Meet the Team and our Therapists

Sue Jay MBE

Founder Director of MTCIC

Sue has worked in mental health services within the voluntary sector since 1995. Before setting up the company Mentis Tree CIC, she was the Director of Operations for a local Mind Association. She is a trained Psychodynamic Person Centred counsellor and has a wealth of experience in service delivery and a proven track record which was recognised with the award of an MBE in 2010 for services to Mental Health Care in West Suffolk.

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • Face to face
  • Telephone
  • MS Teams / Zoom

Peter Frewer

Managing Director of MTCIC

I qualified as an integrative counsellor with a foundation in Humanistic Therapies in Cambridge in 2015. In 2016 I went on to complete my Diploma to work with Children and Young People and have worked in Schools in Cambridge and Suffolk.

Areas I can work in: (but not exclusive to)

  • Bereavement, Grief and Loss
  • Person Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Self-Harm
  • Self-Sabotage
  • Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Rape
  • Trauma
  • Polyvagel Theory in Therapy

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • Face to face
  • Telephone
  • MS Teams / Zoom

Jane James

Person Centred Experiential Counsellor

I work for MTCIC as a Person Centred experiential counsellor for Depression.

I am also trained in Anger Management, and I have a Diploma in Couples Therapy. I have been doing ongoing training as an  Existential Therapy since 2019.

Areas I can work with:

  • Anxiety
  • Bereavement and Loss
  • Self Confidence and Self Esteem
  • Stress (Personal and Work Related)
  • Health Issues

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • Telephone
  • MS Teams / Zoom

Julia Hannewald

CBT Therapist and Lecturer

I work part-time as a CBT Therapist and as a Lecturer within the Department of Clinical Psychologies and Psychological Therapies (CPPT) within the School of MED at the University of East Anglia.

My background is an Occupational Therapist/CBT Therapist for the NHS.  Working at the University, I place a high value on evidence and research in mental health care. I have been accredited by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapists (BABCP) since 2009 and I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

I use CBT to work with people affected by any anxiety disorders, adjustment difficulties, depression and persistent physical symptoms such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

At times I may introduce compassion focused therapy/compassionate mind training to complement CBT. Being only human we have ‘tricky’ brains, and this is not our fault. Meditation and mindfulness help us to ‘be’ in our bodies and connect to ourselves. In the ‘age of technology’, stillness and noticing and allowing our emotions helps us to cope with our tricky brains in the 21st century.

As an Occupational Therapist, I believe that all Psychological workers, should use their skills and relationships with their clients to maximise their impact on avoidable illness, health protection and promotion of wellbeing resilience.   This includes sharing information about the importance of social networks/community and current physical activity guidance to maintain and improve both physical and mental health.

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • MS Teams / Zoom

Zandra Austin

Counsellor, CBT Therapist

Areas I can work with:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety including OCD
  • Social Phobia
  • GAD
  • Panic
  • Trauma (including PTSD and complex trauma).
  • Experience working with clients with ASD/ADHD.

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • Face to face
  • Telephone
  • MS Teams

Kevin Ellis

Counsellor

After 22 years as a factory worker, I made the decision to go to university for the first time and study counselling. I have always been interested in people and how their experiences shape their lives. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone felt like a huge risk, but I was able to complete both a Foundation and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree and now work as a full-time counsellor. Taking a risk and making a change has enabled me to find a greater sense of meaning to my life. Working from a humanistic perspective, I hope to facilitate this process for my clients.

Areas I can work in:

  • Experiential counselling for depression
  • Anxiety and uncertainty
  • Low self-esteem
  • Finding meaning and purpose
  • Relationship issues
  • Anger management
  • Coping with shame and abuse

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • Face to face in Ipswich
  • MS Teams

Jan Parkin

Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

I currently work as a qualified and accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapist for the Mentis Tree. I am also a qualified and accredited humanistic psychotherapist. I have worked for the NHS since 2004, and within the private and voluntary sector since 1996.

My background has given me a rich and varied experience with clients who have had struggles with:

  • Loss
  • Relationships
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Phobias
  • Panic
  • Self esteem
  • Health anxiety
  • Adjustments and life changes
  • Long term conditions

I am also trained to teach mindfulness for depression and am also EMDR and Long -term conditions trained.

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • MS Teams
  • Telephone

Madeleine Loynes

Integrative Counsellor

Before training as an Integrative Counsellor, I worked as a Mental Health Nurse in an NHS Women’s acute Mental Health ward, and then Mother and Baby Unit. This gave me a good working knowledge and experience of medical and psychosocial approaches in mental health. Moving into Counselling has allowed me to expand my knowledge and skills into a more relational and individually tailored way of working.

At the heart of my approach is the offer of a therapeutic relationship, a unique opportunity to use real time interactions to gain insights, help make sense of your world and experience change.

Areas I can work with:

  • Low mood
  • Anxiety
  • Childhood trauma
  • Recent trauma
  • Relationship challenges
  • Work stress
  • Caring roles
  • Long-term health conditions
  • Prejudice and discrimination due to their sex, gender identity, sexuality, race, age, religion and disability.

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • Face to face in Ipswich
  • MS Teams

Adam Newman

Integrative Counsellor

I trained as an Integrative Counsellor and work primarily in a person-centred way, adopting approaches from both Existential and Gestalt theories. Previously, I worked with individuals with learning disabilities and autism, which has helped to broaden my understanding of the difficulties people can experience.

Areas I can work with:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety/Stress
  • Bereavement and Loss
  • Autism ASD
  • Low Confidence and Self-Esteem
  • Sense of self
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Existential concerns

Expertise:

Mental Health
Counselling

Communication Formats:

  • Face to face in Ipswich
  • MS Teams