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I am available from Monday to Friday, 8 am - 9pm daily. Please contact me directly to check availability. I can be reached at:

Richard@Barnardocounselling.com

Hi, I’m Richard — an accredited Psychodynamic Counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (Íø±¬ÃÅ) and a registered Social Worker with Social Work England (SWE).

With over 15 years of experience in both statutory settings (Child Protection and Leaving Care) and the third sector, I have worked extensively in supportive and therapeutic services. My approach is also shaped by a personal legacy: I am related to Dr. Thomas Barnardo, the Victorian philanthropist and founder of the UK’s largest children’s charity. Growing up with this connection instilled in me a deep appreciation for the power of caring, nurturing relationships — a value that continues to guide my practice.

In addition to my private practice in North London, I also provide a free counselling service for care-experienced young adults (ages 18–25) in partnership with the Drive Forward Foundation charity. My work is grounded in compassion, clinical integrity and a strong belief in the transformative potential of therapy.

My core training enables me to integrate various therapeutic models, including Psychodynamic, Person-Centred and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. At present, my area of focussed interest is in Brief Psychodynamic Therapy (BPT) — an evidence-based, time-limited approach that supports emotional processing, self-insight and relational change. Psychodynamic therapy operates on the premise that unconscious processes and childhood experiences significantly influence our current behaviour and relationships. It aims to explore these unconscious patterns, bringing them into our awareness to facilitate healing and resolution.

Your first session will give you an opportunity to decide whether you feel comfortable working with me and if I’m the right person to support you moving forward. It’s a time that allows you to share what difficulties you want my help with and to identify your goals for our work together.  I am also here to answer any questions and/or concerns that you may have about the process. The length of therapy will depend on the scope and complexity of your therapeutic goals.