Trauma counselling in Barnsley
Something that happened, recently or a long time ago, can keep affecting how you feel, sleep and get on with people. Counselling gives you a steady place to talk about it, at your own pace.
If you're having thoughts of ending your life, please talk to someone today. Samaritans are free on 116 123, any time. In an emergency, call 999.
When it's still with you
- Memories come back when you don't want them to
- You feel on edge, jumpy or braced for something
- You avoid places, people or reminders
- Sleep is broken, or you have bad dreams
- You feel numb, or cut off from people around you
You decide the pace
You don't have to go through the details before you're ready. We can start with how things are for you now, and go into the past only as far as you want to.
Counselling offers support and space to work things through. It isn't a medical treatment or a quick fix.
Book a free 10-minute callPeople come to talk about
- Something frightening that happened recently, such as an accident or an attack
- A difficult or painful childhood
- A sudden or traumatic death
- Living with someone who frightened or controlled you
- Experiences you've never told anyone about
You don't need a diagnosis, or to recognise every item. If something has been weighing on you for a while, that's reason enough to start.
How I work
I work integratively, which means I draw on more than one approach depending on what suits you. Trauma and difficult past experiences are one of the areas I support people with in my one-to-one work. It isn't a separate specialist service.
My further training includes Sexualised Trauma & Rape Investigation (STAR / West Yorkshire Police), Child Abuse, Neglect & Protection (BMBC & STAR), and Domestic Violence & Safeguarding (BMBC & NHS). See all my qualifications and training.
We go at whatever pace you need. You stay in charge of what you share and when. If something feels like too much in a session, we slow down.
Counselling isn't a medical treatment and I can't promise a particular outcome. What you get is time, attention and an honest conversation about what might help, including whether a free service would suit you better.
When a specialist trauma therapy may suit you better
For post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the NHS offers specific trauma therapies, such as trauma-focused CBT and EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing). I don't offer these.
Your GP can refer you to a specialist. You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies if you're 18 or over (16 in some areas). Read the NHS page on PTSD.
If you're not sure which kind of help fits, that's what the free call is for.
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 first session straight away. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly to start, in private counselling rooms within the South Yorkshire Physiotherapy Centre, Day Street, Barnsley (S70 1NW), with free parking, or by secure video or telephone. There's no fixed number of sessions, and we review how things are going as we go.
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. NHS Talking Therapies are free, and you can usually refer yourself 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 is the place to start if you think you need a diagnosis or medication. If you're not sure what's right, that's what the free call is for.
If you're not safe now
If someone is hurting, frightening or controlling you now, counselling about the past can wait. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. You can also call:
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 →How grief works
Why grief doesn't come in neat stages.
Learn more →Low self-esteem
Where the inner critic comes from, and what helps.
Learn more →Questions people ask
What is trauma counselling?
It's counselling for people still affected by something frightening, painful or overwhelming, recently or long ago. With me, it's part of my one-to-one work, not a separate specialist service. We talk at your pace, and you decide what to share and when. What happens in counselling.
Do I have to talk about what happened?
No, not in detail, and not before you're ready. We can start with how things are now, such as sleep, work or relationships. You stay in charge of what we go into. If something feels like too much in a session, we slow down.
Can counselling help with trauma?
It depends on what happened, how it affects you now and what you want from sessions. Counselling gives you a steady place to make sense of it. Counselling isn't a medical treatment and I can't promise a particular outcome. If a specialist trauma therapy would suit you better, I'll say so.
Can you help with PTSD?
I don't diagnose PTSD, and I don't offer the trauma therapies the NHS lists for it, such as trauma-focused CBT and EMDR. Your GP can refer you to a specialist, or you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies. We can talk through what fits on the free call. NHS: PTSD.
Is trauma counselling free on the NHS?
NHS Talking Therapies are free, and you can usually refer yourself 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, though waiting times vary, so ask when you refer.
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.
Talk it through
I offer one-to-one counselling in Barnsley for people affected by difficult or traumatic experiences. Individual sessions are £70 for 50 minutes, in private counselling rooms in a discreet town-centre location in Barnsley with free parking, or by video or telephone.
You can start with a free 10-minute phone intro, bookable at 12:00 or 12:30, Monday to Friday, or book a first session.