"Prisons hold some of
the most traumatised
individuals in society
and some of the most
untapped potential
for change."
About Healing Beyond Bars Project
Healing Beyond Bars was founded by Jessica Charles on the belief that prisons can be more than places of containment, they can become spaces of connection, insight, and meaningful change.
Many people in custody carry stories shaped by trauma, shame, and survival. These experiences are often misread as defiance, hostility, or apathy. On the other side of the wall, prison staff are under immense pressure, expected to contain distressing behaviours, manage crisis, and maintain boundaries with little space for reflection or support. Healing Beyond Bars bridges this gap.
We work with both prisoners and prison staff, recognising that relational safety, trauma awareness, and nervous system regulation are essential for cultural change.
This work isn’t about fixing people. It’s about creating emotionally safer environments, where prisoners can understand themselves differently, and staff can feel better equipped to respond with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Grounded in trauma-informed, psychotherapeutic, relational, and somatic practices, our programmes support individuals to reconnect with their own sense of worth, regulate under pressure, and build healthier, more humane systems from the inside out.
“This group gave me a chance to be real, to get to know the hurt parts of me that lashed out.
About Jessica Charles
Founder of Healing Beyond Bars | UKCP Psychotherapist | Trauma Specialist
Jessica Charles is a UKCP-accredited Relational and Developmental Psychotherapist with an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy and extensive training in body-oriented therapies. She currently works in private practice in Staffordshire and delivers trauma-informed programmes within the prison system.
Before establishing her private practice and founding Healing Beyond Bars, Jessica worked for many years in NHS and forensic mental health hospitals. There, she developed and delivered therapeutic programmes for adults and young people focused on safety, emotional regulation, and the power of secure relationships, particularly for those with developmental trauma.
Today, Jessica brings all of this into her current work, offering experiential, trauma-informed training for prison staff and delivering a 16-week psychotherapeutic and somatic group programme for people in custody.
She believes in meeting people where they are, helping them make sense of their inner world, and creating emotionally safe spaces where the possibility of change can take root.
At the heart of her work is a deep belief:
when people feel safe, physically, emotionally, and relationally, healing and growth become possible. Even behind bars.