Welcome to J D Counselling
A confidential space to explore the thoughts, feelings and challenges in your life
Welcome, and thank you for visiting J D Counselling. My name is Joan Devoil and I have over 10 years’ experience working as a Person-Centred Counsellor
Acceptance & self-knowledge
My training and experience have shown me that anyone, struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings, can find acceptance and self-knowledge if they are met with empathy and without judgement. I believe that we are all capable of growth and change. Counselling can offer a safe space to explore yourself and your life. I see it as my role to be with you in that space.
Person-centred counselling can be short-term or long-term, depending on your needs. Sessions are available in person at my private practice in High Wycombe or online and via telephone for your convenience.
Please phone me for a free consultation:
In my Counselling practice, I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and in all aspects of my work, I strictly adhere to the guidelines and code of ethics of the BACP in relation to confidentiality and professional practice.
My location
I work from a private practice located in High Wycombe, and see clients from Beaconsfield and Amersham as well as the surrounding Maidenhead and Marlow areas.
In addition to providing face-to-face therapy, I also offer telephone counselling and online sessions via Zoom.
Please contact me to find out more about how online therapy works or visit my frequently asked questions below.
Frequently asked questions
For most people, yes. The core conditions of the person-centred approach to counselling make it one of the most popular forms of talking therapy – and is often seen as a gentler approach to therapy and less formal than some other types of talking therapy.
Progress in person-centred counselling results from the unique relationship that develops between us, which is built on trust. Through being non-judgmental, open and approachable, as your counsellor, I aim to build with you a supportive relationship in a private and confidential setting that enables your personal development and releases potential for change.
Clients come to me with wide-ranging problems, including:
- Abuse (including physical, verbal, and sexual abuse)
- Anxiety (generalised anxiety problems)
- Panic attacks
- Social anxiety
- Bereavement/grief/loss
- Depression (including suicidal thoughts, low mood, social withdrawal)
- Low self-esteem and lack of confidence
- Relationship issues (breakups, divorce, affairs, choosing inappropriate partners, loneliness, life adjustments, marital problems, arguments, jealousy, wedding and premarital issues)
- Sexual problems (impotence, internet/pornography/sex addiction, loss of desire, infertility)
- Trauma (including post-traumatic stress disorder from accidents, rape and other attacks/incidents)
- Workplace issues (stress, work-life imbalances)
Counselling is for everyone. I welcome working with you, in whatever ways you identify yourself. I am open and interested to build a safe relationship together and to learn whatever you want to share about your culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, employment group etc.
Counselling is also not just for adult individuals, but is beneficial for couples, families, teenagers and children. In my practice I only work with individual adult clients from 18yrs to any older age.
Yes, you can. I work with clients over the secure video platform Zoom. If you would like to attend in person where possible and over the internet otherwise, we can discuss this blended approach.
There are many different kinds of established therapeutic approaches. Person-Centred counselling is one approach. You may be unsure if Person-Centred counselling is the right one for you.
Other approaches you may want to look at include, psychodynamic psychotherapy, existential therapy, cognitive analytic therapy (CAT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
The length of your counselling will very much depend on your unique circumstances. It is usually recommended to have six sessions followed by a review to discuss your needs.
Keep in mind that once you start sessions, new issues and perspectives can arise, which may be unsettling and which you may not have been aware existed that you then want to explore. It is of course also possible to see improvement faster than you expected.
In summary, it is best to keep an open mind over how long your counselling will last, and I will regularly check with you how you are experiencing the sessions.
Yes, counselling sessions are confidential. I am ethically bound to keep what you share private.
Note that as a BACP registered therapist, I am obliged to have a supervisor overseeing my work, to ensure I am maintaining a high level of professional and ethical practice to my clients.
While I might discuss the generalities of your case with my supervisor, I will not divulge your identity, and my supervisor is also ethically required to protect the privacy of any information that is shared.
The standard format of weekly sessions helps you make gradual and steady progress. If this is not possible for you, we can explore this and usually we can agree on a way of working together which works for you.
Yes. If you require more than one session a week, I may be able to accommodate this, with regular reviews to ensure, as far as possible, that your therapy is meeting your needs.
Yes, I offer an initial Zoom or phone meeting at a zero fee, where we can explore what your needs are and I can answer any questions you may have.
I will be available to you at your scheduled appointment time only. In the case of an emergency you will need to seek other resources.
Contact your GP, the Samaritans (call 116 123, www.samaritans.org), or, if necessary, emergency services.
I do not currently accept referrals from private health insurers.
In order to reserve a certain time slot for you each week there will be a cancellation policy that applies. I will share my cancellation policy with you prior to your first appointment.
Any and all missed sessions outside of the agreed terms will be charged at the full fee, excluding holidays, illness and other emergencies.
I will provide my bank details prior to our first payable session. All sessions are payable within 24hrs of the session date, most clients pay for their sessions prior to, or on the day of the session, and some clients like to pay for several sessions at a time. We can discuss this and agree according to your preferences.
Counsellors set their own fees to reflect their years of experience, knowledge, and skill.
Yes, we can discuss this in our initial meeting.
Counsellors are committed to your privacy, so sharing your personal information is a rare occurrence. There are two exceptions:
- The first is if I were to become aware that you are an imminent danger to yourself or others, or that someone else is a danger to you. You would first be encouraged to seek necessary support, and if you were unable or unwilling to do so I have a duty of care to seek this support on your behalf.
- The second exception is if I were to become aware that you intended to commit a major crime of any sort. In such a case I have a legal obligation to disclose such information to the relevant authorities.
*Note that for the purposes of therapy, personal drug use or addictions are not considered to be criminal activities (unless they involve anyone underage). They are seen only as areas to be addressed in therapy.
Yes, there is usually good on road parking. Bassetsbury Lane is a no-through road, so only residential traffic.
If you have a query, concern or complaint about your counselling please raise this with me as soon as possible. If you are not satisfied that your complaint has been addressed, then you should take this up with the BACP, my accredited body.
Your wellbeing and safety is my utmost concern, and is at the heart of all I do. No matter your background or presenting issue, I welcome you and am committed to working with you to achieve your goals.
Get in touch
I offer an initial Zoom or phone meeting at a zero fee, where we can explore what your needs are and I can answer any questions you may have. Call or message me on 07932 578844 or email jdcounselling@proton.me
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