Melissa Barber
MBACP (Accred) Individual and Couple Integrative psychotherapist and trainer.
I am an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist working with individuals and couples who are seeking awareness, clarity and new possibilities in their lives.
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My relatable, calm and kind approach puts clients at ease to look at any difficulty they are seeking to understand and address. I actively listen and fully attend to what if feels like to be you.
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I work with you with warmth, respect, and good humour to help you reclaim yourself from any difficulty that you currently feel is defining or overshadowing you.
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Drawing predominantly on psychodynamic theory integrating attachment and systemic principles, I work collaboratively with clients to bring unconscious processes in to consciousness, where they may be explored, understood and re-worked in a reparative relationship to create more fruitful choices and patterns of behaviour.
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Services
Benefits of Therapy
I offer my full attention, empathy, theoretical knowledge and its application to be with you, as an individual or as a pair, in a very particular and supportive way that is quite different from other relationships in your life. This is my focus and the foundation of a successful therapeutic outcome for you.​​
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Whilst I will of course help you make good use of our time together, therapy is a collaborative process we both actively engage in to help bring about lasting, meaningful therapeutic change for you.
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Engage in the process of therapy and you will discover how to identify your feelings and share them with others effectively and clearly, understand your impact (good and less favourable) on other people, create balance in your work, home or romantic life.​
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Further you may;
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Recognise, understand and manage emotional triggers
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Improve decision making
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Replace resentment and low self-esteem with healthy boundaries
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Learn to manage stress and tricky relationships
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Experience yourself in a different way, which translates to others having a different experience of you leading to improved relationships overall in your life.
About Me
Outside of my private practice, I have worked at both Arc Counselling and at Sandhurst Counselling Service providing both time limited and open ended therapy.
Before training to become a therapist, I enjoyed a successful career in marketing and business strategy in the professional services, education and consumer sectors. My commercial background and experience of workplace dynamics and politics is of help when clients bring work related stresses, tension and issues.
In line with BACP registration and accreditation requirements, I undertake regular Continued Professional Development to keep my practice current and relevant and attend regular supervision. These practices also maintain my own reflexivity and growth, allowing me to be fully present for all my clients with whatever material they bring. I am enhanced DBS checked annually, insured and ICO registered
Professional qualifications
Qualifications
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​​MA Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy (University of Essex; School of Psychosocial & Psychoanalytic studies)
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BACP Accreditation (British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy)
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BSc (Hons) Psychology (University of Warwick)
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Diploma in Integrative Therapeutic Counselling (University Centre, Farnborough College of Technology)
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Practitioner Certificate in Couple Counselling (Surrey Counselling Training)
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Award in Education and Training, (formerly known as PTLLS), (Russbridge Academy)​
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What does BACP Accreditation mean?
It is recognition of the achievement of high standards of knowledge, experience and development in counselling and psychotherapy. I have undertaken a voluntary rigorous process of having my qualifications and my therapeutic work assessed and verified by the BACP. I am recognised as being able to demonstrate a credible, repeatable way of working which draws on specific modalities and theories, effective use of CPD and self-awareness to the benefit of my clients to help support therapeutic change.
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Location and Fees
My practice is in Winnersh, Berkshire. It is within easy reach of Wokingham, Barkham, Earley, Lower Earley, Twyford, Binfield, Bracknell and Reading. I am within walking distance of Winnersh train station as well as Reading Road and Robin Hood Lane bus stops.
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Fees
Individual counselling is £55 per 50-minute session.
Couple counselling is £65 per 50-minute session.
Testimonials
‘Thank you again for all your warmth and support the last few months, it's been a great help and made the whole situation much easier to deal with.’ Kadal​​