Jump to accessibility statement Skip to content

Joanna Naxton


Home / About / Academic staff profiles / Psychology / Joanna Naxton

Academic Tutor

I am an integrative therapist having initially qualified as a therapeutic counsellor, before undertaking postgraduate training in the practice of self-injury and self-harm.

As a counsellor, I have a range of experience working in the charitable sector as well as in private practice. I have a particular interest in working with clients who practice self-injury, children, young people, and adults.

As an academic, I have been involved in counselling training in various roles and alongside my university role I continue to work alongside a variety of clients with a range of problems, including bereavement, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and body image concerns. I am a registered member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).

I hold an MPhil in therapeutic counselling, PgDip in SandPlay Therapy, and I am currently a PhD candidate with the University of Lancashire exploring therapists' emotional reactions to working with clients who self-injure and the literature available on the topic.



Teaching and supervision

I teach a range of modules in the field of psychology and counselling and supervise Dissertation modules.

Research interests for potential research students

  • Autoethnographic research methods
  • Self-injury 
  • I am currently studying an Autoethnographic PhD examining therapists emotional reactions to clients who practice self-injury.
  • I am undertaking a Duoethnographic project examining body image issues and emotions between two counselling researchers.
  • Self-injury/Self-harm
  • Body image
  • Bereavement
  • Sand-Play
  • Children and Young People
  • Autoethnographic and Qualitative Research Methods

Last updated 21 October 2024