i am here to support you
life can be hard
hello, i am kristina chapala barker, a qualified and experienced psychotherapist offering therapy online. my job is to help you make sense of things you are feeling and experiences you are having. together we will consider ways to integrate what we find to create possibility of change.
i know how overwhelming and confusing finding the right therapist for your needs can be as no two people or therapies are the same. according to research, good outcomes in therapy are more often about a trusting relationship and ‘fit’ between the therapist and client. i hope my page gives you an initial sense of who i am and how i work. i am glad you are here.
people come to therapy for many different reasons. sometimes the reason feels clear and sometimes not. whether you are struggling in life, feeling stuck, alone, overwhelmed or hurt, wanting to pro-actively deepen your self-awareness before things start to feel too much, or not quite knowing why you are looking for therapy but trusting a feeling that it is something you want to do, we all deserve a safe space to tell our story and to feel heard, seen and understood without judgement.
so what it is that brings you here today? what it is that you are hoping for as you read this page?
if you would like to experience what it might be like for us to work together, please get in touch to set up an initial free consultation.
my story
i came to train and qualify as a therapist through my own struggle with everyday life.
one day i stopped feeling much at all. it was an eerie state of inner void. i stopped laughing. i disconnected and disengaged. i thought it was a transient phase, one i can pull myself out of, only to realise i was not equipped to deal with it alone - no one is. so i asked for help.
at first, having therapy felt weak and trying to make sense of myself, my life and the world around too scary. in hindsight, those were the bravest steps to take. it took time for me to build trust in the abstractness of the process. to believe that deeper connection can come from allowing myself to engage with the vulnerable and the messy. to feel a possibility of change open up. i continue with my own unlearning and learning to this day.
my approach
“we shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time”
i am not here to categorise or diagnose you. i am here to invite you into a collaborative and dynamic relationship grounded in safety, trust and hope. a relationship where you feel understood, accepted and challenged to evolve in new and meaningful ways.
research tells us that our brain and mind are uniquely wired and shaped by our early environment and relationships. how we as adults relate to ourselves and others, how we respond to stressors and adversity, beliefs and patterns we hold about the world and ourselves are rooted in what happened to us and how we learnt to interpret those experiences. research also tells us, just as our neural pathways have been formed and shaped growing up, they can be rewired and reshaped by ongoing experiences and relationships in adulthood, including our relationship. we can forge new paths. we can rewrite our story.
together we will make space to compassionately explore what happened to you for you to feel and behave the way you do now and consider ways to integrate what we find to create possibility of change.
i love to see people get curious about experiences they’ve had and beliefs they’ve formed about themselves and the world in response to those experiences. i love to see people explore the narratives they developed on the back of those beliefs and question whether they are serving them now. i love to see people reframe and rewire their beliefs/stories to come into more fullness in themselves and their relationships.
my training and experience
i hold a post-graduate level 5 diploma in integrative psychotherapeutic counselling accredited by UK’s Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (www.cpcab.co.uk)
i hold an MA (cantab) in law from Cambridge University
i am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (registration number 390138) and adhere to the BACP Codes of Ethical Practice (www.bacp.co.uk)
i am insured and in regular professional supervision, which ensures the highest standard of support for clients
i continually carry out further professional development related to areas specific to my work
as a former corporate lawyer at a city law firm, i am aware of the part that stress, strains and demands of a corporate career can play in our day-to-day
while i am trained in using a range of therapeutic approaches, i believe that no person is the same and i tailor my approach based on your individual needs. i work extensively with early development attachments, core self-beliefs, relational neuroscience, embodied responses and psycho-education
i am experienced working with adults and young adults, in agency and private setting, across a range of issues, some of which are: anxiety, stress, depression, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, low mood, body image, parenting, panic attacks, emotional regulation, grief and loss, managing change and life transitions, suicide and suicidal ideation, burnout, identity issues and existential meaning-making
what next
our initial online session (of around 30 minutes) is free
we would then meet for weekly online sessions of 50 minutes each, either on a short (6-20 sessions) or open-ended basis, depending on your needs
each 50-minute online session for 2024/2025 is charged from £85 (please note my fees are reviewed and revised annually) - i provide therapy at a reduced rate for a limited number of clients on low income who are not able to afford my full fee, please get in touch to find out more
i currently only offer therapy on a weekly basis to develop therapeutic momentum, but over the course of therapy we will then decide together when to reduce or finish sessions, and this may include a change to fortnightly sessions for a time, if there is availability
