Nicola Barnard, BACP - Therapist in United Kingdom

CBT and mindfulness
Attachment focus
Values-based work

About Nicola

Nicola Barnard is a BACP counsellor based in the United Kingdom with four years' experience. She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem and depression. Nicola also assists with relationship issues, parenting concerns, anger and career-related stress.

She uses straightforward conversation to help people notice patterns that make life harder. Sessions look at thinking habits, emotional responses and practical actions that can change day-to-day experience. Nicola draws on evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioural techniques and mindfulness to help manage overwhelming feelings.

Attachment-based ideas are used to understand how past relationships influence current reactions. This can be useful for people who find themselves repeating old patterns or reacting strongly to closeness or rejection. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) tools are offered to clarify values and build small steps towards those aims.

Nicola has experience with neurodiverse clients and sees both adults and children in her work history. She also supports people facing complex issues such as trauma, chronic illness, caregiving stress and life transitions. Practical approaches are mixed with reflective talk so people can try something different between sessions.

Her sessions aim to be direct and practical. Nicola asks clear questions, introduces simple skills, and encourages experiments to see what helps. To start, people complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.

How her approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small, practical steps towards those values. It is useful for persistent anger, anxiety and life changes where setting priorities helps reduce reactive behaviour.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviours. It works well for stress, low mood and patterns that escalate into anger by offering concrete techniques to try between sessions.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current responses. This approach can help people understand why they react strongly to perceived rejection or closeness and develop different ways of relating in the present.

Finding the right method is part of the work. Nicola will work collaboratively to decide which approaches fit a person's needs, goals and preferences. That usually means trying a small number of techniques, reviewing how they land, and adjusting the plan together.

Session formats are not specified in the original biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make sessions easier to fit into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Therapists who offer remote sessions can also suggest practical exercises and short homework that slot into everyday life.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGrief Self esteem Depression

Also works with

Family conflictsTrauma and abuseParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stress Chronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separation Domestic violenceEmptinessFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issues Forgiveness Guilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivity InfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / loneliness JealousyLife purposeMen's issues Midlife crisis Veteran and Armed Forces Issues Money and financial issues Mood 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 issues Young 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

Listed in

United Kingdom

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she help with?

She supports people with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, low self-esteem, relationship strain, parenting worries, anger and career issues.

Which therapeutic style does she use?

She uses a mix of approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centred Therapy, CBT and DBT techniques.

How much professional experience does she have?

Nicola has four years of experience working in counselling roles with a range of concerns and client needs.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.

Can I work with her in another language or from abroad?

Sessions are offered in English. She is not accepting international clients at this time.

What session formats does she offer?

Please confirm current session options before booking as the biography does not specify which formats are used.

How much do sessions cost?

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

How do I begin working with her?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, then schedule a first session.