biography

“Well if there ain’t gonna be any rules, someone count one, two, three, go.”

Butch Cassidy said that…

People ask me what I do and I always hesitate – I was a psychotherapist for 13 years, then I tried calling myself a coach, I’ve been to India and trained in Tantra but that doesn’t quite qualify me to call myself a Guru and I’ve been buried alive and fasted in the wilderness for days on end but that doesn’t quite make me a Shaman… and Psycho-therapeutic Shamanic Coaching Guru is a real mouthful.

A lot of people have called me a Gonzo Therapist and I guess that sums it up but when it comes to marketing it’s not a winner because NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS… So – if you think of Hunter S. Thompson, who coined the term Gonzo Journalism, and his style of becoming part of the story rather than reporting from a safe distance, that should give you some idea. I’m not a distant blank screen analyst, nor to I conform to any particular approach or system.

I just get stuck in.

My background was in the music and film business. Because of my history, and my somewhat avant-garde approach, I tend to attract a client base of creatives, and certainly I see unlocking creativity as being at the heart of the work.  I work in a warehouse in Seven Sisters in North London, and as well as seeing people individually and in couples I have a very successful Mens’ Group Program that’s been running for twelve years. I also facilitate Creative Work Support Groups and for the really out there amongst you I run mixed Vision Quest Retreats in Nepal and Wales.

I’m 47 years old, I have two children, five guitars and a 1915 Gibson mandolin.

Click here to visit my author profile on Amazon.

“Jerry has a way of weaving into each session assurance, safety and trust. This is an extremely rare quality.  I had tried other therapists before finding Jerry. I can assure you that there are a lot of ‘unfinished therapists’ out there.  Ones that try to live vicariously through their clients and ones that transfer their own issues onto the client.  This was very unhealthy and lead to utter confusion on top of my personal life traumas.

I believe strongly in following your instinct and the very first session I had with Jerry made me feel straight away that I could open up to him and he would not abuse this.  When I started my therapy journey, I literally couldn’t speak – I was not used to be listened to.  It was not without pain yet Jerry used his skills to guide me through these moments and I learned to listen to my own voice. I learned to speak.  This might sound crazy but when there is so much to say, it’s not easy to find a way of saying it.  Jerry also has a great sense of humor which helps enormously to put things straight again and to be true to yourself.

When appropriate during my journey with Jerry, he would mention relevant experiences from his own life and that served in assuring me that there was a way out of the chaos. It gave me hope and tipped the scale in my favour.

As a woman, I wanted to work with a man. For me this was ultimately important as a great deal of my pain was due to the extreme behaviour of men, therefore, I wanted the point of view of a man. I needed to know that what I grew up with was not the norm.  Jerry saw me safely through this with a very calm and sincere attitude that literally let me breath again.

I have worked with Jerry on and off for 10 years. During this time, I took several long breaks to let his wisdom, insight and sheer unselfishness do it’s work. I put the theory into practice.  Jerry has always been open to the way I see things and supportive of my creativity.  I cannot speak highly enough of his approach and commitment to his clients.  In my experience of finding the right person to do my journey with, I found that the ease with which he lets people speak and the genuine concern he has for your progress has been astonishing.  I know of friends who have tried to find the right person for themselves and have been damaged in the process.  I always recommend Jerry to them as I truly have not come across anyone else with such a sensitive and well paced commitment.

We now talk mostly about harnessing my creative side and Jerry’s life experience and input has been invaluable in this process.

Who would play Jerry in a film? No one! No one can match his approach!”

Marleni – Artist

“I am cautious about therapy and even more cautious about therapy ‘speak’. I consider myself to be a rational rather than spiritual type of person so if I were to read the text on Jerry’s website without knowing him I think my alarm bells would be ringing loud and clear – this is a bit ‘new age’ for my liking.

However I worked with Jerry for over ten years, first in individual sessions and then as a founder member of the first of his men’s groups. The positive changes I have experienced during this period have been profound and permanent and I find myself at a place in life that I could only have wished for previously. Jerry did not bring these about, I did, but I couldn’t have done it without the help of an exceptional mentor.

Is it all a bit ‘culty’? It can be, but this is discussed openly and Jerry welcomes constructive criticism as part of the process. He is one of the most intelligent, articulate and perceptive people I know and unfailingly kind. I remain cautious about therapy and this approach is not for everybody, but for the right person I would recommend working with Jerry Hyde without hesitation.”

Dominic Murcott PhD – Musician and Educator

“Let’s face it I’m completely nuts… And Jerry is the only person I’ve ever worked with who’s as completely nuts as me.”

Sam, TV Director.