Joanne Bruce, BACP

Joanne Bruce creates a warm, empowering space where adults and young people can feel seen, supported, and encouraged to tackle life’s challenges. She brings seven years of professional experience together with lived experience as a single mother of three and a life shaped by international living in America, Switzerland, England, and Egypt. Her background spans education, sport, and counselling, and she combines those strands with a practical belief that people can grow through adversity and rediscover purpose wherever life takes them.

In her teens Joanne represented her country in athletics and later faced the loss of that athletic identity after injury - an experience that taught resilience and the work of rebuilding. She has rowed at national level and cycled through the Alpes, experiences that inform a practice shaped by movement, determination, and acceptance of both highs and lows. Now at 51 she describes her work as the intersection of helping others and a personal commitment to growth.

Her formal training is in Person Centred Counselling, and she also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) alongside creative methods to tailor support to each person. She holds Foundation Degrees in Counselling Studies and in Early Childhood Studies and Practice, plus a Bachelor’s Degree in Education Studies, and she is a member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Her approach is described as warm, grounded and deeply human, bringing empathy, insight, and a touch of humour to sessions while helping people find clarity, purpose and renewed confidence.

Therapeutic approaches and accessible online care

Joanne often draws on Client-Centred Therapy, which focuses on creating an accepting, non-judgemental space where the person’s own goals and values guide the work. This approach is useful for building self-understanding, improving relationships, and restoring a sense of direction. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a structured method that helps identify unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and develop practical skills to manage anxiety, low mood, and stress. When appropriate, Motivational Interviewing can be used to strengthen motivation for change and support clients working through ambivalence about goals such as behavioural change or recovery.

Choosing the best approach is part of the therapeutic journey. Joanne takes a collaborative stance - assessing needs with each person and agreeing together which methods fit their goals, preferences, and life circumstances. That collaborative process helps tailor sessions so the work feels relevant and achievable.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy schedules or those who live at a distance. Joanne provides sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, which can make it easier to attend regularly, manage work and family commitments, and access therapists from different locations. These options support continuity of care and make it possible to work toward personal goals in ways that fit each client’s life.