Jack Roberts

One of the keys to changing any behaviour is knowing why it happens. This is an individual thing and we will all have our own personal reasons, but unless these reasons are understood and dealt with, a behaviour may return. So my approach involves two main strands that work alongside each other. Firstly, helping reduce and stop a behaviour. This is where mindfulness and CBT approaches can be particularly useful as we can find the trigger and thought patterns, then do something about them. Secondly, finding the core causes and working with them. Without this strand, there is always the risk of it returning, or you live with the fear of it returning. And a fear-filled life that feels like a battle is very draining and no fun. This is where counselling and trauma treatments (if needed) are useful as they get to the core and act on them. Without the behaviour, or fear of the behaviour, you can start to live a life that feels like you’re thriving rather than battling and just existing. Sometimes the hair-pulling or other behaviours are a symptom of a deeper feeling or are part of your anxiety or general unease and unhappiness. A counselling approach means you can look at it more holistically, from the perspective of you as a person, rather than as a problem to fix.

I am a person-centred counsellor who also works with CBT and mindfulness to help people live a life that’s more fulfilling for them. Hair-pulling and other body-focused behaviours stop us doing that so I focus on helping you realise why you feel the way you do and find ways to feel better. With empathy and understanding, I know how to listen to help you realise out what’s really going on and then work out what to do about it. In addition, to working with behaviours I am a trauma-informed practitioner who also works with: • Major life transitions and how to navigate them such as relationships, bereavement, health issues, living arrangements and career/job changes • Neurodiversity (I am a neuro-affirming practitioner with understanding of autism, ADD, ADHD, synaesthesia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia) • Complex trauma (CPTSD) • Childhood issues affecting us as adults such as childhood emotional neglect, abuse, bullying and care leavers • Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP), Empaths and Gifted Adults • Men’s mental health and wellbeing • Couples and relationship counselling I'm also happy to discuss spiritual and religious aspects if they are a part of your life, and I can also help you understand your life more and why it has turned out the way it has. Greater understanding can lead to a way forward. Many people come to counselling thinking there is something wrong with them, or that they are broken and need fixing. But believing it doesn’t make it true. The reality is more likely that we are struggling to cope with the actions of other people or find it difficult to fit in. Has anyone ever taken the time to really help you know yourself and see what’s right about you, rather than what’s ‘wrong’? I will.

• MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy from Keele University
• Qualified mindfulness meditation teacher with Mindfulness Now
• Diploma in Couples Counselling - The Counselling Academy
• Accredited Sight Loss Counsellor - Royal National Institute for the Blind
• Working with Loss and Bereavement for Therapists and Counsellors - Cruse Bereavement Support
• Neurodiversity and Trauma: Neuro-affirmative Perspectives - PESI
• Treating Complex Trauma: Beyond Competency - PESI
• Understanding and Treating Addictions - The Counselling Academy
• Rewind Technique - International Association for Rewind Trauma Therapy

I offer a free online 30-45 minute discussion so you can see whether I could help you. If you wanted to proceed I can offer complete flexibility on timings, length of sessions and frequency without any commitment so that you can structure it around your life and what works for you.