Welcome to Jo Small Therapy
Awareness • Contact• Choice • Change
Who are you and who am I?
Are you a man who has reached mid-life, wondering who he really is and what life is all about?
Are you are a women, used to pleasing people and suffering burn out? Perhaps a mother who is struggling with symptoms of menopause and questioning their identity and worth. You may not have children, despise or desperately want them, and feel the pressure as time appears to be running out.
Maybe you are non-binary or gender fluid and don’t feel seen at all. Tired of existing in a culture where people repeatedly get categorised and labelled. You might be wondering about your neurotype, sexuality or cultural heritage and curious how all of this has shaped your life experience so far.
Perhaps you are a couple who are looking for some support with your relationship, considering whether to stay together or not, and wanting some support with coparenting or separation.
Or are you are a young person in (or avoiding) education, finding it hard to cope, self-harming, experiencing suicidal ideation, low mood and anxiety.
You might even be a psychotherapist or counsellor looking for a supervisor to support and challenge you, bringing new insight, creativity and experience.
Hello, I’m Jo. I’m not a category, I’m not a label, I’m not an A.I bot. I am me, showing up authentically for real contact, relationship and dialogue, with whoever you are in the moment.
I am active in my approach, with loads of lived and clinical experience, and a solid presence offering support, challenge, and growth.
Together, we can explore and develop greater awareness of recurring patterns, behaviours and ways of relating that may be keeping you feeling stuck.
I won’t be giving you homework or worksheets, I will be giving you genuine human contact and a space where you can explore the depths of your experience, past and present-centred.
Explore what I offer
50 minute sessions, face to face or online.
In Gestalt I make awareness, contact and dialogue central to my work. If you have had therapy before, and found your counsellor to be a passive listener, then you will find my approach very refreshing in it’s aliveness and creativity.
As a holistic therapist, I like to work with embodiment and will invite you to try things out and experiment with something new. If you immediately say yes, I may invite you to say no to me, and see how this feels.
Over the last 15 years, I have developed a neuro and queer-affirming approach, working extensively with trauma, loss and bereavement, anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation, neurodivergence (particularly ADHD and Autism), addictive processes, gender dysphoria, parenting, child-birth, menopause, miscarriage, male sexual/intimacy issues, identity, cultural identity, issues around racism and discrimination within the workplace; personality disorders, domestic abuse, and a wide variety of relationship issues and types.
I currently have availability for both in-person and online psychotherapy/counselling sessions throughout the week, providing flexibility to fit around your commitments.
I know that taking the first step to meet a therapist can feel daunting - that’s why I offer the first introductory session for free.
Rates are from £80 per 50 minutes, concessions rates available.
Are you looking for a supportive and experienced clinical supervisor to help you develop your practice with confidence?
I currently have some availability throughout the week, online or in-person.
I offer a supportively challenging, collaborative, and reflective supervisory space for trainee and qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, and other helping professionals. My approach is grounded in mutual respect, curiosity, and openness, providing a safe environment where you can explore your client work, celebrate successes, and navigate challenges.
Together, we'll focus on maintaining ethical and effective practice, supporting your professional development, and ensuring the wellbeing of both you and your clients. I aim to create a trusting supervisory relationship that encourages honest reflection, learning, and growth.
If you'd like to discuss how we might work together, I'd be delighted to hear from you.
Feel free to get in touch for an informal conversation - the introductory session is complimentary.
I work in three locations across London, St Pancras, Dulwich and Crystal Palace.
Rates are £80 per 50 minutes
Group process can be one of the best most rewarding experiences, and sometimes the most difficult - but with challenge and discomfort comes growth!
I run ten week personal development groups of up to 15 people to support contact, connection, awareness, and understanding about how you are in relationship with others.
Low cost, in-person groups will be running in South London in January 2027 - everyone welcome!
Online introductory taster groups are also being offered in November and December for people interested in Gestalt group process.
If you are interested in joining my next personal development group, please contact me for more details about fees and the application process.
