jen wood cognitive behavioural therapist

About Jen

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to help people be the best they can be.

You could say my journey to discovering how to do that began the day I was born. From that day, and up until the age of 28, I experienced frequent intense physical pain. The cause was thought to be IBS and, over the years, I was advised to learn ways to help my body cope with the pain and fear. I learnt to meditate and discovered therapies that really helped me, including mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Jen Wood Edinburgh
At the age of 28, I discovered my pain was due to a congenital birth defect that had left me with a malrotated colon. Two major operations followed. The silver lining is this: my experiences in those 28 years proved the effectiveness of the techniques I’d learnt. Many inspirational individuals helped me during that time; their skills, commitment and encouragement have motivated me to pass on the benefits I’ve experienced to other people.

I trained as a complementary therapist and gained qualifications in neuroscience-based systems of personal development such as Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Clinical Hypnotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques. For close to 20 years now, I’ve been using this wide range of therapies and techniques to help people with all sorts of problems, from anxiety and depression to insomnia and physical pain due to tension.

Walking the talk

To help you effectively, a coach needs to be in the right position psychologically themselves. In other words, coaches need to ‘walk the talk!’ I practise mindfulness and self-compassion and have a deep commitment to self-care and self-acceptance.

I began the process of healing myself by living in alignment with my core values of love, truth and acceptance. The balancing of heart, head and gut is the key. This is how I love to support my clients:

  • With empathy and compassion from the heart
  • By being authentic myself so I can help clients achieve that too
  • By creating an environment of trust in which clients feel accepted and safe to be seen and heard.

Some of the things I love about my work

  • Helping people connect with their own inner resources—resources that can help them find relief from anxiety, stress and fear, whether that’s caused by work, life or health.
  • Having a wide range of therapies I can draw on to create tailored support programmes for clients. One size doesn’t fit all—we’re all individuals with unique needs!
  • Working at The Sanctuary in the stunning natural surroundings of Dalkeith Country Park, overlooking one of the most beautiful oak woodlands in Scotland!
Working at The Sanctuary in Dalkeith Country Park

What my clients say

‘Jen was compassionate and empathic. I worried she might judge me, but … her approach enabled me to throw caution to the wind and confide in her the things I was ashamed of saying out loud. Jen exudes energy but is also a calm presence. I experienced Jen as a very warm and intelligent, knowledgeable counsellor, with a strong desire to actively help her client.’ Psychotherapy client

Jen Wood listening to a client
“Jen helped me to realise that I could overcome my problems myself and that they weren’t my fault.” Psychotherapy client

“Working with Jen helped me feel that, if it’s possible in the world, then it’s possible for me. Also, that it’s OK not to be perfect and accept my flaws as much as my strengths. That was a bit of a revelation.” NLP coaching client

Other things I love about my life

I live in the perfect place for me—close to nature yet within easy reach of Edinburgh. So, I can enjoy the beauty of Dalkeith Country Park and the Pentland Hills with my Labrador and indulge my passions for 5Rhythms® dance, cinema and music.

I love having a garden and I have the best neighbours I could wish for. I also love remote beaches and wild places, motorbikes, yoga and reading in my hammock—preferably in the sun!

Qualifications summary

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist

Neuro-linguistic Programming Coach (Master Practitioner)

Mindfulness Association Practitioner

Harmonizing Lifestyle Coach

Emotional Freedom Techniques Practitioner

Advanced Clinical Skills Massage Therapist

Professional memberships

British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

Mindfulness Association

What else would you like to know?