Jo Harley

Arts Psychotherapist

MA Drama and Movement therapy BA Arts therapies, certified life coach, certificates in Psychosynthesis counselling, Theory and practice of Psychodrama, and Embodied Psychotherapy,

Therapists

I've been an Arts Psychotherapist and supervisor for over 15yrs, and have my own practice as an artist to help keep my creative juices flowing. I've lived in London for nearly 25yrs, originally coming from a seaside town in Lancashire. I love the diversity and bustle of the city, but also the peace that can be found in the green spaces and being by water. I live in SW London with my husband.

AbuseADHDAdjustment DisorderAdoption IssuesAging ConcernsAlcohol Abuse and Alcohol DependenceAlzheimersAnger Management TherapyAnxietyArt TherapyAspergersAttachment TheoryAutismBipolarBody Image IssuesCancerChronic Pain or IllnessCoachingCodependencyContemplativeDepressionDivorceDomestic AbuseDrug Dependence / Abuse / AddictionEating DisorderFamily CaregivingFamily ConflictFamily SystemsGambling AddictionHistorical TraumaInsomniaIntellectual DisabilityInterpersonalLearning DisorderLoss or GriefMedication ManagementMindfulness-basedNonviolent CommunicationObesityOCDPanicParentingPersonal GrowthPersonality DisordersPremarital CounselingPTSDRelationalRelationship / Marriage IssuesSelf-EsteemSelf-HarmingSexual AddictionSocial PhobiaSpiritualityTranspersonalTraumaWomen’s Issues

My aim is to help those struggling in any area of their life, find clarity, acceptance, and healing through creativity. My approach is one of offering ways in which to explore and discover the way forward that feels right for you. Some of the art forms I work with are writing, drawing, image and story-making, role play, and movement, to name a few. No previous experience of the arts is necessary, just an openness to play and reflect. The embodied and mindful approach I incorporate helps you to digest your experience more fully, not just conceptually. So that you can bring these changes more easily into everyday life. Working with the creative arts can help build self-esteem and self-awareness, strengthen emotional resilience, promote personal insights, enhance social skills, and reduce feelings of anxiety and distress. I tailor the approach to suit the individual, working at a pace that feels comfortable and right for them.

I was in the first cohort of people to do the Arts Therapy degree at Derby university over 25yrs ago. My love of the dramatic arts developed when I trained and worked as a make-up artist in my twenties, and I later specialised in dramatherapy as this incorporated using all the arts. I loved the diversity this brought and the different groups of people this enabled me to work with. In more recent years I've incorporated mindfulness, and a more embodied approach into my practice, using art as a process for personal enquiry and reflection.

Type of Therapy
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Art Therapy / Psychotherapy
  • Compassion-Focused Therapy
  • Dance / Movement Therapy
  • Dramatherapy
  • Experiential
  • Expressive Art Therapy
  • Holistic
  • Humanistic
  • Integrative
  • Mindfulness
  • Narrative
  • Person Centered Therapy
  • Play Therapy
  • Somatic Therapy (Body Centered)
Client Type
GroupsIndividuals
Type of Session
Fixed TermLong Term (Face to Face)Online TherapyShort Term (Face to Face)Skype