Joanne Ruff , BACP

Joanne Ruff is a counsellor who uses a gentle, client-led approach to help people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and grief. She holds BACP accreditation and has 15 years of practical experience working with people who want clearer thinking and steadier emotions.

Joanne keeps things straightforward in sessions. She offers a calm space where clients can talk through painful memories and current worries without being judged. Sessions focus on what matters most to the person in front of her, with practical steps to try between meetings.

Her work often centres on improving self-esteem and confidence. She also supports people dealing with abandonment, attachment issues, or relationship-related struggles that affect day-to-day life. Joanne has helped clients facing chronic illness, caregiving strain, body image and other long-term stresses.

Joanne uses client-centred ways of working and attachment-based ideas to understand patterns in relationships. She also offers Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, EMDR, for people who need help processing traumatic memories. Together these approaches shape a flexible plan suited to each person.

People who choose Joanne typically want a compassionate listener who suggests small, manageable changes. She works with clients to build skills for coping, decision-making and emotional regulation. The aim is clearer choices and more workable days.

Therapeutic approaches online and how they help

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current feelings and reactions. Online sessions using this approach focus on identifying those patterns and trying new ways of relating that reduce worry and isolation.

Client-Centred Therapy places the person at the heart of the work. The counsellor listens without directing the process, helping the client find their own solutions and build confidence step by step.

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, helps people process traumatic memories that keep causing distress. In online EMDR the therapist guides specific bilateral stimulation and supports the person as memories are reprocessed, which can reduce the intensity of distressing reactions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options, try methods that seem suitable and adjust the plan based on the client's goals and preferences. This collaborative process helps identify what feels most useful for each person.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to fit different lifestyles. Video is well suited for longer therapeutic work, phone can be useful when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or chat support shorter check-ins or reflective notes between sessions. These options make it easier to fit counselling into busy lives and to keep continuity when travel or schedules change.