Jo is an attachment-focused psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer with over 35 years’ experience in teaching and supporting the development of therapists. As Founder of Optima Attachment Training, she brings theory to life through warm, relational teaching that helps practitioners grow in both confidence and clinical depth.

Uruj is a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist, former NHS Genetic Counsellor, supervisor, speaker and educator. She runs an online private practice offering attachment-based psychotherapy, supervision and specialist support for individuals, couples and families navigating attachment, grief, trauma, perinatal experiences and genetic diagnoses.
Her therapeutic and educational approach is rooted in the belief that healing and learning happen through relationships. With almost a decade of experience working within NHS clinical genetics, alongside years of psychotherapy practice, teaching and supervision, she brings a research-informed, trauma-informed and relational lens to all her work.
Uruj is deeply passionate about attachment theory and its ability to illuminate how early relationships shape our sense of self, our experiences of parenting, our connections with others, and our capacity to navigate uncertainty, loss and change. She also recognises the wider systems that influence emotional wellbeing, including family dynamics, culture, identity, neurodiversity and inherited experiences.
Teaching on the CPCAB Level 7 Attachment-Focused Psychotherapeutic Pathway to Clinical Mastery is a role she values deeply. She creates a collaborative and reflective learning environment where experienced therapists are encouraged to deepen their clinical thinking, integrate theory with practice, and develop confidence in working with complexity.
Alongside teaching, Uruj delivers workshops, conference presentations and CPD across the UK, sharing her expertise in attachment, genetics and relational psychotherapy with therapists and healthcare professionals.
Outside of her professional life, Uruj is a mother of two. She enjoys nature walks and playing badminton and is continually engaged in learning—about herself, others, and the transformative power of human relationships.

Joanne is a psychodynamic counsellor and supervisor who works primarily with adults, with a particular focus on depression and the deeper emotional patterns that often underlie it. Alongside their client work, they have long held a deep interest in how we use verbal, non-verbal, and even pre-verbal language to make sense of ourselves and our relationships. This fascination naturally led to a specialism in attachment-based therapy.
Before becoming a counsellor, Joanne spent time teaching adults and facilitating learning in a wide range of settings—from origami workshops to poetry seminars. This diverse educational background, combined with a longstanding academic interest in communication and human development, informs both her therapeutic and teaching styles. Joanne believes that learning is most impactful when it is collaborative, reflective, and rooted in real-life experience.
A lifelong learner herself, Joanne views teaching as a natural extension of curiosity and passion for growth. Within the course environment, she sees her role as a facilitator—someone who delivers rich, well-informed content while also nurturing the learning that emerges organically from the group. Joanne values shared reflections, clinical insights, and varied experiences that each participant brings, seeing these contributions as integral to the depth and richness of the training.
Whether learners are newly qualified counsellors continuing their development or experienced therapists exploring new relational frameworks, Joanne’s aim is to foster an open, inclusive, and supportive space. Focusing on helping practitioners from all modalities deepen their theoretical understanding and feel confident applying it meaningfully in their clinical work.

Lauren will be co-tutoring with Jane for the first term in September, she is an attachment-based psychotherapist and BACP-registered counsellor working in private practice in Surrey. Her clinical work spans young people and adults in mental health agencies and private practice.
Much of her practice sits with anxiety in its relational forms — the anxiety that lives in how we connect with others and with ourselves. She works with clients on understanding and repairing relationships, building self-trust, and managing stress, using attachment theory as the lens for making sense of patterns that often began long before the presenting issue.
Before training as a therapist, Lauren spent her career in corporate HR and leadership, and that background is part of what draws her to teaching: an interest in how people learn, develop and are supported to grow into a role.
She is particularly interested in creative approaches to therapeutic work — building and adapting resources for those moments when words aren’t enough — and brings the same practical, resource-led approach to the training room.

Wendy has over 15 years of experience working as a Humanistic counsellor, supervisor, and trainer within a hospice environment. This role has taught her to really appreciate life, and she brings this attitude as well as a wealth of knowledge, experience, nurture, and enthusiasm to her tutor role. She has a deep passion for learning and her favourite way to share information is through a relaxed, engaging, conversational approach.
Initially her own academic path and passion for learning led to a Law Degree (LLB) and Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. This developed her skills in critical thinking, structured communication, and problem-solving.
However, a deep sense of fulfilment and really being ‘at home’ in her work, came later in life, with her Foundation Degree in Humanistic Counselling and therapeutic work with clients navigating life-changing loss and trauma. The Level 7 course with Optima reflects her deep respect for Attachment Theory and the personal and relational insights it can bring at the times we feel most lost.
Wendy has years of experience as a facilitator of groups, leading lively discussions and workshops for a wide range of professionals, on sensitive topics such as childhood bereavement, life loss, transitions and change, resilience, loneliness, and self-care. She is committed to creating safe, engaging, fun and supportive learning environments where every participant feels heard and valued. Her desire is to see you not just grasp the material but really flourish, both academically and personally.
Wendy loves cafe culture, and exploring the outdoors on long walks, growing flowers from seed and being with family and friends. These interests reflect her love of making connections, her patience and passion for growth – qualities she brings to each teaching session.