Dr Joanne Collins

Professional qualifications, accreditations and memberships

• Professional Doctorate in Systemic Psychotherapy – Tavistock and Portman Clinic 2020
• London Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy – The London Diploma and Middlesex University 2014
• MA in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy – Institute of Family Therapy 2012
• MA in Child, Adolescent and Family Psychotherapy – CCPE/De Montfort University 2006

Professional experience

Dr Joanne Collins is a UKCP-registered Child Psychotherapist and a registered Systemic and Family Psychotherapist, with over 25 years of experience working with children, young people, and their families from a range of backgrounds and with varying needs. She is also a qualified Psychosexual Therapist.

Dr Collins primarily works from an integrative framework, drawing on systemic and family, psychoanalytic, and humanistic approaches. As a CAMHS therapist, she works specifically with adolescents aged 12 to 18. She has extensive experience supporting young people with anxiety, low mood, behavioural difficulties, and learning disabilities.

Her work also includes supporting couples with sexual and relationship issues and working with families where a member is experiencing mental distress. In addition, she teaches and lectures on a variety of child and family-related subjects.

Personal statement

Dr Joanne Collins is a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist with a diverse professional background that includes teaching in the field of Social Care across educational and workplace settings, as well as clinical work with traditionally marginalised and high-risk groups. These groups typically include young people who have experienced trauma, neglect, and other forms of abuse.

Dr Collins has worked in a range of settings including schools, Youth Offending Teams, Social Services, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Her teaching experience spans work with adults, young people, and professionals through workplace workshops and training sessions.

Her academic and professional qualifications include an MSc in Rehabilitative Counselling and Healthcare, an MA in Child, Adolescent and Family Transpersonal Psychotherapy, an MSc in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy, and a Professional Doctorate in Systemic Psychotherapy.

Dr Collins has a particular passion for working with issues of power and diversity, aiming to create meaningful change for individuals who are most vulnerable to the oppressive impacts of power structures.

In her work with adolescents, Dr Collins recognises this stage of life as a significant transitional period towards adulthood. She places strong emphasis on the principles of informed consent and informed choice. Acknowledging that young people may sometimes engage in behaviours that worry adults, her approach combines attentive listening with the provision of relevant information that may help reduce risk and promote safety.

Her therapeutic work creates a safe space for young people to share the often unheard or overlooked aspects of their experiences—especially those that may be sources of distress or concern.

Additional information about research, publications and interests

Interests

Dr Collins has a particular interest in life and living, and in how we make meaning of our experiences. She is deeply curious about what shapes us as individuals—how our identities, the circumstances into which we are born, and the families, communities, belief systems, and wider societal structures around us influence our development and sense of self.