Barbara Engels

Barbara Engels is a counsellor who uses attachment-based and psychodynamic approaches to help people through relationship and life changes. She holds BACP registration and has 18 years of professional experience in the United Kingdom. She speaks English and German and can run sessions in either language.

Her work centres on understanding how early relationships and repeated patterns affect current life. She listens for recurring difficulties in communication, trust and self-worth, then helps people identify what keeps those patterns going. Sessions are tailored to the person’s needs and paced to suit what they want to address.

Barbara has worked with people facing stress and anxiety at work, grief and bereavement, low self-esteem and motivation, and intimacy and relationship issues. She has also supported those coping with autism-related concerns and parents seeking autism-specialist counselling. Her background includes substantial time with a relationship counselling service and an autism-specialist charity.

Practical goals are discussed alongside exploring feelings and relationship histories. That can mean talking through difficult events, noticing how past attachments shape choices, and trying small changes in how someone expresses needs. The focus is on what helps a person feel steadier and more able to manage day-to-day life.

People can expect a respectful, sensitive approach that aims to empower them to make clearer decisions. Barbara encourages straightforward conversation and works collaboratively to set aims and review progress over time.

How attachment and psychodynamic work translate to online therapy

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early bonds affect current relationships and emotional responses. It helps people notice patterns around trust, closeness and separation and supports them in building more secure ways of relating.

Psychodynamic Therapy looks at recurring feelings and behaviours that come from past experiences. It encourages reflection on how those patterns play out now and can help with issues such as intimacy difficulties, grief and long-standing anxiety.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the client about their needs, goals and preferences and agree on a way of working that fits. That collaboration can include checking whether shorter practical sessions or deeper reflective work suit someone best.

Many people find online sessions easier to fit into a busy life, for example by reducing travel time or allowing a check-in during a work break. If you plan to use online therapy, confirm which session formats are offered before booking so arrangements match your routine and goals.