Meet Jo

Your trauma-informed, neuro-affirming counsellor at Fresh Minds Therapy | Banbury & Online

There's a particular kind of exhaustion that doesn't show up on the outside. You keep going. You manage things. You show up for everyone else. But underneath that, something feels increasingly off, a disconnection, a growing sense that the way you've been coping is starting to cost you more than it gives. If you've found your way to this page, I imagine some of that sounds familiar. I'm Jo, a trauma-informed, integrative counsellor working with women in Banbury and online across the UK. I specialise in neurodivergence, perimenopause, and the complex patterns that can emerge when you've spent a long time holding everything together.

Jo Scavuzzo-Ramsey

GMBPsS | Therapeutic Counsellor

Therapy with a Trauma-Informed Approach in Banbury

I didn’t arrive here in a straight line.

My route to this work wasn’t the obvious one; I spent years working in events and then finance before psychology found me. I went back to study as an adult, completing my BSc at Oxford Brookes, and I’m currently finishing an MSc in Psychology and Trauma at UCL. My research focuses on PTSD across hormonal transitions in women’s lives, an area that’s significantly under-researched and one that sits right at the intersection of trauma, women’s health, and neurodivergence.

But the academic path was only part of it.

I’m neurodivergent myself, something I came to understand later in life, in the way many women do, after years of adapting and wondering why certain things felt harder than they seemed to for everyone else. I’m also a mum to three neurodivergent children. And I’ve navigated my own experience of early perimenopause after losing an ovary. The hormonal shifts, the identity disruption, the sense of not quite recognising yourself.

I’m not sharing this to make myself the subject of your therapy. I’m sharing it because it shapes how I work. When you sit with me, you’re sitting with someone who understands, not just theoretically, but from the inside.

How I work and what sessions feel like

My approach is integrative, which means I don’t follow a single fixed method. I draw on person-centred therapy, attachment theory, trauma-informed practice, and somatic awareness. but what I’m always following is you, not a protocol.

Sessions are unhurried. We move at the pace that feels safe. There’s no agenda you need to arrive with, no homework unless it’s useful, no pressure to have things figured out before we begin.

In practice, a session feels like a conversation; one where you’re genuinely listened to, where nothing you say will be met with judgement, and where we pay attention to what’s happening beneath the surface. The patterns. The stories you carry about yourself. The places where old experiences still echo in the present.

Not to dwell in the past, but to understand how it shapes now, and what might begin to shift.

As a neuro-affirming therapist, I welcome all ways of thinking, feeling and being. Whether you’re diagnosed, late-identified, still questioning, or simply always felt a bit out of step: you’ll be met with curiosity here, not correction.

My Qualifications & Experience

I am committed to continuous professional development, regularly engaging in learning and supervision to ensure my clients’ highest level of care. I believe that growth comes through life’s challenges, and I am dedicated to constant learning, professionally and personally. I aim to create a safe and empowering space for everyone I work with.

CPCAB Level 2 & 3 Counselling Skills

Banbury Counselling Academy

Certificate in Online & Telephone Counselling

Counselling Tutor

BCTS Experiential Psychodynamic Course

Bedfordshire Centre for Therapeutic Studies

Registered Member of BACP, NCPS and Graduate Member of the BPS

Advanced DBS Check & Fully Insured

Experiences

Women’s Health and Neurodivergence

My personal and professional journey has uniquely equipped me to understand the intersection between women’s health and neurodivergence. As a woman who has personally navigated the healthcare system, managing menorrhagia (very heavy periods), undergoing an oophorectomy (ovary removal), and advocating for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I bring a deep, personal understanding of the gaps in healthcare that disproportionately affect women. This personal connection allows me to empathise with women’s challenges in the healthcare system.

My advocacy extends beyond my own experiences into my research, where I explore how neurodivergent women uniquely navigate life stages like menopause. I emphasise the need for more comprehensive and compassionate care, understanding that systemic barriers and a lack of understanding can often leave women, especially those from marginalised communities, feeling alienated or underserved. This drives my unwavering commitment to creating more inclusive, ethical, and informed practices that empower women to advocate for their health needs, offering a beacon of hope for the future of women’s healthcare.

Homelessness and Addiction

In addition to my academic studies, I have gained hands-on experience through my counselling training and placement at The Gatehouse, a charity supporting homeless adults in Oxford. Here, I provide counselling services to individuals facing trauma, addiction, and mental health issues. This work has deepened my understanding of the social determinants of health and reinforced my commitment to advocating for underrepresented groups.

My work with individuals who have faced significant adversity has underscored the necessity of person-centred, trauma-informed care. It has also highlighted the importance of approaching each person’s unique struggles with empathy and an understanding of their lived experiences, approaches I am deeply committed to integrating into my future work.

Leadership, Mentorship, and Supportive Roles

Over the years, I have honed mentorship, empathy, and support skills through my diverse roles. As an Office Manager in an investment company for eight years, and with 15 years of experience in events and hospitality, I developed strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills, which I now bring into my counselling practice. These roles required me to manage teams, oversee complex projects, and foster positive relationships, skills essential in building client trust and rapport.

Running my own business further enhanced my ability to listen, communicate effectively, and create strategies to meet people’s individual needs. These experiences taught me to approach challenges with empathy, resilience, and an understanding of the pressures people face.

Ultimately, these roles have reinforced the importance of creating safe, supportive spaces where people feel heard and valued. These skills are invaluable in my counselling practice, enabling me to provide empathetic, client-centred care that fosters trust and healing.