Douglas Barbieri, BACP

Douglas Barbieri is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who aims to help people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief or low self-esteem. He offers a calm presence for those trying to understand difficult feelings or break unhelpful thinking patterns. Douglas speaks English and Portuguese and brings six years of professional experience to his work.

He focuses on practical conversations about thoughts and everyday habits, helping people notice patterns that keep them stuck. Sessions are described as a space to increase self-awareness and consider fresh viewpoints for making decisions. He invites clients to talk about emotions, hidden personality traits, or specific problems they want to resolve.

Douglas draws on several therapeutic approaches to tailor sessions to each person. He uses client-centred ways of listening, cognitive behavioural techniques for tackling negative automatic thoughts, and emotionally-focused ideas to look at relationship and attachment concerns. He also incorporates mindfulness and existential perspectives when they suit the client’s needs.

His background includes work with anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, bereavement, addiction, and issues such as body image, chronic illness, and fatherhood concerns. Douglas emphasises practical steps people can try between sessions as part of therapy.

People who choose to work with him begin by describing what feels most urgent, then together they set goals and plan small changes. He aims to create a non-judgemental environment where thoughts and feelings can be spoken about openly.

How Douglas' approaches translate to online therapy

Douglas uses client-centred listening to build rapport and to help people feel heard. That approach focuses on following what the client says, reflecting feelings and helping them clarify what matters most. Cognitive behavioural therapy offers practical ways to identify and test unhelpful thoughts and try small behaviour changes that reduce anxiety or low mood.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to match methods to their goals and preferences. Together they decide whether to use more thought-focused CBT tools, mindful exercises, or emotionally-focused work on relationships and attachment.

Confirm the session formats before booking so you know how meetings will be arranged. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week and can reduce travel time. It also allows shorter check-ins when needed and can make some exercises easier to practise between sessions. Ask about the current options when you arrange your first appointment so sessions fit practical needs and daily life.