County Council, as well as other councils around the country, to support those who are adopting and fostering. I also provide creative and talking therapies for the children and young people they look after. If you are an adult who has been adopted or spent time in care as a child, you may also welcome the opportunity to explore related issues and make sense of your experiences.

Contact me and take an important step in moving your life forward.

Children deserve life to be happy

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This clip of a mother’s view is excruciatingly painful to hear and filled with beauty and hope. Caring for a child with mental health issues can be all of these things. My role doesn’t involve working directly with people living with eating disorders due to the need for a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. I do, however, offer support to parents and carers. Exploring the journey, your feelings and the frustrations on the way, can be a lifeline and benefit the parent-child relationship at a crucial time.

Contact Joy now so that she can draw alongside you and your child on this journey.

Online Counselling over Zoom

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“I’ve been having therapy over Zoom for a month and it’s completely changed my perspective”

This article gives a flavour of how counselling remotely might work for you and those you care about.

Since the Covid-19 crisis started, I’ve been trained in ways of providing online counselling to maintain social distancing. As a result, I have developed a way of delivering therapy to adults, young people and children using video conferencing, such as Zoom.

I have found that I can still provide effective opportunities for talking therapies and creative approaches to counselling.

Being cooped-up together can lead to an intensifying of difficulties in family life, so I’m pleased that I can also continue to offer support for family issues, for instance, providing space for exploring and strengthening the parent-child bond.

Please contact me for support.

Online Counselling Available During Coronavirus Crisis

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Online Counselling, Joy Perry, Talking Journeys

To support you throughout this crisis, I continue to offer effective, online counselling by video conferencing or telephone. I normally use Zoom but Skype, FaceTime or other tools can be used if you prefer.

The current coronavirus pandemic is causing considerable disruption to our lives and relationships. Understandably, it is quite alarming and most of us are feeling the strain in one way or another. For those with longstanding issues, for example depression and anxiety, it poses an even greater difficulty.

Please contact me to arrange a free initial consultation for online therapy.

(Image Copyright Allan Henderson. Creative Commons.)

Police Mental Health Support

police mindfulness mental health — This is a very welcome development for our overstretched and overstressed police officers. Click the image to read the Guardian article.

Mindfulness is a very popular practise for mental health and wellbeing. While some people might be suspicious of its roots in organised religion, it actually has a very strong, clinical evidence-base. A great place to start is the Headspace app or website which teaches you the basics for free.

Mindfulness is excellent for maintaining wellbeing but counselling is sometimes required to achieve a reasonable level of wellbeing in the first place. I am a counsellor approved by the Police Firearms Officers Association and have supported some officers sponsored through their welfare programme. I also live and work less than a mile from Hampshire Constabulary’s Basingstoke Police Investigation Centre.

If you are in any of the uniformed public services and need support, not just about your duties but domestically as well, please call Joy for a free, initial appointment.

Anxiety in Children & Young People

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spotting anxiety in children and young people — This is an excellent article explaining how parents and carers can spot the signs of anxiety in children and young people.

Stress affects our physical bodies

31/10/2018

Stress affects our physical bodies, though most of us don’t realise just how much. I came across this excellent article examining this link and explaining it in everyday language. What is your body trying to tell you? Counselling is a great way of exploring life and relationships so that you can reduce the stress in your life. Contact Joy for a free initial consultation.

Take Care of Yourself this September

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This calendar is a lovely idea from Action for Happiness. Download it, print it out and take care of yourself this September.

Treat yourself as you’d treat a good friend (Kristin Neff)

Action for Happiness publishes mindfulness-based calendars each month on different themes. It doesn’t really matter about using the correct month, you could just choose a theme and follow it in whatever month you are in.