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Dr Jo Cheffey - Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Dr Jo Cheffey

Clinical Psychologist, Cognitive Analytic Therapist & Supervisor

  • Group:Works with Adults
  • Locations:Exeter, Online

Dr Jo Cheffey

Clinical Psychologist, Cognitive Analytic Therapist & Supervisor

Qualifications & Professional Registration

  • BSc (Hons)
  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
  • Accreditation and registered: Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) – Registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) – Registered with the Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT)

Therapeutic Approach

Dr Cheffey is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with over 27 years of experience. She works collaboratively with clients using a range of evidence-based therapies, including compassion-focused therapy, psychodynamic models, cognitive analytic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Her approach is to work alongside clients to understand their difficulties and agree on a set of therapy goals. This may involve looking back at past relationships and recognising patterns of thinking and behaviours that have contributed to present difficulties.

Specialisms

  • Anxiety, depression, and OCD
  • Eating disorders, complex grief
  • Childhood and adult abuse or trauma, complex PTSD
  • Chronic long term health conditions
  • Works with adults and older adults

Experience

Dr Cheffey worked in the NHS for 32 years as a clinician and manager, and more recently as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist leading psychological therapy services in a local mental health Trust. She now has her own private practice and also works in a psychology-led social enterprise company.

What to Expect

At the initial appointment, Dr Cheffey will undertake a psychological assessment, working at your pace, taking care to build a therapeutic rapport and trust with you. Information gathered will create a picture of your current needs and together we will agree on the goals of therapy. Dr Cheffey will discuss the therapy modality most suited to your needs and answer any questions you might have. We will agree on the number of sessions required and have regular reviews to monitor your progress.

Availability & Fees

  • Availability: Face-to-face appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday in Exeter (city centre); Online appointments also available
  • Fee: £105 per session (50–60 minutes)
  • Insurance: BUPA and WPA
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HCPC – Health and Care Professions Council
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The British Psychology Society – Chartered Psychologist

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Prometheus Psychological Therapy Centre

  • Prometheus Psychological Therapy Centre
    Atlantic House, 23 Silver Street
    Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3DH

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    Make An Appointment

    How therapy can help

    Therapy offers support in understanding and managing anxiety, providing a safe and compassionate space to explore your experiences without judgment. With the right help, it is possible to reduce the intensity of symptoms, regain a sense of calm, and feel more in control.

    Our therapists draw on a range of evidence-based approaches shown to be highly effective in treating anxiety, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).

    Therapy can help in the following ways:

    • Recognising underlying factors: Working with a therapist can help you explore the roots of your anxiety and identify what sets it off, making it easier to address and manage.
    • Developing coping skills: Learn practical techniques to manage anxiety, including mindfulness, relaxation strategies, and ways of reshaping unhelpful thinking patterns.
    • Safe and supportive environment: Sessions give you the freedom to express worries and fears openly, helping you feel understood and supported.
    • Building long-term resilience: Beyond immediate relief, therapy equips you with tools for ongoing management, confidence, and emotional balance.

    If you’d like support in managing anxiety, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs, or call us on 01823 271076 if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    How therapy can help

    Therapy provides a safe, supportive, and compassionate space to explore your experiences and feelings without judgment. It offers both immediate relief and long-term strategies to help you manage symptoms, shift unhelpful thought patterns, and rebuild a sense of purpose and hope.

    Our therapists use evidence-based approaches proven to be effective for depression, with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) playing a particularly important role in helping to identify and reframe negative thinking patterns.

    Therapy can help in the following ways:

    • Compassionate support: A safe, understanding space to share your feelings, helping you feel heard and bringing a sense of relief.
    • Exploring underlying factors: Gaining insight into what contributes to your depression, making it easier to manage and work through symptoms.
    • Developing coping tools: Learning practical approaches such as mindfulness, self-care, and stress management to ease the weight of depression.
    • Working towards achievable goals: Setting realistic steps that rebuild motivation, encourage activity, and support a more balanced and meaningful life.

    If you’d like help with the effects of depression, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs, or call us on 01823 271076 if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    How therapy can help

    Healing from trauma takes time, but therapy provides a safe and supportive space to begin that process. In therapy, you can explore your experiences without judgment, learn strategies to manage symptoms, and gradually integrate what has happened in a way that supports recovery and growth.

    Our therapists draw on approaches that are especially effective in supporting people through the effects of trauma. These include:

    • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is widely recognised for its effectiveness in processing traumatic memories and reducing their emotional intensity.
    • Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), which helps you understand patterns of relating and coping that may have developed after trauma, and supports change in a collaborative way.

