Jane Barker

Dr Jane Barker (DCPsych, CPsychol, HCPC Registered Counselling Psychologist)

Life can feel amazing – full of possibilities and fun. But it can also be challenging when we hit difficulties like relationship problems, work stress, grief or other events which make the world feel unsafe, uncertain or even dangerous. At other times we may feel that we are on an emotional roller coaster and, for no particular reason, we notice feeling anxious about things that we used to take for granted like going out or seeing other people. For some, at times, it may feel almost impossible to have the energy or interest to get up and shower when all we want to do is to hide away in bed.

I am a HCPC Registered Counselling Psychologist with many years’ experience of helping people through these difficult times. I have worked with people who, for whatever reason, feel anxious, low mood, or are troubled by other emotions such as anger or shame and help them to find their way back to themselves and living a full and meaningful life. I was proud to work as a Principal Psychologist in the NHS leading a team which supported both woman and men after domestic abuse and continue to provide supervision in that field. I am also a qualified Mindfulness teacher and have, in the past, run Mindfulness course across Bucks and Berkshire.

There are a lot of different ways of working with people, which can be very confusing. My Doctoral training was to use an ‘Integrative’ approach which means that I draw on different models and theories to help people, working with what makes sense to the client. The therapeutic relationship is always at the heart of the work so that we create a safe and trusted alliance and I value being collaborative and transparent, talking openly about how we are working and reviewing as we go along.

As part of my training, I have engaged in personal therapy myself so I understand how difficult it can be to both ask for help and face the prospect of change. I always offer an initial Teams or telephone call (no charge) so that I can understand what you would like support with, and you can see if I am someone who you would feel comfortable working with. In the first session, we would then explore your goals and expectations of therapy so that there is a clear destination in mind.

Rates: £85.00 for one hour (60 minutes).