Janine Ellis, BACP

Janine Ellis is a fully qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor working with adults and young people over 18. With three years of clinical practice, she combines formal training and lived experience to support people facing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, grief, trauma, and life transitions. Janine holds a Masters with distinction in Integrative Counselling and is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - a UK professional body that sets standards of practice and an ethical code for therapists. She divides her time between a private practice and her role as a relationship counsellor for Relate Bradford & Leeds.

Before training as a counsellor, Janine spent twenty years working at independent record labels in London. That background informs specialist counselling for musicians and music industry workers, reflecting an understanding of the pressures and unique culture of the creative sector. Her integrative approach is principally relational and person-centred, prioritising trust, respect, and non-judgemental listening.

Janine works pluralistically and may draw on a range of therapeutic models - including cognitive-behavioural ideas, psychodynamic thinking, attachment theory, compassion-focused techniques, transactional analysis, and feminist therapy - adapting her methods to each person she sees. Collaboration and client preference guide the work, helping clients build self-awareness and practical ways to better manage life’s challenges.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Janine draws on several evidence-informed approaches tailored to each person’s needs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages noticing difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and focuses on identifying personal values to guide meaningful action - useful for anxiety, stress, and life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns formed in early relationships and how they shape current connection and trust - it can help with relationship difficulties, intimacy-related issues, and feelings of abandonment. Client-Centred Therapy emphasizes a warm, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship where the client’s experience leads the work - this approach supports self-esteem, grief, and the development of greater self-awareness.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process. Janine works collaboratively with clients and registered professionals to clarify goals and preferences, adapting methods as the relationship unfolds so the approach fits the client’s situation and aims.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to access support from different locations. These options allow regular contact, timely support between sessions, and multiple ways for clients to express themselves, which can enhance engagement and continuity of care.