Nicola Barker, BACP
Nicola Barker helps people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low self-esteem or major life changes.
- Stress & Anxiety
- Self Esteem
- Career difficulties
- +10 more
About Nicola
Nicola Barker helps people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low self-esteem or major life changes. She is a BACP counsellor with 14 years of experience and works in an approachable, practical way. Her first aim is to make it easy to talk about what’s worrying you and to find small, useful steps forward.
Nicola uses a mix of talking therapy, EMDR and hypnotherapy when these fit a person’s needs.
Background and approach
Sessions are tailored to the individual and focus on building coping skills, improving sleep, and managing mood and relationships. She pays attention to the whole person rather than only symptoms. People often come for help with work stress, panic, grieving, or recovering from trauma and abuse.
Nicola also supports those facing chronic health problems, caring responsibilities, isolation or discrimination. She offers straightforward practical tools alongside deeper processing when needed. Her style is warm, respectful and interactive.
Nicola works collaboratively, checking in about goals and adjusting the approach as therapy progresses. She aims for sessions that feel usable in day-to-day life rather than abstract or technical. Sessions are suitable for those who want clear techniques and emotional processing.
Nicola encourages people to take manageable steps and to practise skills between meetings. She helps clients find a way forward and build confidence in handling future challenges.
Registration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| BACP | 55915 | January 2027 |
Registration details are as listed on the counsellor's public profile. You can check any number with the registering body.
Sessions and payment
Sessions are held online through our partner platform, by video, phone or messaging depending on the counsellor.
Costs are shown on the partner platform before you commit. If cost is a concern, ask about reduced-fee options.
Focus areas and approaches
What Nicola works with
Everything Nicola lists, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Compassion fatigue
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Isolation / loneliness
- Men's issues
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Nicola lists
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Hypnotherapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
Online support
She also draws on mindfulness and solution-focused techniques to teach practical skills for managing anxiety and stress. Finding the right approach is part of the early work in therapy. Nicola discusses options with each person, listens to their goals and preferences, and together they decide which methods to try first and how to adjust as progress is made.
Online sessions offer flexibility for people with busy lives or mobility constraints. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction when that feels helpful, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging suit short check-ins, ongoing support between sessions, or when writing things down helps reflection. These formats make it simpler to fit therapy into work breaks, caregiving schedules or when travel is difficult, while still maintaining a steady course of support.
Frequently asked
What kinds of problems does Nicola help with?
Nicola supports people with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and coping with life changes. She also works with trauma and abuse, grief, sleeping problems, anger and compassion fatigue.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is warm and interactive, combining talking therapy with tools such as mindfulness and practical strategies. Nicola adapts sessions to focus on immediate coping skills and longer-term emotional work.
How long has she practised?
She has 14 years of professional experience supporting people through a wide range of concerns and life transitions.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Nicola is BACP accredited which denotes registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She practises from the United Kingdom.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered to international clients and she conducts therapy in English.
Which session formats are available?
Therapy can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and preferences.
How much does therapy cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Nicola?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
Update or remove this listing
Ask us to correct details or take the page down.
Contact usMore counsellors who work with Stress & Anxiety
All of them
Samantha McEwan
BACP
4 years in practice BACP
Experienced BACP counsellor for stress and trauma
- Stress & Anxiety
- Relationship
- Trauma and Abuse
James Maynard
BACP
3 years in practice BACP
Supportive integrative counsellor for everyday challenges
- Stress & Anxiety
- Trauma and Abuse
- Grief
Ashleigh Brown
BACP
6 years in practice BACP
Practical, compassionate therapy focused on everyday change
- Stress & Anxiety
- Addictions
- Trauma and Abuse