About me
Struggles are often invisible. A person can be highly capable, popular or great at their job and still feel lost underneath. If that sounds familiar, you don’t have to work it out alone.
I’m Barry (he/him), a qualified person-centred counsellor (MBACP) offering a calm, creative space where you can be properly heard, both online and face-to-face. I have a PhD in neuroscience and went on to work as a documentary filmmaker, so I bring a scientific understanding of how people work and a long-standing passion in their stories.
- Who I work with
I work with people from all kinds of backgrounds, often in creative or technical careers: capable, used to thinking things through, and now at a crossroads they can’t reason their way out of. They may have built a life around other people’s expectations and lost touch with what they want for themselves. Questions of identity, direction and meaning tend to sit at the centre, alongside anxiety, relationship difficulties, grief, health challenges and major life changes.
- How will we work?
My way of working is rooted in the belief that meaningful change happens through a collaborative relationship. As well as talking, I offer entirely optional, simple creative methods to help express insights when talking feels difficult or insufficient. My practice is trauma-informed, grounded in an understanding of how the nervous system can respond to life’s challenges. This means we can work together to understand why your body might be staying on ‘high alert’ (often felt as anxiety) or ‘shutting down’ (often felt as low mood), even when you want to move forward.
At the heart of my work is a belief in people’s capacity to grow and change. Rather than focusing on diagnosis or “fixing”, my aim is to offer a steady, empathic presence where you can speak freely, at your own pace, about whatever feels important to you. Together, we can explore thoughts, feelings and experiences that may feel confusing, stuck or difficult to put into words.
- Getting started
If you’d like to check I’m the right person before committing to anything, click the ‘Book intro call’ button above for a free 15-minute chat. It’s a chance to ask questions, hear how I work and get a feel for me, with no obligation. You can also find out more at barrygibbtherapy.com
Our first full session is 50 minutes and a gentle, spacious start. I’ll invite you to share more about what brings you to therapy, what you’re hoping for, and anything that feels important for me to understand.
I currently offer counselling to adults, in person and online.
Training, qualifications & experience
- I hold a Master’s degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Distinction) from Keele University, where I completed extensive academic and clinical training in person-centred theory and practice. Alongside my private work, I volunteer as a counsellor with Beyond Counselling, a local organisation in Wolverhampton offering accessible counselling services.
- I have a PhD in neuroscience, which informs my understanding of how emotional and relational experiences are reflected in the brain and nervous system. This can be helpful when working with neurodivergence, or when clients are interested in making sense of their experiences through a more psychological or neurobiological lens. Author of The Rough Guide to the Brain.
- More Than Feeling, Therapy Today, Vol 37 Issue 1, February 2026 My article exploring the neuroscience, nature and factors influencing our ability to experience empathy and compassion.
- Alongside my formal training, I bring a broad professional background that informs my therapeutic work. Prior to training as a counsellor, I worked for many years as an award-winning documentary filmmaker, often focusing on health, mental health, and lived experience. This has shaped my sensitivity to people’s stories, to the complexity of human experience, and to the importance of being heard without judgement.
I work in line with professional ethical frameworks and am committed to ongoing supervision and continuing professional development.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Concessions offered for
When I work
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Further information
Testimonial: “It has been an absolute privilege to work with Barry. His natural warmth, compassion, and genuine acceptance of every individual are evident in every interaction he has. Barry has worked with people from diverse backgrounds and with complex personal histories, and he has consistently ensured that each person feels deeply listened to and never judged. His presence, empathy, and professionalism make him an exceptional counsellor.” Rebecca Williams, MBACP, Executive Director, Beyond Counselling
Starting therapy can feel like a big step, and it’s important that you feel comfortable with the person you choose to work with. I aim to offer a space that feels calm, respectful, and genuine, where there is no pressure to perform, explain yourself, or know what you want to talk about in advance.
People sometimes come to counselling with a clear issue they want to explore; others arrive with a sense that something isn’t quite right, but without clear words for it yet. Both are welcome. We can take time to find a way of working that feels right for you.
While our work is usually conversational, I am always open to more creative ways of exploring experience where this feels helpful – such as working with imagery, metaphor, or reflective exercises. These approaches are always optional and led by you, and there is no pressure to engage with anything that doesn’t feel right.
If you are curious about therapy or wondering whether person-centred counselling might be a good fit for you, get in touch for an initial, no obligation conversation.
