Josh Fletcher
News
BSU graduate opens the door to the therapist’s room and mind, in new book
Tuesday, 13 August, 2024Content warning: Grief, loss, anxiety, alcoholism
A Bath Spa University graduate, who applied to BSU through clearing, is celebrating the success of his first major publication And How Does That Make You Feel?: Everything You (n)ever wanted to know about therapy, which has also been commissioned to be made into a TV show for streaming services.
In the book, which is described as ‘an engaging stealth-help memoir about being an anxiety therapist,’ psychotherapist Josh Fletcher takes us on a tour of the inner mind of a therapist - revealing a hilariously candid point of view on the therapeutic process. A practical guide to therapy, it’s everything you ever wanted to know about therapy (and maybe a few things you didn’t).
Talking about his time at BSU, Josh said:
“I applied to BSU through Clearing and loved every minute of my time at the University.”
Josh, who graduated from BSU in Education Studies and Drama in 2010, first worked as a primary school teacher, but in the first few years after graduating, Josh experienced two traumatic events, with the loss of his teenage brother from a rare form of liver cancer and his father from a motor neurone disease. Josh decided to give up his teaching career to care for his father.
After his double bereavement, Josh said he began drinking too much.
“I was making poor choices, hedonism-wise. I was angry and had extreme anxiety, I was just crying all the time as I tried to push everything away. But then there was an epiphany: [I said to myself] ‘I’m better than this, and the people around me deserve better than this.’ I took myself to therapy.”
Having experienced the benefits and wanting to help others in the same way, Josh, who still goes to therapy today, decided it was time to pursue a new career. He studied counselling psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy and now seven years later, Josh is a successful integrative therapist (someone who offers various types of therapy), has helped hundreds of clients in his private practice and has already written several self-help books on anxiety and mental health.
Based in his native Manchester, Josh has also become a social media star, offering tips on dealing with anxiety to his over 230,000 Instagram followers and nearly 57,000 TikTok followers.
His book, published earlier this year, gives a sometimes funny, often sad and frequently hair-raising insight into a therapist’s life and relationships with clients.
Talking about the idea behind the book, Josh said:
“I wanted people to understand more about therapy and how it works, but I had to find a way to get them interested. So I decided to let them peek behind the therapy-room door to see what happens there, but also to peer into my cranium to see what thoughts are firing off when I’m with a client. I’m a 6ft 2in Northern man from a working-class town, where we threw rugby balls at each other as a means of communication. But everybody has a right to talk about their stuff, not just people with a few extra quid in their pockets who want to moan about something.”
He continued:
“For me, therapy is like going to the gym. We’re lauded for being buff and looking great, but no one’s praised me for sitting in the therapy room and crying. Your emotions are important. If you ignore them or repress them, you’re not going to feel very well.”
And How Does That Make You Feel? is available to buy online via Josh's website.
Image: Josh Fletcher @anxietyjosh