Working with couples
I understand how difficult relationships can be and have lived experience of how they can go wrong, get stuck as well as how they feel alive, exciting, and contactful at times. If you and your partner want a space to work through your relationship difficulties, I can be comfortable with the uncomfortable!
I believe that relationships are a powerful context for growth and healing. Many couples find themselves caught in recurring cycles of conflict, disconnection, or unmet needs. Through a collaborative and supportive therapeutic process, I help partners increase awareness of these patterns and develop new ways of connecting that foster trust, intimacy, compassion, and mutual understanding.
My approach is relational, experiential, and trauma-informed. I work actively with what emerges in the therapeutic space, helping couples explore their thoughts, emotions, bodily experiences, and interactions as they unfold. This enables meaningful insight and creates opportunities for change in real time.
I support couples in:
Improving communication and emotional expression
Managing conflict and recurring relational patterns
Rebuilding trust following ruptures or betrayals
Strengthening intimacy and connection
Navigating life transitions and family challenges
Exploring differences in needs, values, and expectations
Developing greater self-awareness and relational resilience
Exploring non-traditional relationship structures and healthy relationship boundaries
Areas of Practice: Couples Therapy, Relationship Difficulties, Communication Issues, Intimacy and Connection, Premarital Counselling, Infidelity Recovery, Attachment and Relational Patterns, Gestalt Psychotherapy, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Anti-Oppressive Practice, and Relational Growth.
£120 per hour, concessions available.
Neurodiverse and queer affirming therapy
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Neurodiverse and queer affirming therapy 〰️
As a white female born in the UK, I am very aware of the position of privilege that I hold in relation to many people who are different to me. Through CPD, supervision and anti-oppressive group work and education, I continue to challenge any internalised biases and beliefs in order to be fully present with you and your unique experience, without judgement or assumption.
As a neuro-curious and queer affirming therapist I have a keen interest in neurodiversity, especially ADHD and Autism, and have been researching how hormonal changes throughout puberty and mid-life negatively affect AuDHD individuals.
The strongest emerging evidence concerns fluctuations in oestrogen and their potential relationship with attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and mood. If you have ADHD or are autistic, understanding the possible relationship between hormones and neurodivergence can provide another piece of the puzzle, particularly when symptoms seem to change at different times of your life.
For women going through peri-menopause and menopause, changing oestrogen levels may influence dopamine pathways involved in attention, motivation, and executive functioning - meaning that ADHD women may find symptoms much harder to manage in midlife, rather than being “worse” at coping. The research on autism is less available. For neurodiverse males going through testosterone changes in mid-life, difficulties may also be magnified, however much more research is needed.
Transgender and gender diverse people may have similar struggles - with research, awareness and knowledge in this area being much less available. For those who take gender-affirming hormone therapy, a recent study found that autistic people could experience practical difficulties adhering to hormone treatment because of sensory sensitivities and executive function challenges.
As a Gestalt therapist, working creatively with you to raise awareness of what might have become harder, or how the conditions under which you are functioning have changed, can support you to feel fully seen, accepted, connected and satisfied.
Working with young people and families
I started my therapy practice back in 2013 as a school counsellor, after a long time working in education at a challenging secondary school, where I realised that the need for counselling in schools was very high. I worked for Place2be as a School project manager, running counselling projects in a number of different South London secondary schools and supervising a team of volunteer counsellors. I managed referrals, assessments, and worked with parents and families to support the child holistically and systemically. I also worked with excluded children in an exclusion unit in Tottenham, from primary age to secondary, supporting the emotional needs of young people who were neurodiverse or struggling with the rigid educational system that didn’t meet their needs.
Now I do a lot of work fundraising for Place2be, and going into schools, running workshops, and raising awareness about mental health and wellbeing…
If you are a young person or parent looking for some counselling support for your child, or there are struggles that you are keen to explore within your family relationships, I offer a free confidential introductory session to outline the ways that I might be able to support you.