    Therapy can help in the following ways:

    • Providing safety and stability: A secure space to process experiences and express emotions without fear of judgment.
    • Developing coping tools: Techniques to regulate emotions, manage flashbacks or intrusive thoughts, and build resilience.
    • Processing and integration: Making sense of trauma and weaving it into your life story in a way that supports healing.
    • Building supportive connections: Developing a trusting therapeutic relationship that helps restore a sense of safety and connection to others.

    If you’d like to explore whether therapy could help you process trauma and begin to heal, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs, or call us on 01823 271076 if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    How therapy can help

    Therapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore relationship dynamics and address the patterns that may be causing tension. Whether attended individually or with a partner, it can help improve communication, resolve conflicts, and rebuild trust.

    Our therapists draw on a range of approaches tailored to relationship work, including:

    • Couples Counselling, which supports partners to better understand each other, work through difficulties, and strengthen their bond.
    • Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), which helps identify unhelpful relational patterns and supports lasting change in the way people connect.

    Therapy can help in the following ways:

    • Improving communication: Learn constructive ways to express needs, listen effectively, and reduce misunderstandings.
    • Gaining deeper understanding: Develop insight into your own behaviours and patterns, as well as those of your partner or loved ones.
    • Resolving conflict: Build skills to address disagreements in healthier, more productive ways.
    • Rebuilding trust and closeness: Foster stronger emotional connection and repair relationships affected by hurt or distance.

    If you’d like support with relationship difficulties, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs, or call us on 01823 271076 if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    How self-esteem and confidence develop

    Difficulties with self-esteem and confidence often begin in childhood, but they can arise at any stage of life. Contributing factors may include:

    • Formative challenges: Bullying, neglect, or repeated criticism during early life.
    • Comparing yourself to others: Constantly measuring yourself against peers or social media standards.
    • Cultural pressures and societal norms: Unrealistic expectations that fuel feelings of inadequacy.
    • Family influences: A lack of encouragement or highly critical environments that affect self-worth.

    How therapy can help

    Therapy provides a supportive, non-judgmental space to explore the roots of low self-esteem and confidence issues, while also building a stronger and more positive sense of self. With the right support, it is possible to challenge unhelpful thought patterns and develop greater resilience.

    Our therapists use evidence-based approaches shown to be effective in this area, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which helps identify and reframe negative thinking patterns that contribute to low self-worth.

    Therapy can help in the following ways:

    • Identifying unhelpful patterns: Recognising and addressing the thoughts and beliefs that keep self-esteem low.
    • Developing coping strategies: Practical tools to manage self-doubt and approach challenges with confidence.
    • Encouraging self-acceptance: Building a kinder, more compassionate relationship with yourself.
    • Setting achievable goals: Creating realistic steps that promote growth, resilience, and a stronger sense of self-worth.

    If you’d like to build self-esteem and confidence, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs, or call us on 01823 271076 if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    How therapy can help

    Therapy provides a safe and supportive environment to explore the roots of anger and learn healthier ways to respond. With professional guidance, it’s possible to develop constructive coping skills and regain a greater sense of control.

    Our therapists use evidence-based approaches shown to be effective in treating anger, including:

    • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which helps uncover and reframe thought patterns that drive angry reactions.
    • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), which can be particularly valuable when anger is linked to unresolved trauma or painful past experiences.

     Through therapy you can:

    • Identify triggers: Build awareness of the situations, thoughts, or feelings that spark angry reactions.
    • Learn healthier coping strategies: Practise techniques that enable calmer, more measured responses.
    • Communicate more effectively: Express your needs and emotions in clear, respectful ways that reduce conflict.
    • Regulate emotions: Strengthen your ability to manage strong feelings and stay in control, even in difficult situations.
    • Address underlying issues: Work through past experiences that may be fuelling anger, supporting long-term healing.

    If you’d like help in managing anger and finding healthier ways to respond, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs, or call us on 01823 271076 if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    How therapy can help

    Therapy offers a compassionate and non-judgmental space to process grief at your own pace. It supports you in navigating painful emotions while also finding ways to honour your loved one and gradually adapt to life without them.

    Our therapists use approaches that can be particularly helpful during bereavement, including:

    • Counselling, which provides space to talk openly, share feelings, and receive support throughout the grieving process.
    • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), which can be especially valuable when grief is complicated by trauma or distressing memories.

    Through therapy you can:

    • Work through emotions: Explore and give voice to feelings of grief, sorrow, guilt, or anger in a safe, supportive space.
    • Learn practical coping tools: Find strategies to manage overwhelming emotions and navigate especially painful moments.
    • Feel supported: Share your experiences with a therapist who listens with compassion and without judgment, reducing feelings of isolation.
    • Develop resilience: Build strength and confidence to gradually adjust to life after loss.
    • Create meaning and remembrance: Discover ways to honour your loved one through memories, rituals, or personal tributes.

