Welcome,

My name is Sophie Barnes. I am a Senior Accredited Psychodynamic Counsellor and Psychotherapist (MBACP Snr. Accred.) working online, with individuals, couples and other relationships (COSRT Cert.).

Since 2016, I have worked in a range of community, non-profit and specialist mental health settings outside of my private practice, including counselling services for survivors of sexual violence and the LGBTQ+ community.

Over the years, my approach to psychodynamic therapy has expanded to bridge elements of Jungian and mindful-somatic (body) psychotherapy, welcoming the exploration of dreams and the felt sense in the body into the therapeutic process.

My practice is inclusive: affirmative of individuals and relationships across the spectrum of gender, sexuality and relationship diversity.

Whether or not you are clear about your reasons for seeking therapy, I welcome you to be in touch with any questions you may have, and to explore the possibility of working together. Thank you for visiting.

“The privilege of a liftetime is to become who you truly are.”

C.G. Jung

Individual Therapy

Sessions offer a safe, welcoming and reflective space in which to understand and to be understood; to be and to become more of who you are. Psychodynamic therapy in particular aims to address the underlying roots of present difficulties at a level of depth, towards the discovery of new and more nourishing possibilities for living, relating and being. The rhythm and momentum of weekly sessions provides a unique opportunity for deep self-exploration and support around whatever concerns you may bring, within an atmosphere of respect, compassion and non-judgment.

My Approach

My practice is rooted in a body of theory known as Relational Psychoanalysis, which takes the view that early life experiences powerfully shape our present-day ways of relating, experiencing and moving through the world.

As a Psychodynamic Therapist with a Jungian and Somatic orientation, my stance is one of special curiosity towards the information – and often wisdom – held within dreams, the body, and even the very challenges that may bring us to therapy in the first place.

As a trauma-informed practitioner, I draw from the fields of somatic psychology and neuroscience, taking a gentle, psycho-educative, body-based approach to working with  trauma with the aim of discovering a felt sense of safety, aliveness and empowerment.

However, therapy is not only about looking back, but onwards, toward the direction that your current strengths and struggles lead in your path of unique, personal unfolding; what is termed, in Jungian language, ‘individuation’.

Indeed, as well as being a way of supporting areas of difficulty and suffering within our lives, therapy also aims to help us live more fully, in a greater sense of aliveness, authenticity and connection in the present.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I view the therapeutic relationship itself as central to the transformative process that therapy can be. Over time, the building of a reliable, trusting therapeutic relationship can become the container within which a deeper healing takes place.

How We Work Together

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of depth psychotherapy and, as such, typically unfolds over a longer period of time, in a long-term (anywhere from around 9 months to several or many years) or an open-ended therapeutic relationship. As such, it is best suited to individuals with a curiosity and commitment towards their personal development and self-understanding.

However, shorter, fixed-term and single-issue focused work (anywhere between six sessions to around 6 months) can also be suitable and beneficial for some individuals and concerns. The duration of therapy best suited to you and your circumstances can be discussed during our first meetings.

These sessions are yours, a space for you to be as you are.

It is my intention to offer an environment that is safe, accepting and open in which you can speak freely about how things are for you and feel seen, heard and responded to.

While I offer reflections and perspectives that I hope may be valuable, I am non-directive, and my aim is to facilitate your connection with your own self. It is what you choose to bring to each session that will guide the focus of our work.

 

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

Jalaluddin Rumi

Couple & Relationship Therapy

Couples and relationship partners of all kinds seek out therapy for a wide range of reasons: To resolve a point of contention and get unstuck from unhelpful patterns of conflict. To negotiate discrepancy in desire, address differences in sexual needs and preferences, and repair broken places in intimacy and trust. To navigate a significant change in the relationship or life circumstances, such as a change in relationship style, or becoming new parents. And generally to learn how to better love one another.

It is normal to encounter difficulty in intimate relationships. The myth that relationships should be easy and come naturally can lead many couples to delay the decision to consider counselling. However, you don’t need to reach crisis point to seek support. 

In fact, it is often the places we struggle most in our intimate partnerships that offer the greatest potential for growth and transformation. With intention and commitment, tending to your relationship can transform it from a place of frustration and difficulty to a source of personal growth, fulfilment and true intimacy.

This is where couples therapy can help.

My approach

I take an active approach that draws focus to the ‘how’ of your interactions as a couple/ relationship, as well as the ‘what’ and the ‘why’: the particular issues you bring to sessions, and their roots in your personal and relationship history.

My aim is to help shed light upon the habitual patterns of relating that may underlie places of ‘stuck’-ness and difficulty, to support you in learning to better hear and attune to one another, and to develop skills to communicate more authentically and effectively.

In the process, I hope to help you learn something new about yourself and your partner, and to utilise the challenges you encounter as opportunities for growth, both as individuals and as a couple, towards a relationship of deeper joy and connection, freedom and fulfilment.

I draw from a range of approaches and techniques in my approach, tailoring to each unique couple and relationship. My training in Imago Relationship Therapy and Encounter-Centred Couples Therapy enables me to support couples in fostering new depths of intimacy, trust and true connection, by facilitating safe and structured conversations around challenging topics. I also bring training in Relational Life Therapy, and the neuro-psycho-social model of couples therapy, which aid in accurately identifying the nature and potential roots of relationship challenges, as well as means of skilfully addressing these in the present. 

