About Me | Jenny Hodsdon @ Meadows Counselling

Why I became a Therapist

Why I became a counsellor

Whilst at University in my mid-forties I had some counselling. I had started to notice I was anxious a lot of the time. I was balancing a responsible job with looking after my family but was finding it difficult. I was especially anxious around my performance at work and, because I was feeling stressed and anxious during the day, it was impacting my relationships at home.

Counselling helped me to understand that some things that had happened in my childhood (a lack of nurturing and my father's devastating illness when I was 17), may have contributed to the way I coped with challenges in life.

Sometimes we can believe that we are 'stuck' and that we cannot change or improve things for ourselves but counselling helped me to see that I could feel more in control and no longer a slave to my anxiety.

Gaining Self Awareness

The self awareness I gained from counselling helped me to see that we can unlearn patterns of behaviour and start to change.

Being listened to by someone who is warm, empathic and non-judgemental as I was, can feel immensely healing if this hasn't been something you have received before.

This is what I offer you should you decide to work with me. Click here to book now and start your journey to self awareness and change.

My Counselling Experience

I have over 12 years experience of working with clients for the following:-

issues relating to illness (you or someone you care for) especially cancer, dementia and chronic illness
workplace stress and work/life balance
life stage/event challenges
anxiety, generalised anxiety with or without panic attacks,
grief where death has been sudden (heart attack or suicide), or expected such as after a chronic illness (such as cancer), loss of a person psychologically (alzheimers, mental illness or addiction)
relational issues eg family dysfunction, estrangement
Cptsd due to emotional neglect or abuse (shaming, humiliation, silent treatment) and ACE's (adverse childhood events).

I have volunteered at a mixture of providers; GP surgery, City centre, bereavement services and cancer services as well as 7 years in private practice.

I participate in both individual supervision and peer group supervision and have safeguarding, Prevent and Risk management training.

Relationship Therapy

I have always been hugely interested in how we interact with those around us and have studied Transactional Analysis and the work of the Gottmans, Harville Hendrix, Esther Perel to name a few. This means I am well-equipped to help with most relationship issues. It also means I have developed my own style of counselling couples to improve their relationships, you don't have to be in crisis to access this type of therapy. You may want to iron out any issues prior to living together for example.

What this means for you

I started my private practice so that I could help others to discover more about themselves especially if low mood, low self esteem or chronic, high-functioning anxiety were making daily life a struggle. and particularly if this is connected to a difficult childhood.

I have expanded my practice over the years so that I also see clients who have concerns related to grief or loss, especially if this involved the psychological loss of a person due to brain injury, memory loss, dementia, addiction or severe mental illness, rather than a physical loss. This type of loss of a person is called Ambiguous Loss and is something many of us encounter in the course of our lives without it being recognised, by society or even ourselves.

The Me Outside the Therapy Room

I love the countryside having been born on the side of a moor in a Lancashire mill town. I have been lucky enough to live close to the Pennines for most of my life and enjoy walking locally.

I am a dog lover and have a lovely rescue called Jazz who would like to be a therapy dog (provided you have a stack of treats for her!).

I enjoy all types of dance, ballet, bellydance, bollywood and african and have performed in a dance troupe.

I love all types of music and can play the drums to an acceptable standard.