SJ Barnard Therapy
Counselling with a compassionate integrative psychotherapist, online and in person, in Penrith and North Cumbria
Counselling for adults in Cumbria and online
Thank you for visiting my site – I hope it helps answer some of your questions about what I offer and how we would work together. In our one to one counselling and therapy sessions, whether online or in person in Penrith and North Cumbria, we’ll start where you are, and work together to tailor the support to your needs. Here are some of the core values at the centre of our sessions:
Space and time to explore
A space to explore, reflect, remember, imagine, and get curious, at your own pace, where you feel supported, valued, and not judged – whether you’re at rock bottom, trying to avoid overwhelm, or just want to feel like somebody is listening.
Space to be authentic
Somewhere you can feel comfortable being yourself, working out more about yourself, and thinking about what makes you you. Maybe it feels like you don’t fit in your own life, or you’re struggling to enjoy the path you’ve chosen – therapy can help work out why.
Space to connect with your feelings
It can be difficult to know what you’re feeling and why, and sometimes it can be hard to know what to do with all those feelings. Here you’ll be supported to safely connect with your emotions and feelings. Tears, laughter, anger, fear, worries, hopelessness, joy – it’s all welcome.
Accompanied through change
Change can feel really scary, even when you’ve chosen it. Sometimes it’s a new path, other times it’s working out how to live with unexpected circumstances that you didn’t choose, or working out what is needed to help you feel less stuck – whatever kind of change you’re experiencing, you don’t need to go through it alone.
Accompanied through learning
Sometimes old patterns no longer serve us, but it’s hard to know why. We can explore what is making life feel overwhelming – this might mean looking back at your childhood, looking more closely at what’s going on in the ‘here and now’, or using resources and tools to better understand behaviours and experiences in your relationships.
Beyond the therapy room…
Identifying where you can find support, fulfilment, and nourishment in your life outside the therapy space. Helping bring joy and hope back into your life. Signposting you to other sources of support if I think there’s a different kind of therapist or resource that would be more suitable for you.
Quick overview
It can be hard to choose a therapist – here’s a little bit about me and the kinds of things we might talk about in our sessions. For more detail, please use the menu to go to the ‘About me’ and ‘About counselling’ pages.
About me
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy (2025)
- Online & Telephone Training (Open University, 2025)
- COSCA certificate in Counselling Skills (2023)
- Cruse Bereavement Support Foundation Course (2020)
- Registered member of British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- I am fully insured for private practice and I attend regular supervision and training in line with the BACP Ethical Framework
- My integrative training included person-centred, psychodynamic, and existential psychotherapy.
- Level 2 Safeguarding training & enhanced DBS certificate.
Areas we might explore together
- Loss, grief, and bereavement
- Adapting to life changes
- Self esteem, self-worth, and impostor syndrome
- Identity (sexuality, gender, ways of being/relating, roles)
- Attachment and relationships (family, friends, partners, colleagues)
- Parenting struggles
- Miscarriage
- Role as a carer or caregiver
- Stress and anxiety
- Grounding, mindfulness, and techniques to stay calm
- How to bring creativity and purpose into daily life
- Past, present, and future experiences
Counselling can provide a supportive, non-judgemental space to explore whatever’s going on for you and help you make sense of why things don’t feel quite right.
It might be big heavy stuff that you’ve been carrying around for a long time – in therapy you can put everything down for a minute, take a breath, feel supported, and work out what could be different moving forwards.
It might be something specific happening in your life right now – maybe you’re struggling with an important decision or feel really anxious about something. You might be struggling with ‘shoulds’ and ‘what ifs’. We can explore what’s worrying you, and how to live in a way that feels aligned with your values and hopes.
Your counselling starts with you and your experiences – your stories, memories, challenges, fears, hopes, and ideas. Your past, present, and future. Within the therapeutic relationship, we’ll work together to create your personal therapeutic journey…
“Traveler, there is no road; you make your own path as you walk. As you walk, you make your own road and when you look back you see the path you will never travel again”
(from “Caminante, no hay camino”, by Antonio Machado, translated by Mary G. Berg & Dennis Maloney)
Take the first step…
Get in touch to arrange your first counselling session