Ms Joanna Brown

A conversation with Joanna Brown

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  I have always loved to help people and when I was a young person it is what I enjoyed about life the most. As a personal trainer and Pilates instructor I loved helping people move freely and more so now adding in mental resilience and the capacity to change our minds is so freeing. It has always called me to be a person that can encourage and facilitate change in another person's life.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  Existentialism, that we ultimately create meaning ourselves in our lives. We are free to be, and we do have a personal responsibility in managing and maintaining this.
  My personal beliefs affect my own life, and I am a Christian however I am all about encouraging a client down their own path and helping them to discover themselves. I do believe we are mind body and spirit.
  

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  Mind body and spirit, encouraging people to find growth in moving through their grief or through their pain. I have had two careers one looking after people's bodies and now looking after people's minds. However, one does not function without the other, so I love to incorporate a holistic approach to living well.

• What methods do you use?

  Reflecting and paraphrasing to gain understanding validate feelings, Open ended questioning continuing to be curious about the client, summarising what has been said and silence allowing the process of listening to sink in and not jump on the client to want to know more about what they are thinking allowing them the time to open up and gain clarity in the silence. CBT, ACT, Person-centred care and sometimes psychodynamic therapy to explore past experiences that may be conflicting.

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  After the second session and into the third session. Generally, the client will start to discover something in themselves that helps them to push through.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  It really opens up the channels of exploration and discovery, why should we struggle when there is so much life to live. At the same time, it goes quickly so making the most of it while we can make all the difference. Opportunity to grow and work together is how I felt when my fiancé and I started pre marriage counselling. It was a time to be curious about each other and us that is exciting.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  Seeing people walk with a differing posture, a smile on their face and knowledge that they can live a life that is fulfilling and one that they deserve.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Yes, life can be challenging, I have had moments of complete anguish and sadness. Times when I have been very angry and felt ripped off. Thankfully there is hope and things do change. We have seasons in our lives that can be very different from one day to the next. Life ebbs and flows, it can be stormy, but we do know that it will change.

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

  I think we have a huge problem with loneliness and isolation. That and dementia too which I believe loneliness and isolation contribute to. This has been a recurring theme in my studies at university with the bachelor. Technology and fractured families are causing these problems, and I pray that we can create more community within our local areas, so people do not have to experience these issues as much.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  How do I choose just one?
  Maya Angelou said,
  "My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style".