Joanna Ridgeway , ACA

Joanna Ridgeway is an ACA counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma, self‑esteem concerns and depression. She writes simply and listens closely to understand what matters to each person. Joanna aims to make the first step easier and supports clients as they work toward clearer thinking and steadier days.

Joanna works in a calm, non‑judgemental way. Sessions give space to talk about difficult events or repeating patterns. She uses practical strategies to manage anxiety and to lift low mood, and she helps people notice how past attachments shape current relationships.

Her approach blends listening with active techniques. Joanna draws on cognitive behavioural ideas to spot unhelpful thoughts and on emotionally focused methods to strengthen relationships and emotional awareness. She also uses attachment‑based perspectives to understand long‑standing patterns that affect trust and closeness.

Across 14 years in practice Joanna has supported people through abandonment issues, body image and cancer‑related concerns, caregiver stress, chronic illness and grief, and challenges such as divorce or blended family transitions. She works with adults who want practical tools as well as reflective conversation.

Joanna offers video, phone, chat and messaging sessions to fit different needs. She guides each person to find a pace and plan that suits their life, focusing on clear goals and steady progress.

How Joanna’s approaches work in online sessions

Attachment‑based work looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and trust, helping clients understand why they react in particular ways in close relationships. Client‑centred therapy focuses on listening and reflecting so clients feel heard and can find their own solutions, which suits people who want a supportive, non‑judgemental space. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and teaches practical strategies to manage anxiety, low mood and stress.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Joanna will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and collaboratively decide which methods to try. She adjusts the plan as progress is made and as needs change, so clients stay involved in choices about their care.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat and messaging to fit different lifestyles. Video is useful for fuller conversation and visual cues, phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits quick check‑ins and messaging supports shorter updates or slower reflection. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving or health challenges and to practise skills between sessions.