Teija Barr

I am an integrative psychotherapist and counsellor working with adults and young people experiencing a range of emotional and psychological difficulties.

People come to therapy for many different reasons. You may be struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, difficult relationships or experiences from the past that continue to affect how you feel about yourself and relate to others. You may find yourself repeating patterns that you understand intellectually but still find difficult to change, or simply have a sense that something in your life no longer feels right.

I believe therapy provides an opportunity to understand these experiences within a confidential, supportive and non-judgemental relationship. Rather than applying one therapeutic approach to everyone, I work integratively, adapting the way we work to you and what emerges during therapy.

My approach has a strong relational and psychodynamic foundation. We may explore how earlier experiences and relationships have shaped present feelings and patterns of relating, while also paying attention to what is happening for you emotionally, physically and relationally in the present. Where appropriate, I also draw upon person-centred, Gestalt, experiential and other therapeutic approaches.

I work with difficulties including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, loss, shame, low self-esteem, panic, fears and phobias, obsessive thoughts and behaviours, and periods of significant change or uncertainty. I have a particular interest in helping people understand longstanding emotional and relational patterns and develop greater awareness, choice and flexibility in their lives.

Alongside my clinical practice, I am involved in psychotherapy and hypnotherapy education and professional development. I hold a Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) from the University of West London, where my doctoral research explored intuition within hypnotherapeutic practice.

I offer individual psychotherapy and counselling to adults and young people, both in person and online. Sessions are normally 50 minutes and usually take place weekly.

I work both short and long term. Some people come to therapy with a particular difficulty or area of their life they would like to address, while others want to explore more longstanding emotional or relational patterns. We can discuss what you are hoping for from therapy and consider together whether a time-limited or more open-ended approach would be most appropriate.

My way of working is integrative and relational. I aim to provide a confidential and non-judgemental space in which you can speak openly about what is happening in your life and begin to explore not only your current difficulties, but also the experiences and patterns that may underlie them. Therapy can involve developing a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships and your emotional responses, as well as finding different ways of relating to yourself and others.

For online sessions, you will need a reliable internet connection and a private space where you feel comfortable speaking without being overheard.

Before arranging a first therapy session, I offer a brief introductory telephone or online conversation of approximately 15 minutes. This gives you an opportunity to tell me a little about what has brought you to therapy, ask any questions you may have and get an initial sense of whether you would feel comfortable working with me.

Our first full session is an opportunity for us to begin exploring what is happening for you in more depth. I will be interested in what has brought you to therapy now, what you are finding difficult and what you would like to understand or change. We may also begin to consider relevant experiences and relationships in your past and present, although there is no expectation that you tell me everything in the first meeting.

We will discuss how we might work together, including confidentiality, practical arrangements and whether short-term or longer-term therapy seems most appropriate. You do not need to arrive with clearly defined goals; sometimes understanding what you need from therapy is itself part of the therapeutic process.

Most importantly, the first session gives both of us an opportunity to consider whether working together feels right. A trusting therapeutic relationship develops over time, but it is important that you feel able to speak openly, ask questions and have a sense that this could be a useful space for you.