- Grief and loss support
- Stress and anxiety help
- Practical coping skills
About Nicola
Nicola Barnard is a counsellor who uses a person-focused approach to help people manage stress, anxiety and life changes. She draws on practical methods to support grief and loss, low mood, self-esteem and motivation. Nicola aims to make it easier for someone to take the first step towards feeling better.
She works in a warm, non-judgemental way so people can talk openly about difficult feelings. Sessions focus on what matters to the client and on building simple, practical steps to cope day to day. Techniques may include noticing unhelpful thought patterns and trying new ways of responding to them.
Nicola has four years of experience and holds BACP accreditation, which reflects her professional membership with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has worked with neurodiverse people as well as adults and children, and has supported people through bereavement and career transitions.
Her practice includes help for relationship strain, parenting stresses, burnout and compassion fatigue. She also offers support around chronic illness, caregiving pressures, adoption and attachment concerns, and challenges linked to attention differences.
In sessions Nicola aims to be straightforward and calm. Conversations are guided by what the person wants to achieve, with attention to practical coping skills. She invites people to take small, manageable steps and stays alongside them as they try changes in everyday life.
She works in a warm, non-judgemental way so people can talk openly about difficult feelings. Sessions focus on what matters to the client and on building simple, practical steps to cope day to day. Techniques may include noticing unhelpful thought patterns and trying new ways of responding to them.
Nicola has four years of experience and holds BACP accreditation, which reflects her professional membership with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has worked with neurodiverse people as well as adults and children, and has supported people through bereavement and career transitions.
Her practice includes help for relationship strain, parenting stresses, burnout and compassion fatigue. She also offers support around chronic illness, caregiving pressures, adoption and attachment concerns, and challenges linked to attention differences.
In sessions Nicola aims to be straightforward and calm. Conversations are guided by what the person wants to achieve, with attention to practical coping skills. She invites people to take small, manageable steps and stays alongside them as they try changes in everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Family conflictsTrauma and abuseParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
4+ years
Credentials
BACP · United Kingdom
Languages
English
How therapy approaches guide remote sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, often called ACT, focuses on helping people notice and accept difficult thoughts and feelings while choosing actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression and coping with major loss. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and behaviours link and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns, which helps with low mood, worry and motivation problems.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will talk with the person about their goals and preferences and suggest what to try first. That choice is reviewed together so the way of working can change as needs evolve.
Confirm which session formats are offered before booking as the biography does not specify options. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, for example by removing travel time or allowing a shorter check-in when schedules are tight. Some people find video helps maintain a face-to-face feel, while others prefer audio for less screen time; discuss what suits you when you arrange the first appointment. Working online still focuses on practical tools, values-based goals and steady steps towards change.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Nicola focus on?
Nicola supports people with stress, anxiety, grief and loss, depression and low self-esteem. She also helps with relationship strain, parenting pressures, career questions and coping with life changes.
What is her general therapeutic style?
She works in a warm, non-judgemental way and focuses on what matters to the person. Sessions emphasise practical steps, noticing thoughts and trying new ways of responding.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Nicola has four years of experience working in counselling contexts. That practice has included support for bereavement, neurodiverse clients, and people facing career or caregiving challenges.
What qualifications and location are listed?
She is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP, and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.