Dr Jordan Behnam

Hi, I’m Jordan and I’m a Counselling Psychologist.

I became a Counselling Psychologist after completing my undergraduate degree in Psychology and then my masters in Clinical Psychology. During this time, I worked in an NHS traumatic brain injury service whilst also volunteering for a charity in my local area.

I therefore got to develop my neurological understanding of the brain and behaviour in a hospital setting during the week whilst also working with clients from challenging backgrounds presenting with a range of social issues on the weekend. This combination of roles allowed me to see how mental health can be impacted by: neurological, environmental, financial and historical factors.

After completing my master’s degree, I worked for a private company undertaking cognitive assessments whilst also working as a Specialist Brain Injury Support Worker. Again, this allowed me to develop two separate skill sets in very different settings. Ultimately, I chose to become a Counselling Psychologist because I wanted a training that gave me greater focus on a relational way of working (valuing the therapeutic relationship and longer term working).

I currently work as a Senior Psychologist within the NHS and have worked within the NHS for for over 7 years. I have worked in a variety of NHS services, from staff wellbeing services in hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic to complex trauma services and then eating disorders. After working in services for many years I realised that what is important to me in my practice is to create meaningful relationships with clients that can lead to lasting change.

I believe that longer-term work is ultimately what creates meaningful change in people’s lives and that this work starts by us both agreeing on the boundaries of sessions and how long we will see each other for. The space is warm and non-judgmental to allow us to explore difficult areas early on and to therefore create a relational depth a sense of momentum that sustains the therapy. I lean on different modalities whilst working with all clients because I do not believe in a single model approach to any person.

My training mostly focused on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic approaches, Schema Therapy and Dialectical and Behavioural therapy. However, I believe that when working with someone, an integration of varying modalities needs to be used. No two people are alike and every time we see each other we will be slightly different from the previous time. Therefore, everyone needs varying tools, techniques and approaches to help them achieve their goals.

People come to therapy for many reasons, in our first session we will therefore agree on what your goals are for therapy. I have worked in a variety of settings meeting people with an array of goals and needs and will feel comfortable in meeting you where you are at to ensure we are both on the same page and able to address your concerns. Whether you are hoping to reduce your anxiety or depression or simply feeling a bit lost and struggling with life, we can work collaboratively to find clarity.

The idea of coming to therapy can feel quite daunting. It is my hope that by providing a non-judgmental and safe space that you will feel more able to express your deepest concerns and begin to feel at ease with the therapeutic process.

The goals of our sessions and the way in which we conduct sessions will be guided by your values, ideas and previous experiences. I always aim to embody person-centred values to allow for a strong therapeutic relationship to develop. From this relationship we will then have the vehicle to make powerful life changes.