Heather Joy is an experienced Cognitive Behavioural Therapist accredited with the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP). She has extensive experience working with adults with a wide range of common mental health problems within the NHS and in private practice. She started her career in Health Psychology and has practiced in NHS talking therapy services in Birmingham and London since 2010. As Long Term Conditions Lead in her previous NHS role, she has led in adapting and delivering psychological interventions for people with long term physical health conditions, including long covid.

Heather has a warm, compassionate therapeutic style. She is passionate about tailoring therapy to meet your individual needs and works in a collaborative way to enable you to make meaningful changes in your life. She draws on a range of CBT approaches and has received further training in Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT).

A further area of interest is Trauma/Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and she has undertaken specialist training and supervision in this area. She is a qualified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) therapist having undertaken training with the EMDR academy.

Heather is an experienced supervisor of other Cognitive Behavioural Therapists and also offers this as a service both inside and outside of the NHS.

Heather  works with the following difficulties:

• Low Mood/ Depression

• Stress related issues

• Panic attacks

• Generalised anxiety disorder/excessive worry

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Social anxiety

• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Health anxiety

• Specific phobias

• Chronic pain

• Chronic fatigue

• Long Covid

• Adjustment to long term health conditions

• Self-criticism and shame

• Body image/Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

• Perfectionism

• Low self-esteem/lack of confidence

• Sleep difficulties

Qualifications:

• BSc Psychology with honours (1st Class) – University of Reading

• MSc Health Psychology -University of Bath

• Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (Distinction) – Coventry University

• Memberships and Governing Bodies

• British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Accredited

• Graduate Member of British Psychological Society (BPS)

• Member of the EMDR Academy