Joss Lloyd MBACP
Gestalt Psychotherapeutic Counsellor in Bristol and Bath
Welcome
Are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed or confused?
Perhaps you find yourself repeating patterns that don't serve you, or perhaps you'd like help identifying and working through the impact of past events or relationships.
I offer a confidential space where together we can explore the situation you find yourself in. I work with people to help make better sense of their experiences and reconnect with their own sense of direction and choice.
I know that finding the right therapist for you can feel daunting - I hope to give you a sense here of who I am and how I work.
Many people I work with are
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struggling in relationships, or finding the same patterns repeating
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living with the effects of trauma or difficult childhood experiences, including abuse, parents' separation and early loss
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feeling caught in addictive patterns
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either diagnosed or suspect they are neurodivergent
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struggling with issues around masculinity
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overwhelmed by grief, anger, low-mood, anxiety or hopelessness
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feeling isolated or lacking confidence
If there is something else you are struggling with, feel free to get in touch. I may be able to help.
My approach
I am a Gestalt therapist with a particular focus on trauma and nervous system regulation.
Gestalt therapy is new for many people, but the experience of it is simple enough: it’s therapy that works in the present moment, through genuine dialogue between two people. Rather than focusing on narratives or stories, we pay close attention to what’s actually happening right now - in you, and between us.
As a Gestalt therapist I'm interested in how we are impacted by our environment and by our contact with the people in our lives, in particular how patterns of behaviour we learned, often in childhood, often for good reason, continue to influence how we live. Through raising awareness of these patterns, the possibility arises of making new choices, for the present.
Trauma-informed therapy
Many of the experiences associated with anxiety or depression - the racing thoughts, the panic in the chest, the urge to shut down or disappear, the lack of hope - are the body’s attempts to keep itself safe: responses that made sense once and have since become stuck
When the nervous system is caught in a state of high alert, much of the brain’s capacity is taken up scanning for threat, leaving less available for reflection, awareness, and choice. Part of our work together is helping your nervous system recalibrate to your present situation, allowing more of you to come online.
Relational therapy
I see the therapy relationship itself as the vehicle for change. Many of the difficulties people bring to therapy - patterns that repeat, feelings of being stuck, trouble trusting others - have their roots in early experiences of relationship. My experience is that what helps most is less talking about those patterns in the abstract, and more having a different kind of relationship in the present: one that is steady, honest, and with a firm foundation of trust.
As well as reflecting back what I’m hearing, at times I’ll sensitively share thoughts, feelings and sensations that come up for me as we are together. In my experience this can be a powerful way to raise awareness of how you come across to the people in your life, and makes the therapy space a safe place to try out new ways of relating - stating needs, setting boundaries, or expressing things that have previously felt too risky.
Practicalities
I currently offer therapy sessions in-person in Bristol and Bath as well as online.
Sessions last 50 minutes, and I typically see clients at the same time each week.
Length of therapy
I work with both short and longer term clients. Some people need a few sessions to get through a specific difficulty. Others stay longer and find that the consistency of returning weekly to the same space becomes an important anchor in itself. We can work together to define the depth and duration of our work - often starting with six sessions and reviewing from there.
Fees
Initial consultation: £30
Ongoing therapy: £60
About my practice
I am a qualified Gestalt psychotherapeutic counsellor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I hold a Clinical Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapeutic Counselling from the Metanoia Institute in London and am on the Metanoia MSc programme in Gestalt Psychotherapy, a UKCP accredited training course. I am fully insured and am in regular supervision and I adhere to both UKCP and BACP ethical frameworks for practice.
Contact me
If something you’ve read here resonates with you and you’d like to arrange an initial consultation - or find out more about how I work - get in touch by email at josslloydtherapy@gmail.com, by phone on 07575 563 444, or by using the form below.