Nicola Barker , BACP

Nicola Barker is a BACP counsellor who helps people manage anxiety, stress and low self-esteem. She works with people facing relationship strain, grief, trauma, career questions and life changes. Nicola has 14 years of experience and aims to make reaching out straightforward and comfortable.

Nicola uses a warm and respectful manner in sessions. She listens closely, asks practical questions and helps people identify coping steps they can try between meetings. Sessions are tailored to each person’s situation rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.

Her approach blends talking therapy with techniques such as mindfulness, hypnotherapy and EMDR where appropriate. That means Nicola may use breathing and grounding exercises, guided imagery or targeted processing exercises to reduce the hold of difficult memories and overwhelming feelings.

People meet Nicola to develop clearer ways of handling stress, to rebuild confidence, or to plan realistic steps through life transitions. She also supports those dealing with long-term health conditions, caregiving strain, isolation and the effects of abuse.

Nicola works collaboratively, helping clients set achievable goals and review progress. She explains options and adapts the work as needs change. Her aim is to help people feel more able to cope and to move forward with practical, manageable changes.

How Nicola’s approaches translate to online therapy

Nicola uses client-centred work and EMDR in her practice. Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and helping people find their own solutions through open conversation and reflection. This approach suits people wanting a supportive space to talk things through and build confidence.

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, involves guided processing of distressing memories to reduce their emotional impact. It is often used when trauma or painful memories are keeping someone stuck and can be adapted for remote sessions with careful planning.

Finding the right approach is part of the work itself. Nicola discusses goals and preferences with each person and then adjusts methods together. The process is collaborative so techniques can be added, paused or changed as progress is reviewed.

Online formats such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy around daily life. Video sessions allow face-to-face dialogue and visual cues. Phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited or for a shorter check-in. Chat and messaging offer a written way to reflect and follow up between sessions. These options increase flexibility and make it practical to continue therapy when travel or busy schedules would otherwise get in the way.