Welcome to AMJ Counselling
Counselling and psychotherapy
How I work
I am a qualified person-centred psychotherapist/counsellor, with a Masters degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice.
I offer sessions face-to-face, online or by phone. Sessions run for around 50 minutes and cost £50. I offer discounted rates of £35 per session for students.
I offer a free initial consultation session to talk through my approach, answer any questions and help clients to consider if they think we can work well together before we get started.
Introducing myself and my work
I have extensive experience of working with a wide range of clients (aged 11+) and a wide variety of topics, including:
Anxiety
Depression
Eating disorders (in which I have extensive experience and was the subject of my masters research)
Couples therapy
Sadness
COVID
Loss
Grief
Exam stress
Academic pressure
Perfectionism
Work-life balance
Resilience challenges
Sexuality
Identity
Family issues
Relationships, including with parents and friends
Within education - with students, teachers and academics
I am a Registered Member (MBACP) of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). It has a professionally accredited register, which you can view online at https://www.bacp.co.uk/search/Register. I work within the BACP’s ethical framework. My register number is 394613 and my entry on the register is here: https://bit.ly/3c1InPC
If you have the words, there's always a chance that you'll find the way.
- Seamus Heaney
About me
Hello. I'm Ben Jones,
I am a qualified person-centred psychotherapist/counsellor. I trained at Liverpool John Moores University, receiving a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice (with merit), after a 20-year career working in mostly large organisations in London.
In 2014/15, I had a breakdown which prompted me to rethink my work, work-life balance and my plans for the future.
Working with a therapist at that time, I came to realise that I had been living with anxiety and depression for years and although pressure at work had been a factor in my breakdown, it was far from the only cause.
I am passionate about helping others to work out what is going on for them and hopefully to help them reach a better understanding and acceptance so that life becomes more fulfilling.
I have worked in the public, private and third sectors, as well as academia. Alongside my therapy practice, I teach at university, speak at events and write about mental health, work-life balance and resilience. My breakdown and subsequent recovery led to my change of career to become a therapist, setting up AMJ Counselling. I named AMJ Counselling after my daughter – ‘AMJ’ are her initials. It is a reminder, if one were needed, of trying to focus on the things that matter in life.
I am married and have a daughter. I am Irish.
AMJ blog
I have been writing a blog for some time. I use it to share my lived experience and my views on counselling and mental health topics, as well as drawing on my experience of working with clients.
I had a breakdown in 2014/15 and live with depression and anxiety.
My blog – along with my social feeds (which you can find at the bottom of this website) – come with a health warning. If you read them, you may have to hear about some of my other passions: my family, Ireland, golf, Liverpool FC, the Boston Red Sox and the West Wing.
Latest Blog Posts
Videos, lectures, podcasts and other content
Early 2023 tour of my counselling room
Eating disorders - a blog post that summarises my view on how best to support clients with eating disorders and highlights what I hear about their experience with NHS services/most other therapy
Eating disorders and therapy - my research
As part of my Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice, I wrote a dissertation on eating disorders and therapy - something I am passionate about. I wrote it to meet the academic requirements of my course but also in an attempt to produce something that was accessible to all: clients, therapists, family members and loved-ones, anyone experiencing an eating disorder(s), and anyone with an interest in eating disorders and therapy.
As I wrote in the acknowledgements, I am beyond grateful to the women who made this research possible, sharing their stories with me, often recalling deeply difficult and distressing experiences. It is with them, their courage and their experiences in mind that I hope this research can help improve the provision of counselling for those experiencing eating disorders. Lives are at stake.
Mentality Meets
Mental health awareness week 2021
Wellbeing advice during lockdown for NHS London/Speakers Collective
International Men's Day 2020 for JMSU
Lecture on resilience for LJMU - April 2020
Further links to video content:
Interview (June 2022) with Nicola Semple for her Career Confidence podcast
https://youareenoughproject.libsyn.com/career-confidence-conversation-ben-jones
DWF men's mental health event
https://dwfgroup.com/en/news-and-insights/insights/2022/1/mens-mental-health-discussion
Evolving Mindset podcast
https://www.evolvingmindset.co.uk/podcast/episode/2b8f08f0/evolving-mindset-mental-health-podcast-episode-22-with-guest-ben
MN Nurses - NHS England event on social media and mental health
http://bit.ly/TalkingMHNursesSticksAndStones
Wellbeing advice during lockdown for NHS London/Speakers Collective
Ben Jones - Member of the Speakers Collective
https://www.good-thinking.uk/speakers-collective-series/
SilverCloud podcast - for World Mental Health Day 2020
https://www.silvercloudhealth.com/uk/blog/world-mental-health-day-2020
Talk at LJMU Professional Services Conference - 2019
https://ljmu.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Embed.aspx?id=76eb2c41-71bb-4b13-aeac-aa79008b8a05
Contact details
Phone: 07779 796 815
Email: benjones@amjcounselling.com
Counselling room: In Southport, five minutes walk from Hillside train station.
