John Wenger - Psychotherapist & Counsellor

I am a late-diagnosed autistic psychotherapist and supervisor working online and in person in Brighton & Hove.

I understand how important it is for you to know you will be met with curiosity, compassion and affirmation and not be judged, reprimanded or discriminated against.  Accordingly I am committed to working in a confidential, non-pathologising and non-judgmental way.

My style is relational and invitational and, when appropriate, I may offer gentle challenges and reframes.  My approach is integrative, which means I have trained in many ways of working and I weave them into the therapy,  tailored for each individual.  I incorporate person-centred, psychodynamic, existential and body-based perspectives, as appropriate.  I also apply psychodrama, Brainspotting, EMDR or cognitive/behavioural methods as appropriate to the person I am working with .

I tend to put my focus on the person in front of me; not an “issue”. I look at it like this: when we meet, I am meeting a person, not a problem or an issue. While my work is not issue-specific, I have wide experience of working alongside people who are navigating a range of issues. These have included, but are not limited to, anxiety, relationship matters, depression, family matters, career and life choices, affairs and betrayals, separation and divorce, neurodiversity-related matters, abuse, anger management, bereavement, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, sex and sexuality, LGBTQIA+-related issues and stress.

Having said all that, there are a few areas in which I have particular experience and expertise, including:
* depression & anxiety
* trauma, including relational trauma & abuse
* grief & loss
* working with people who are neurodivergent, either self-identified or formally diagnosed, or are exploring whether they are neurodivergent
* working with LGBTQIA+ individuals

As a supervisor, I am very comfortable working with experienced therapists & counsellors, however I am especially passionate about working with counsellors and therapists who are either in training or those who are still finding their feet and their own voice in this profession. I offer a collaborative relationship which is encouraging and affirming.

As an additional note, you may find it useful to know that I do not use AI in any way for any aspect of the work I do, either on the zoom screen, in the room with you or outside of the consulting room.  At the heart of psychotherapy, counselling and supervision are real human relationships. All my thinking, reflecting and intuiting is done with my very own neurons and all my note-taking and writing is done with a pen and paper, old school.