About
Jo Cowley is a British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)-accredited psychodynamic psychotherapist. She specialises in working with children, young people and families. Jo draws from various therapeutic models and techniques, and has an extensive knowledge of systemic approaches as well as other evidence-based treatments such as mindfulness. She offers support for a range of emotional challenges and complex presentations with a particular focus on trauma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, separation, loss and bereavement.
Jo’s journey began over 20 years ago as a substance misuse counsellor. She worked with young people involved in county lines drug trafficking, gang-related crime and those that regularly absconded from care, finding themselves at risk of sexual exploitation. She designed tailored care packages that were formally adopted across the county. Here, Jo learnt the value of multi-agency care professional cooperation and wider collaborative approaches.
Within a community mental health setting, working as the senior substance misuse practitioner and then in a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) as a mental health worker, Jo developed a deep curiosity about the hidden forces that shape human behaviour. She encountered young people whose struggles were causing them distress and holding them back, and which could not be fully understood through surface-levels alone. Through growth and personal development, Jo learnt how to explore the unconscious narratives that influenced how the young people lived, loved and suffered. By bringing these young people to a point of awareness, Jo helped them to make sense of their experiences and to develop new ways of better relating to themselves and the world around them.
The psychodynamic framework enables Jo to engage fully with a client's story, reflecting their emotions to build trust and understanding. She involves clients in setting therapy goals to boost motivation and align therapy with their values; she respects and understands a client's cultural background thereby creating a safe and inclusive environment; she tailors the therapeutic approach to each client's unique needs and circumstances, showing responsiveness and commitment and she clearly communicates the therapy process and maintains openness to build trust and align with client goals.
Jo provides a safe and confidential therapeutic space that is warm, consistent and non-judgemental. Clients can explore their early relationships and life events, and their thoughts and feelings at their own pace, since change does not emerge from quick fixes, but from the slow, courageous work of self-exploration. Her role is to accompany clients on that journey, helping them make sense of their inner world and discover how they see themselves, and how they relate to others, sometimes in ways they are not fully aware of.
Jo’s approach is collaborative, yet deeply attentive to the subtleties of transference and countertransference. She values the therapeutic relationship as both a mirror and a catalyst for change, allowing clients to encounter parts of themselves that may have been hidden or silenced.
Jo is committed to ongoing personal analysis, regular supervision, and professional development, ensuring that her skill set remains ethically grounded, emotionally attuned and responsive to the unique needs of each individual.
Position at Priory
Integrative Psychotherapist
Training
- Brent Centre for Young People, Brent
- Westminster Centre for Young People, Westminster
- Professional Training in Child Psychoanalytic Training, University of East London, Child and Adolescent Consultation Centre, Uxbridge
- Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Praxis Distance Learning Programme, Brent NHS