    If you’d like compassionate support as you navigate grief or loss, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs, or call us on 01823 271076 if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    What happens in CBT sessions?

    In CBT, you and your therapist work together to break down difficulties into parts: the situation, your thoughts, emotions, physical reactions, and behaviours. This makes it easier to see how they affect each other and where change is possible.

    You may be encouraged to keep notes between sessions to track patterns and to practise strategies in everyday life. This homework helps you apply what you’re learning beyond the therapy room.

    If you are working with a specific fear or phobia, your therapist may suggest gradual exposure exercises, always at a pace that feels safe. Throughout the process, your therapist acts as both teacher and coach, supporting you to build skills, confidence, and resilience.

    If you’d like to explore whether CBT is right for you, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs or call us if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    Other therapies we use

    Alongside the main approaches described here, our therapists may also draw on other evidence-based methods to tailor support to your needs.

    These include Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Hypnotherapy, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills.

    What happens in EMDR sessions?

    You and your therapist agree on the traumatic memories you want to work on. While holding one of these memories in mind, your therapist will guide you through bilateral stimulation - this may involve tracking their fingers, following a moving light, or using buzzers or tapping.

    This process is repeated in the session as part of reprocessing. Your therapist will continue to work with you until the intensity linked to the memory reduces. Although it can feel unusual at first, EMDR supports the brain’s natural ability to heal, helping traumatic experiences become less vivid and overwhelming.

    EMDR can be delivered as a stand-alone therapy or combined with other approaches, depending on your needs.

    If you’d like to explore whether EMDR could help you with the effects of trauma, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs or call us if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    What happens in CAT sessions?

    CAT is usually a short-term therapy lasting 16–24 sessions. In the early sessions, you and your therapist explore your current difficulties alongside your developmental history. Around the fourth or fifth session, your therapist will share a reformulation letter - a written summary of your shared understanding of your life story, the patterns you repeat, and the changes you want to work towards.

    Your therapist may also create visual maps of these patterns, which act as guides for developing exits from existing patterns. Toward the end of therapy, there is a focus on endings, particularly if past losses or separations in early life have been difficult for you. Before your final session, you and your therapist will write ‘goodbye’ letters to support reflection and closure, with a follow-up appointment often offered one - three months later.

    If you’d like to explore whether CAT could help you understand your patterns and make lasting changes, the best first step is to get in touch. You can complete our short online form to help us understand your needs or call us if you’d prefer to talk it through.

    What to Expect

    Who Carries out the Assessment

    Your child will be assessed by a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and a Clinical Psychologist, both of whom are registered with the relevant UK regulatory bodies, such as the GMC and HCPC.

    Diagnostic Criteria and Tools

    We use internationally recognised standards when making a diagnosis. Assessments follow DSM-5 criteria, and we use gold-standard tools such as the 3Di (a standardised developmental interview) and the ADOS-2, a widely respected observational assessment.

    Multidisciplinary Approach

    Depending on your child’s needs, we may also involve other professionals such as a Speech and Language Therapist. We gather information from your child’s school or nursery, typically through reports or questionnaires, to build a comprehensive picture. If a direct school observation is needed, this can also be arranged at an additional cost.

    The Final Report

    The outcome of the assessment is a detailed written report, which draws on clinical findings and input from individuals who know your child well. It includes a clear diagnostic statement, evidence for the diagnosis, and a description of how the findings affect your child’s daily life. The report is signed and dated by the responsible consultant psychiatrist, including their professional registration details, and is always followed by a discussion with you about the diagnosis and next steps.

    Recognition and Acceptance

    Our reports are designed to meet NICE guidelines and are routinely recognised by local authorities, schools, and agencies such as the DWP for Disability Living Allowance or EHCP applications.

    Timeframes

    The entire process typically takes between two and three months. It begins with an initial session involving both the young person and their parents, during which the consultant psychiatrist gathers a detailed developmental history and conducts the 3Di interview. This is followed by a separate appointment with the clinical psychologist for the ADOS-2 assessment. After these sessions, the multidisciplinary team meet to discuss findings before a final feedback session takes place with the consultant psychiatrist. The written report is usually ready about four weeks after the feedback, although there can be delays if school information takes longer to arrive.

    Fee Structure

    Click here to view detailed fees »

    Adult Autism Assessment

    We offer comprehensive autism diagnostic assessments for adults. The way autism presents can vary at different stages of life, and our assessments are designed to recognise this.

    The process usually involves a detailed clinical interview, a developmental history interview with someone who knows you well, and structured clinical observations, with additional assessments where helpful. Each stage contributes to a clear written report, followed by feedback to ensure you understand the outcome and what it means for you.

    Cost: Adult Autism Assessment led by Clinical Psychologist, including report, £2,300