Nicola Barnard

• Stress and anxiety
• Grief and loss
• CBT and ACT

About Nicola

Nicola Barnard works on stress, anxiety, relationships, grief, depression, self-esteem and related life changes using a client-centred approach and evidence-based therapies. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has four years' experience in counselling.

Nicola helps people who are struggling with motivation and confidence. She supports those coping with bereavement and major life changes. Her work also includes managing anger, career stress, compassion fatigue and challenges linked to bipolar conditions and ADHD.

She has experience supporting neurodiverse people as well as adults and children. Nicola uses practical methods from cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and make small changes. She also draws on attachment-based ideas and dialectical behaviour therapy skills when these fit the concern.

In sessions she adopts a client-centred way of working, listening without judgement and encouraging honest conversation. Nicola aims to help clients talk through feelings and try out different coping skills in everyday life.

Her approach involves setting clear goals and checking progress together. That can include learning new ways to manage anxiety, building routines for low mood, or finding ways to handle relationship strains. Practical exercises and simple strategies are often used between sessions to support change.

Therapeutic approaches used in online sessions

Nicola uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help people identify and try out changes in unhelpful thinking and behaviour; this approach is often used for anxiety, low mood and problems with motivation. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing difficult thoughts and working out what matters most, then taking small steps towards those values; it can help with stress, grief and coping with life changes. Attachment-based therapy looks at how early relationships influence current patterns and can be useful when relationship strain or attachment issues are a concern.

Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. The counsellor will work with the client to agree goals, review what helps, and adjust methods as the work progresses. Practical exercises and skills practice are commonly included when they suit the client's aims.

Confirm the session formats before booking as the original biography does not specify them. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work, school or caring responsibilities, reduce travel time, and allow a shorter check-in when needed. Registered or accredited professionals offer remote appointments that can help people keep continuity of care while balancing everyday commitments.

Topics Nicola lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Grief
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Family conflicts
• Trauma and abuse
• Parenting issues
• Anger management
• Career difficulties
• Bipolar disorder
• Coping with life changes
• Coaching
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Adoption and foster care
• Aging and geriatric issues
• Antisocial personality
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Avoidant personality
• Blended family issues
• Body image
• Cancer
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Co-morbidity
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
• Dependent personality
• Dissociation
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Emptiness
• Family problems
• Fatherhood issues
• Fertility issues
• First responder issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Hoarding
• Hospice and end-of-life counselling
• Impulsivity
• Infidelity
• Intellectual disability
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Midlife crisis
• Veteran and armed forces issues
• Money and financial issues
• Mood disorders
• Narcissism
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Postpartum depression
• Post-traumatic stress
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Sexuality
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Traumatic brain injury
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues
• Young adult issues

Ways of working

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy
• Internal Family Systems

Questions about Nicola

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. She helps people manage anxiety through techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy and other approaches.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

Her work is client-centred and draws on CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy, attachment-based therapy and DBT skills.

How much experience does she have?

She has four years' experience in counselling and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Where is she based?

She is based in the United Kingdom.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can I have sessions from outside the UK?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I start counselling with her?

Select the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.