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About ME

Hi, I'm Joe. Thank you for visiting my page. How can I help?


I work as a therapist because I wholeheartedly believe in the transformative power of the kind and accepting presence of another human. At times life can get pretty scary, stressful and sometimes even desperate. As someone who benefits hugely from therapy myself, I fully understand the value that a tailored and supportive one-to-one relationship can bring in navigating dark and challenging times. 


As a Relational Gestalt Psychotherapist I use an experiential approach that focuses on the human-to-human connection between myself and my clients, listening in gentle presence as we focus on the direct experience of the present moment in order to tune into emotions, thoughts and the embodied experience in order to bring our authentic selves into the process with genuine curiosity.  


Over time it is my aim to be able to hold space for those parts and memories which need it and help my clients compassionately hold that which needs holding and in-turn let go of beliefs, mechanisms and behaviours which no longer serve them, in the hope of living a fuller, richer and happier life. 


Además, si buscas una terapeuta que habla español, te puedo ayudar. 


billpereirawood.co.uk

education & experience

I hold a Foundation Certificate in Gestalt Therapy and I am in my final year of a UKCP-Accredited Post-Graduate Diploma in Relational Gestalt Psychotherapy.


I also have many years of experience in peer-to-peer addiction recovery support work.

endorsement


"Joe has a deeply warm and grounding presence. He offers a space that is relaxed, open and  genuinely safe. I recommend him to anyone looking for thoughtful compassionate support."


Helen Moss

Professional Memberships

I am a registered UKCP Trainee Therapist and as such I am bound by the ethical codes of practice of UKCP.


I am a member of KAP (Kink-Aware Professionals - Sex-Positive Support for Kink and Non-Monogamy)




        UKCP Trainee Therapist



LGBTQIA+ & SW-ALLIED



Kink-Aware Professionals


Values

listening 

I offer a calm and non-judgemental space for you to express yourself fully as I listen in mindful presence and gentle awareness. I enthusiastically welcome feedback from my clients to help me support you as you need to be supported. 

curiosity

I gently bring to our sessions my natural curiosity and authentic interest in the human experience, mindfully respecting boundaries whilst communicating consensually to understand and show up for you and your experience as effectively as possible. 

allyship

I am fiercely allied with the LGBTQIA+ and SW community, always working affirmatively and with an open mind. As a white, cis-gendered man I am actively engaged in educating myself on my privileges and how I can be of service and support to those more vulnerable to oppression than myself.

FAQ

I primarily work from two locations - my private practices in Todmorden, West Yorkshire on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Chorlton, South Manchester on Wednesdays. I also offer sessions online. Please get in touch with me to discuss your needs and book a free consultation. 

Individual sessions are 50 minutes in length and are usually either weekly or fortnightly. 


Most clients attend a regular scheduled session but I will do my best to accommodate any requirements for flexibility that may be needed.


Therapy may be undertaken for a specific focus or issue and/or it may also be a longer, ongoing and open-ended process. It all depends on the needs of the client. 

Relational Gestalt psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that combines Gestalt therapy’s focus on present-moment experience with a strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist.


The central idea is that people don't exist in isolation: our sense of self, emotions, and patterns of relating develop through our relationships with other people. The therapy therefore pays close attention to what happens between the client and therapist in the room, as well as to the client's relationships outside therapy.


  • Rather than focusing only on past events, the therapist helps you notice what you are experiencing right now—thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, impulses, and ways of relating. Gestalt therapy considers increased awareness an important route to change. We might explore things like, “What are you noticing in your body as you tell me this?”

  • The therapist isn't a detached expert. The relationship itself becomes something you can explore together. For example, if you feel the therapist is judging you, rather than simply reassuring you, you might explore what that feeling is like and how you respond to it.

  • I may invite you to try something in the session—for example, expressing something you normally suppress, paying attention to a bodily reaction, or speaking directly to an imagined person. The purpose is to discover rather than simply intellectually analyse.

    • The following are some of the areas in which I have either lived experience, working experience as a therapist or a specific interest in supporting people: 


    • Anxiety and Depression
    • Life transitions
    • Relationships
    • Family Dysfunction 
    • Sex, sexuality and kink
    • Creative and 'non-conventional' life paths
    • Polyamory and Non-Monogamy
    • Drug and alcohol addiction
    • Sex addiction 
    • Co-dependency
    • QTBIPOC Social Justice 
    • Housing Exploitation 
    • Creativity 
    • Neurodivergence 
    • Sex Work 
    • Gender 
    • Eco-Therapy 
    • Surviving Capitalism 
    • Burnout
    • Cultural differences


    I currently work only with individual adults due to training and supervision requirements. 

    I work with clients worldwide except those based in Canada and the USA due to insurance requirements.


    Psychotherapy sessions are confidential within the limits of the UKCP ethical framework. I may need to share information only in rare situations. This can include risk of serious harm to self/other, safeguarding concerns, or legal requirements (e.g. terrorism, drug trafficking, or court orders). Whenever possible, I’ll discuss this with clients first. I also discuss my work anonymously in professional supervision, where my supervisor is bound by confidentiality. This is another ethical requirement and helps me to continue my development as a therapist. 

    FREE CONSULTATION

    I offer a free, 50-minute, no-obligation consultation session for us to meet and see how we feel about working together


    ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS

    £55 per 50-minute session


    ONLINE SESSIONS
    £55 per 50-minute session


    REDUCED PRICE SESSIONS
    I offer a limited number of reduced-price spaces to those on low incomes. Please get in touch for more information


    PAYMENT

    Payment must be made before the session via BACS/IBAN transfer, PayPal or cash. 


    CANCELLATION

    Sessions cancelled by the client with less than 48-hours notice are payable in full. 

     

    contact me

    Feel free to get in touch via email or phone below:


    WhatsApp me


    Email me


    Where i work

    Weekender Cafe


    11 Halifax Road

    Todmorden

    OL14 5AG


    *Tuesdays and Thursdays*

    Chorlton Rooms


    2 Railway Terrace

    Chorlton

    M21 0RQ


    *Wednesdays*