About me

Joanna Firmin

I have been working as a qualified therapist in London for over two decades , my roles within the NHS have been both clinical and managerial.

I started my journey as a therapist in 1996 where I studied Occupational Therapy at Brunel University. After qualifying, I initially worked in neurology, both in acute and rehabilitation. I then moved into psychiatry, working across multiple adult psychiatric settings, later specialising in early intervention in psychosis.

After this, I decided to develop my ever increasing interest in psychological approaches to wellness and commenced my post graduate training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in 2012. I became an Accredited member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and most recently, a registered Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist.

I currently run a private practice alongside my work for an NHS psychology service in central London. I'm a certified Yoga teacher and find the practice greatly compliments my work.

My approach

I work with clients presenting with a wide range of difficulties who wish to develop self awareness, make changes and build resilience. For many, these difficulties may appear as a change in mood, feeling stuck, or an increase in anxiety. For others, they may feel lost, overwhelmed, or experience a lack of purpose.

I have over two decades of experience working as a therapist and in that time have studied and worked with different therapeutic approaches. Every client entering treatment is different; what works for one person might not work for another.

Although I predominately use CBT and EMDR, I also draw from other therapeutic approaches including person centred therapy, psychodynamic theory and more recent approaches such as CFT and ACT (see 'Therapies' section). Working in an integrative way allows the therapy to be tailored to the needs and personal values of the individual.

For many clients, short-term work is enough to help stabilise and ease difficulties, providing enough distance from distress to make life easier and liveable again. Often people can feel daunted by committing to therapy as they feel time is precious but working on line can make the decision easier and more manageable.

Both personally and professionally, I am warm, authentic and kind. I like to work collaboratively with my clients with a person centred approach.

What difficulties do I work with?

Depression
Social Anxiety
Hypochondriasis (Health anxiety)
Panic disorder and Agoraphobia
Phobias
Chronic pain
Generalised Anxiety Disorder
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Work Stress
Trauma
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Insomnia

Adjustment Disorder
Shame and Low Self-Esteem
Perfectionism
Traumatic and Complicated Grief
Body Dysmorphia Disorder
Impulse control disorders (Trichotillomania and skin picking)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Qualifications / Training

Batchelor of Science (Hons) in Occupational Therapy (Brunel University)
Post graduate Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapist for Mental Health (Royal Holloway University)
Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Kings College London).
Level 1-4, Accredited EMDR Therapist (EMDR Academy)

Memberships

Full accreditation with the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Membership No: 161173

Health and Care Professionals Council No: OT31305

Royal Collage of Occupational Therapists

Fully cleared by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Relevant previous training:

Sensory Integration for mental health
Family intervention in psychosis
Cognitive Analytical Therapy
Introductory Lectures - Institute of Psychoanalysis
Parental mental health and substance misuse
Working with Body Dysmorphic Disorder
UCL/RHL/UEL Supervisors training
Long-term health conditions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Complex OCD
Abandonment Trauma