Counsellor profile
Ruth Barrett, BACP
Counsellor specialising in trauma and relationships
See online counselling options- Person-centred approach
- CBT techniques
- Attachment focus
About Ruth
Counsellor Ruth Barrett is an Accredited Registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists). She has nine years of counselling experience and works with relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, depression and coping with life changes.
Ruth trained in person-centred counselling and holds a Master’s in Clinical Counselling. She also practises cognitive behavioural techniques and attachment-informed approaches. Her practice pays particular attention to complex trauma and adverse childhood experiences she encountered in education and charitable work.
She has worked alongside a charity in Chester, providing counselling to people referred from NHS services, local authorities and social services. Before this Ruth taught young people aged 11 to 18 for more than twenty-five years, which informed her understanding of childhood adversity and its long-term effects.
In sessions she focuses on the person rather than a checklist of symptoms. Ruth offers an initial meeting, after which clients choose whether to continue with a block of fixed sessions or more open-ended work. She uses person-centred listening alongside cognitive behavioural ideas and psychodynamic thinking where helpful.
Ruth follows the BACP Ethical Framework and completes regular supervision and required continuing professional development. She is insured and works in the United Kingdom. If someone wants practical information about how she works, she asks them to get in touch for further details.
Therapeutic approaches and how online counselling works
Ruth uses person-centred counselling which focuses on listening and helping people make sense of their experiences in their own words. This approach is useful for people wanting a non-directive way to talk through loss, relationship strain or emotional pain.She also uses cognitive behavioural techniques to help identify and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns. CBT ideas are often helpful for panic, low mood and anxious thinking because they provide clear strategies to try between sessions.
Attachment-informed work is part of her practice and looks at how early relationships affect current patterns in close relationships. This can help when someone is dealing with codependency, attachment difficulties or the effects of early trauma.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Ruth will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, then agree on a way of working that fits the person. This is a collaborative process and can be reviewed as therapy progresses.
Session logistics depend on the options currently offered. The biography does not list specific formats, so please confirm available session types before booking. Many people find remote work helps fit counselling into busy days, for example by avoiding travel or making shorter check-ins easier to arrange. Registered or accredited professionals can offer online sessions that make it simpler to attend around family or work commitments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
9+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she usually help with?
She helps people with relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, depression and coping with life changes. Additional areas include attachment issues, communication problems, codependency and isolation.
What style of counselling does she use?
Her core orientation is person-centred counselling supported by cognitive behavioural techniques and attachment-informed work. She also draws on psychodynamic ideas when these suit the issue.
How long has she been practising?
She has nine years of professional counselling experience, plus more than twenty-five years working in education with young people.
Which professional body is she a member of?
She is an Accredited Registered member of the BACP, the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the UK work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions operate via a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time. Exact fees are provided during the sign-up process.
What do I need to do to start?
Select the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to arrange an initial meeting.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.