Who I work with

With an inclusive approach, I work affirmatively with individuals and relationships across the spectrum of gender, sexuality and relationship diversity; heterosexual and LGBTQ+; monogamous and ethically non-monogamous/ polyamorous; married, partnered and dating.  I am kink-knowledgeable and familiar working with a range of relationship styles and gender dynamics.

I am experienced in working with couples navigating a wide range of relationship challenges and transitions, including discrepancy in sexual desire and issues with sexual intimacy; chronic and high conflict; fertility treatments and new parenthood; gender transition; navigating change in relationship style; infidelity and betrayal; intercultural issues; and challenging family dynamics, to name but a few.

I see couples at all stages of relationship, whether this means deepening into commitment, navigating a change in relationship style or status, or separating.

I recognise that embarking on relationship therapy can feel like a vulnerable and potentially exposing process, and work with care to put you at ease. Whatever it is that is of concern to you, I welcome you to be in touch to arrange an initial consultation to discover whether therapy may be able to help. You can reach me via email at sophiebarnestherapy@gmail.com

A little about me

Since 2016, I have had the privilege of working alongside clients from a diversity of backgrounds, seeking support in relation to a wide range of issues. Prior to my full-time private-practice, I served as a therapist in specialist sexual violence, community counselling, LGBTQ+ mental health, and university settings.

Before training as a therapist, I completed a masters degree in Gender Studies and spent many years in the social justice sector, where I worked in support and community engagement roles with groups and individuals of marginalised identities, advocating for equality in health and social care. An anti-oppression, social justice lens continues as a core value throughout my work.

My first degree in Theology and Religious Studies specialised in the psychology of religion, and set the tone for a lifelong exploration of spirituality in its many forms, especially as it relates to mental and emotional wellbeing. A long-term meditation practice in a Buddhist tradition deeply informs my therapeutic approach, and I have a particular interest in the integration of wisdom traditions and psychotherapy, as exemplified in Hakomi, the primary mindful and somatic modality that informs my work.

Perhaps most importantly, I view my own ongoing personal development as fundamental to my therapeutic work with clients. This is shaped by my own experience of in-depth psychotherapy and a long-term, intensive Jungian analysis.

Qualifications & trainings

Core Trainings

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Psychotherapeutic Counselling (PgDip)
  • Senior Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Snr. Accred.)
  • Certificate in Couple and Relationship Therapy, Accredited at Level 5 by the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT)
  • Accredited Sexual Violence Therapist, RASASC South London

Other Couple & Relationship Trainings

  • Foundation Certificate in Imago Relationship Therapy
  • Certificate in Relational Life Therapy (Level 1)
  • Encounter-Centred Couples Therapy (CPD)
  • Certificate in Non-violent Communication

Other Certifications & Continued Professional Development (CPD)

  • Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy (ongoing, regular workshop attendance since 2017) 
  • Certificate in Jungian Somatics
  • C.G. Jung Club London Seminars (CPD)
  • Working with trauma (CPD)
  • Polyvagal theory and the nervous system (CPD)
  • Gender, Sexuality & Relationship Diversity (GSRD) and LGBTQ+ affirmative practice (CPD)
  • ASIST Suicide Prevention Training

Relevant Academic

  • MPhil Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies, University of Cambridge
  • MA (Cantab) Theology and Religious Studies, University of Cambridge

Relevant Other

  • Certified Somatic Meditation Instructor

Sessions

I offer individual and relationship therapy sessions online, via Zoom, to clients across the UK and Europe.

Sessions are 50 minutes, held at the same agreed time, or times, each week.

I offer individual therapy at once, twice and three-times weekly frequency. 

Relationship therapy sessions are offered weekly.

When we meet, we can discuss the frequency and duration of sessions that is right for you and your needs, whether a fixed number (typically a minimum of 12), or open-endedly, bringing sessions to a close when you are ready to do so.

Fees

My fee for individual therapy is £100 per session.

For relationship therapy, my fee is £140 per 50-minute session, with 60 and 90 minute slots also available, at a pro-rated fee.

Payment is made via bank transfer. The above fees also apply to the initial consultation.

 

What to expect

Once you have been in touch, I will let you know the spaces I have available and, if we are able to find a match, we can then arrange an initial consultation.

I will provide a copy of my therapeutic agreement for you to review in advance of our first session, which outlines the terms of our working together, including around confidentiality and my policy on cancellations. 

The initial consultation is an opportunity for us to meet, discuss what brings you to therapy, and get a sense of what working together in a therapeutic relationship might be like. It’s also an opportunity for me to understand your needs and hopes for therapy, and if this is something I am able to support you with.

There is no expectation to begin therapy after the initial session, and you are welcome to take time to reflect and consider whether you would like to work together.

Concessionary Rates 

I offer a limited number of lower-cost concessionary spaces for those on low incomes, arranged on a sliding scale, subject to individual circumstances. Please enquire for availability if you require a reduced fee, sharing an amount that would be sustainable for you.

Contact

1 + 1 =

Be in touch

I recognise that there can be a lot to consider when beginning therapy and welcome any questions you may have prior to arranging an initial consultation.  

Please be in touch using the form above, or via email at sophiebarnestherapy@gmail.com, and I will endeavour to respond within two working days. My practice days are Monday to Thursday.

 Sophie Barnes
Individual & Relationship
Counselling & Psychotherapy
PgDip . MBACP (Snr. Accred.) . MPhil . MA (Cantab)