Barbara Coates, BACP

Barbara Coates is a psychotherapist practising in the United Kingdom with five years of professional experience. She holds a Master's degree and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Barbara aims to create a calm, respectful space where people can talk through difficult thoughts and feelings without judgement.

Her style is warm and responsive. She listens closely and helps people identify their strengths. Sessions focus on straightforward tools and steps that can be used between meetings to manage stress and mood swings.

Barbara supports people dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem, addictions and difficult life changes. She also works with concerns such as sleeping problems, anger, relationship issues, bipolar mood patterns, ADHD and compassion fatigue. Additional areas of focus include attachment and abandonment, body image, chronic illness, caregiver strain, family of origin issues and hoarding.

Her approach combines Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centred Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). That mix lets her focus on emotions and relationships, while also teaching practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Work is individualised to each person’s needs and goals.

Sessions are offered in English and are available to international clients. Barbara uses a subscription model for sessions which can be cancelled at any time. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is completed and appointments are scheduled according to therapist availability.

How these approaches work online

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current emotional patterns. Online sessions use conversation to spot unhelpful relationship habits and to practise new ways of connecting and responding. This approach can be helpful for people who notice repeated problems in close relationships or who experience strong fears around abandonment.

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on a respectful, accepting therapeutic relationship. The counsellor follows the person’s lead, listens without judgement and helps them find their own solutions. This style suits people who want space to talk things through and discover what matters to them.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, breaks down how thoughts, feelings, body sensations and behaviours connect. In online sessions this often means learning practical strategies and small experiments to try between meetings to reduce anxiety or lift low mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Barbara will discuss options and test what helps most, adapting methods to match goals and preferences. The process is collaborative and paced to what the person needs.

Online therapy offers flexibility and easier access to regular support. Video calls let conversations feel more like in-person sessions, phone calls use less bandwidth, live chat can suit quick check-ins and text messaging works for shorter reflections. These choices make it simpler to fit therapy around work, study and caring commitments, and to keep momentum when life feels busy.