Joanne Thornton

Biography

Born & raised in South Shields, Joanne commenced her working life back in 1991 at a clothing company. Joanne’s conscientiousness & professionalism were soon recognised by the firm & she quickly achieved a management position, ultimately overseeing the efficient running of the payroll department.

In 2007 this successful career prematurely came to an end when Joanne’s husband was involved in an industrial accident, which left him with severe & life changing injuries. At this point, Joanne decided to leave work in order to take care of him.

During this traumatic time Joanne was offered her own personal therapy to help her get through. She found the process to be so comforting & supportive that she was inspired to become a therapist herself.

Joanne embarked on her first counselling course in 2009. She went on to complete her Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills in 2012 & then her BA Honours Degree in Counselling at Teesside University in 2015.

In conjunction to these core qualifications, Joanne has undertaken a wide breadth of supplementary professional training in Child Psychology, CBT, ACT, EMDR, Mindfulness, Suicide Prevention & Trauma focused therapy. In April 2017, she qualified as a Clinical Supervisor, when she achieved her Diploma in Counselling Supervision.

Since qualifying as a counsellor, Joanne has gained a wealth of therapeutic experience across a number of settings, working with children (from the age of 4 upwards), adults & couples.

She’s supported clients to overcome a wide range of emotional health issues including but not limited to depression, anxiety, trauma, low self-esteem & relationship issues.

Joanne is a specialist bereavement counsellor for many years at her local hospice & was awarded a Diploma in Grief & Bereavement Counselling & silver membership with the International Alliance of Holistic Therapists.

Over the years Joanne has been our go to CBT therapist offering her clients structured therapeutic interventions to directly tackle the problems at hand & in 2023 she achieved her diploma in life coaching with distinction.

More about Joanne

Joanne is a qualified counsellor registered with the BACP, who is experienced in working with children, young people, adults & couples. Joanne is trained in person centred therapy, mindfulness, CBT, EMDR & ACT. These tools are integrated to form an approach that is both pragmatically down to earth & creative.

Joanne is a friendly, calm & grounded person. Her wealth of experience, both as a therapist & a fellow human being, has offered her great insight into the struggles that we face in life. This in turn has helped Joanne to develop a deep empathy for others.

Joanne will meet you with warmth, compassion & professionalism. She’ll work with you – supporting you to both better understand your situation & to find your way forward.

Joanne says…

“Therapy is like a bus journey. You have the key & will always be in the driving seat.

I’ll travel alongside you facilitating the therapeutic process & our journey will be at your own pace. We’ll move forwards & backwards exploring the map of your life, as we come to understand what it is that’s brought you here & what is required to help you to progress.

I understand that the process can be really painful. At times it’s likely that your mood will deepen as we revisit & explore some of your most difficult times & emotional experiences. I’ll be there to support you through this, creating a comfortable, confidential & safe space where you can feel truly accepted.

Through this journey of self-exploration you’ll find personal growth, empowerment & ultimately well being. It will be my honour to accompany you on your therapeutic journey.”

Joanne & the rest of the team look forward to welcoming you to The Clearing.

Book online today

The key to successful therapy is a good relationship between you & your counsellor. If Joanne sounds like the right therapist for you, you can book in your half price, initial consultation with her today.

We offer appointments Monday to Friday between 8am & 9pm & on Saturdays between 9am & 7pm. Arranging your first session with us is quick & easy.

Click on the Book Now button to view the sessions we have available across the next week. Search for a convenient appointment with the therapist of your choice & book in within minutes. You’ll then be sent a confirmation email with all of the information that you’ll need.

We look forward to seeing you soon.