Paula Barlow, NCPS

Paula Barlow offers a warm, person-focused approach that puts the client at the centre of therapy. She uses simple, practical methods to help people manage worry, low mood, and life changes. Paula brings nine years of experience and holds NCPS on her record. Her style emphasises listening first and then working with each person’s strengths. She draws on client-centred therapy to build a trusting conversation and uses cognitive behavioural techniques to spot unhelpful thinking and try new behaviours. Mindfulness and hypnotherapy are introduced when calmness and focused attention can help. Paula has supported people dealing with stress, anxiety and depression. She also helps those facing addiction, grief, trauma and relationship difficulty. Practical goals, short exercises and steady check-ins are common parts of her sessions. She also works with issues such as sleep and eating problems, self-esteem, anger and career pressures. Specific concerns listed include adoption and foster care, attachment and communication problems, autism and ADHD related matters, domestic violence and drug or alcohol addiction. Paula aims to make the first steps straightforward. She will listen to the immediate problem, suggest achievable steps, and adjust the plan as progress is made. The focus stays on what the person wants to change and how they want their life to be different.

Approaches that shape online sessions

Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and building a respectful, non-judgemental conversation so people feel understood and can explore what matters to them. This approach helps when someone needs a space to make sense of feelings and decide on next steps.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact. It uses simple exercises and experiments to test unhelpful thinking and to build different habits, which can be useful for anxiety, depression and sleep or eating difficulties.

Mindfulness therapy teaches basic attention and breathing practices to reduce rumination and increase calm. It can be offered alongside other techniques to help with stress and anger.

Paula treats finding the right approach as a collaborative task. She will discuss the options with each person, try practical steps, and adapt the plan if something is not helping. The aim is to match methods to your goals and everyday life rather than using a one-size-fits-all solution.

Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging makes it easier to fit sessions around work, childcare or travel. Video allows face-to-face conversation; phone calls need less bandwidth and can be better for days when being on camera is difficult. Chat or messaging work well for short check-ins, notes between sessions or for people who prefer written communication. These options make regular contact more practical and flexible for different routines and needs.