Barbara Engels

• Attachment-based work
• Psychodynamic counselling
• Autism-specialist support

About Barbara

Barbara Engels works on relationship and family concerns, self-esteem, anxiety, depression and life changes using attachment-based and psychodynamic approaches. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has 18 years of experience in the UK.

Barbara draws on attachment-based work to look at how early relationships affect present behaviour. She combines this with psychodynamic ideas to help people understand recurring patterns and emotional reactions. Sessions focus on discussing real situations, noticing patterns, and trying out different ways of relating.

Her experience includes work with Relate and an autism-specialist charity, where she supported individuals, couples and parents with relationship tension, bereavement and family conflict. She has particular experience offering autism-specialist counselling for couples and parents and with workplace stress and motivation problems.

Barbara offers sessions in English and German. She works with people who are dealing with grief, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, parenting and separation. Other areas she addresses include ADHD, midlife questions, workplace concerns and cultural or multicultural issues.

Her style is practical and reflective. Conversations aim to identify patterns and small steps clients can try between sessions. People can expect straightforward discussion about what is happening now, links to past experience, and ways to practise new approaches in everyday life.

How attachment and psychodynamic methods work online

Attachment-based therapy looks at how early relationship patterns shape present interactions and feelings. Online sessions can use this approach to explore how current difficulties in relationships link back to earlier experiences and to practise different ways of responding.

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on recurring emotional patterns and the unconscious drivers of behaviour. In an online setting this means talking through repeated reactions, noticing themes that recur in relationships, and considering how past events influence current choices.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will talk with the client about needs, goals and preferences and agree which methods to try. That makes the work collaborative and responsive to what helps most.

Practical benefits of online counselling include fitting sessions into a busy week and reducing travel time. Please confirm which session formats are offered before booking, as the biography does not list them. Online appointments can make it easier to have regular short check-ins or longer weekly sessions and to keep therapy going when life is busy.

Topics Barbara lists

• Relationship issues
• Family conflicts
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Coping with life changes
• Stress and anxiety
• Trauma and abuse
• Grief
• Intimacy-related issues
• Parenting issues
• Career difficulties
• Coaching
• ADHD
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Communication problems
• Divorce and separation
• Family problems
• Guilt and shame
• Isolation and loneliness
• Life purpose
• Midlife crisis
• Multicultural concerns
• Self-love
• Workplace issues

Ways of working

• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy

Questions about Barbara

Does she work with anxiety and stress?

Yes. She helps people manage anxiety and workplace stress using discussion of current problems and patterns that keep stress active.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses attachment-based therapy and psychodynamic therapy, focusing on relationships, patterns from the past and present emotional reactions.

How much experience does she have?

She has 18 years of professional experience working in the UK including roles with Relate and an autism-specialist charity.

Is she accredited and where does she practise?

She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.

Can sessions be held in other languages?

Sessions are offered in English and German.

What session formats are available?

Please confirm the current session formats before booking, as the biography does not specify which formats are used.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I start working with her?

Use the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.