Directory entry

Joanne Pender, BACP

Credentials: BACP
Experience: 6 years
Practising in: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Sessions: Online only
Client ages: Adults, 18 and over

Works with Stress, Anxiety Self esteem Depression Coping with life changes Compassion fatigue

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Joanne Pender is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom with six years of professional experience. She focuses on practical, down-to-earth support for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety or low self-esteem. Joanne aims to make the first step feel less daunting and to offer steady support while people work through change.

She creates a calm, non-judgemental space where people can speak honestly about what is hard for them. Sessions are straightforward and conversational.

Background and approach

Joanne listens carefully and helps clients name patterns that cause distress, then tries out small changes that can ease day-to-day life. Her core areas include depression, coping with life changes and compassion fatigue. She also supports people dealing with codependency, dissociation, emptiness and family problems.

Other focuses include forgiveness, guilt and shame, loneliness, life purpose and issues facing young adults. Joanne works with process addictions such as problematic porn, exercise or gambling, as well as sex addiction and Seasonal Affective Disorder. Workplace concerns and women’s issues are part of her practice too.

She aims to help people build stronger self-love and healthier boundaries. Joanne is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She offers sessions in English and is able to work with international clients using online formats.

To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and book a time that fits their schedule.

Evidence-based approaches and online access

Joanne uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on clear, practical steps people can try between sessions. One approach helps people identify and change patterns that increase anxiety or low mood, using structured conversations and simple behavioural experiments to test new ways of coping. Another approach centres on building self-compassion and addressing shame and guilt, helping people develop kinder ways of relating to themselves and to difficult memories.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Joanne will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences, and together they decide which methods suit best. This collaborative process means the plan can change as progress is made or new issues emerge.

Online therapy offers flexible options to fit into busy lives. Video calls approximate face-to-face work and allow visual connection. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text messaging suit people who prefer writing to speaking or need support between longer sessions. These formats make it easier to access a therapist from different locations and at times that work around everyday commitments.

What problems does Joanne commonly help with?

She helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. She also works with those facing life changes, compassion fatigue and issues like loneliness and workplace stress.

How would you describe the therapy style?

The approach is conversational and practical. Joanne listens, helps name unhelpful patterns and tries out small changes to improve daily life.

What is Joanne's professional background?

She has six years of professional experience supporting people with a broad range of emotional and behavioural concerns.

Where is Joanne based and how is she credentialed?

Joanne works from the United Kingdom and is registered with the BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Can sessions be conducted in other languages or across borders?

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients for online work.

What session formats are offered?

She runs video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

How do costs and billing work?

Costs vary with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.

What steps do I take to begin therapy?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

Most often

Also listed

Codependency
Compassion fatigue
Coping with life changes
Dissociation
Emptiness
Family problems
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
Isolation / loneliness
Life purpose
Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Self-love
Sex addiction
Women's issues
Workplace issues
Young adult issues

Experience: 6 years
Registered with: BACP
Languages: English

Contacting Joanne

Joanne takes enquiries through BetterHelp. You answer a few questions about what you are looking for, then arrange sessions if it seems like a fit. Browsing costs nothing and you are not committing to anything by reading this page.

Joanne Pender, BACP

Background and approach

Evidence-based approaches and online access

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

Others working with stress, anxiety