Anxiety & depression counselling in Barnsley
For the days your mind won't switch off, and the ones where everything feels heavy and flat.
When worry takes over
- Your mind won't quiet down, even when you need rest
- You avoid situations that feel too unpredictable
- Your body carries the tension: tightness, fatigue, difficulty sleeping
- It's started to feel like this is just how you are
A gentler way through
Together we'll look at what's keeping it going, and build practical, everyday ways to feel steadier. I draw on ideas from CBT and other approaches, at a pace that feels safe.
Counselling offers support and space to work things through. It isn't a medical treatment or a quick fix.
Book a free 10-minute callI support people experiencing
- Generalised anxiety and constant worry
- Panic attacks and physical anxiety symptoms
- Social anxiety and self-consciousness
- Persistent low mood and loss of motivation
- Hopelessness or feeling disconnected from life
- Sleep difficulties linked to anxiety or depression
- Anxiety following trauma or difficult life events
- Anxiety alongside ADHD or other neurodivergence
You don't need to recognise every one of those, or have a diagnosis. If even one or two feel familiar and it's been going on a while, that's enough reason to start.
The approach
I don't follow a single fixed model. I draw on several approaches and adapt to what helps you. CBT helps identify thought patterns that fuel anxiety; a steady, trusting relationship creates the safety to explore more deeply; simple grounding techniques give you something to use between sessions.
Counselling isn't a medical treatment and I can't promise a particular outcome or a fixed timeline for how you should feel. I can offer a steady space to understand what's keeping the anxiety or low mood going, and practical ways through it.
Sessions can help with:
- Understanding what triggers and keeps the anxiety or low mood going
- Practical, CBT-based tools you can use day to day
- Working through anxious thoughts without them running the show
- Building a steadier, more sustainable pace of life
- Working alongside any medication or other support you already have; I'm not able to advise on medication itself
I'm a Registered Member of the BACP (45587) and an Accredited Registrant with the NCPS (NCS20-00911), and I work within the BACP Ethical Framework.
What happens in sessions
You can start with a free 10-minute call, or book a session straight away if you already know you'd like to. The call has no forms and no commitment. You tell me a little about what's going on, I tell you how I'd work with it, and you decide whether it feels right.
Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly to start. There's no fixed number of sessions and no contract tying you in; some people find a handful of sessions is enough, others come for longer.
What you tell me is confidential, with the standard exceptions every counsellor works to around serious risk of harm. I'll explain exactly how that works before we begin.
Fees, no surprises
Start with a free 10-minute call, or book a session directly.
Registered to accept referrals from Bupa and Aviva. Please check any policy excess with your provider before booking.
Your options, in full
Private counselling with me is one option, not the only one. Here's the full picture for anxiety and low mood, so you can decide what's right for you.
NHS Talking Therapies. Free, and you can usually refer yourself without going through your GP first, if you're registered with a GP and aged 18 or over (16 in some areas). Barnsley Talking Therapies takes self-referrals on 01226 644900.
Your GP. Worth speaking to if anxiety or low mood is affecting your sleep, appetite or physical health, if you think medication might help, or if you're not sure whether what you're feeling has tipped into something that needs medical attention.
If things feel urgent, Samaritans are free to talk to any time, and Shout offers the same support by text if that's easier.
You can use more than one of these at once. If you're not sure what's right, that's exactly what the free 10-minute call is for. I'll say if I think another route would serve you better.
Where I work
I see people in person in private counselling rooms within the South Yorkshire Physiotherapy Centre, Day Street, Barnsley, S70 1NW, and by video or telephone anywhere in the UK.
Understanding what's happening
Why anxiety keeps coming back
The anxiety cycle, and how avoiding things keeps it going.
Learn more →What happens in a panic attack
Why it feels so frightening, and what helps in the moment.
Learn more →Low mood and doing less
How low mood and withdrawing feed each other.
Learn more →High-functioning anxiety
When you seem fine on the outside but not inside.
Learn more →Related support
CBT-informed counselling
How I use ideas and tools from CBT for anxiety and low mood.
Learn more →Individual counselling
One-to-one sessions in Barnsley or online.
Learn more →Stress & burnout
When pressure has stopped feeling manageable.
Learn more →Grief & loss
Support through bereavement and change.
Learn more →Mental health support
More areas of support, if this isn't quite the right fit.
Learn more →Questions people ask
How much does private therapy for depression cost?
With me, individual sessions are £70 for 50 minutes, paid per session, with no fixed number of sessions. The first phone call is free. If cost is a barrier, NHS Talking Therapies offer free support for depression, and you can usually refer yourself. Fees.
Is counselling good for depression?
Counselling is one of the talking therapies NICE lists for depression, alongside CBT, behavioural activation and others. It can help you understand what keeps low mood going. It doesn't replace medical care, so see your GP too, especially if your depression is severe. NICE guideline on depression in adults.
Where can I get help for depression?
Start with your GP, who can talk through every option, including medication. You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies in Barnsley, which is free. Private counselling is another route if you'd like to choose who you see. If you need help urgently, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option.
Do I need a diagnosis to come to counselling?
No. You don't need a diagnosis, or to have seen a GP first. If anxiety or low mood is affecting your life, that's reason enough.
Is this the same as CBT?
Not exactly. I draw on CBT alongside other approaches, and adapt to what helps you, rather than following one fixed model session to session.
Can counselling help if I'm already on medication?
Yes, counselling can work alongside medication. I can't advise on medication itself; that's one for your GP or prescriber.
How many sessions will I need?
There's no fixed number. Some people find a handful of sessions is enough; others come for longer. You're not tied into a contract and can stop when it feels right.
Is it confidential?
Yes, within the standard limits of confidentiality, which I'll explain before we begin.
A free call is a good place to start
A short, relaxed chat, whenever you’re ready.